Writer: P. Padmarajan
Cast: Mammootty, Nedumudi Venu, Sukumari, Ashokan
Language: Malayalam
Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil, which translates as 'In the village which wears a warrior's belt', is a film from the legendary director P. Padmarajan based on his short story of the same name. It revolves around three men who end up in a brothel in a remote village and the problems they encounter in the next 24 hours.
The film can be interpreted as a critique of the society in general in terms of its hypocrisy. The three characters played by Mammootty, Nedumudi Venu and Ashokan can be seen as representation of the director itself by being amoral hedonists. The arrival of a new girl in the brothel causes communal problems in the village as both the leaders want first dibs while the girl refuses since she was cheated into the situation. The three men end up rescuing her from the situation. The last act of the film is a bit conventional as it tries to find a moral center.
It is amazing that such subject matters were dealt in Malayalam cinema in those days. Recently Malayalam cinema has taken a turn for the better with plenty of films pursuing edgier themes even though nothing exceptional has been produced so far. Hopefully we will see better outcomes as a result of these first steps.
Rating: 4/5
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