Shapa Moksham

I may have seen this film ages ago but seeing clips in You Tube reminded me that I needed to revisit the film. The film was an early career venture for K.P Ummar and Jayan. Ummar was cute, romanced the girl (Sheela - was she a bit squint eyed?), got all the song numbers, and Jayan played the sensitive introverted artist who secretly loves the girl but cannot have her. But seeing her with Ummar twists the knife of jealousy deeper and deeper in until he decides that all is fair in love and war and declares a most insidious war. Sheela was OK, Kuthiravattam Pappu was a complete natural as ever, and Adoor Bhasi over-acted like hell in a cameo court scene. There was an obligatory item number from Shreelatha. Oh - P.Bhaskaran wrote the lyrics and they were mostly mundane. Two songs were decent - Aaadhyathe Raathriye and Allimalar Thathe.

The film had a very B-grade feel to it but the plot was extremely innovative - no wonder Sibi Malayil got inspired! K.P Ummar was like a lost kid and it was hard to get too involved in the lovers played by him and Sheela. Jayan was intense all the way through and had flashes of brilliance in the film. But it was the 70s and his negative role had to have redemption at the end. There might have been some problem with the way the character of Kumar developed because while the film was most interesting and engaging throughout I felt a clinical detachment from the players as I watched it. I think this was not very much like Aparan and Priya, instead of a whodunit suspenseful tale this was a Howdunit and very unique for its time. Worth a watch for the plot and for seeing the beginnings of Jayan.