Ammukutty – A Character Study

Courtesy: www.youtube.com

Malayalam movies from the 80s have always found a special place in my heart. Those were the pictures that I grew up watching. Thanks to Asianet Movies and youtube.com, I get to see many of those movies yet again. Now, as an adult, I see them at a much better level of understanding than in the past. It was the other day that my fingers ceased taunting the remote control when my eyes recognized scenes from one of my old favorites – Aalkoottathil Taniye. 

As a child, my cherished memories of the movie were the song onnanam oonjal (that song was full of swings - I love swings) and Ammukutty - the character portrayed by Seema. Ammukutty was someone whom I had cherished for a very long time. With a smile I realized that she took a cozy corner of my heart owing to the allimalar kannil song sequence and a few scenes which she shared with the little boy named Babu.

As I watched the movie, I wondered why Ammukutty never made it to the tip of anybody's pen terming her as one of the powerful women characters that was portrayed in Malayalam cinema. I hear that the movie, in its time, was not a commercial success. Probably that was the reason. Or, probably it was because she is not the kind you would term as extraordinary. Whatever be the reason, I was truly inspired by Ammukutty. 

Ammukutty, an orphan and an elementary school teacher by profession, is portrayed as a free-spirited character within the social parameters. She is so full of life and absolutely content with what she has. I loved her wit and subtle sense of humor. She is the kind who can effortlessly and instantly make you smile on a day that has gone really bad for you.

While we watch the movie we can sense the unconditional love she has for her maternal cousin Rajan, the character potrayed by Mamootty. At the phase where she has to let go of her dreams of sharing a life with him, I couldn't help but think why Rajan never understood her underlying message. Yes, she vouched for him to embrace the great things that came his way. Yes, she gave in to his father’s viewpoints of why she should let go, offering not one word of defense for herself. The character is designed and played so well that I could clearly understand her thoughts. She had done her share for their life together and she was in no way going to hint or make him do his part. She completely left that to him. Whether it hurt him or not, he messed it up.

I loved the part where she looks Rajan in the eye and says that she had never cursed him and that she would, if she felt that his son wasn't cared for. Her sacrifice was for him to get a good life and if he couldn't do his share to keep it going, it would put her sacrifice to shame.

I could so relate to her when she loses her cool with Rajan's wife Nalini, who tried repaying the money she had spent on Rajan's post-graduation. Values and goodwill when weighed on the monetary scale alone, can act like spark on kerosene.

I'd like to courteously bow down in front of M.T Vasudevan Sir for shaping up Ammukutty's character with so much of thought and care. I'd also like to congratulate Seema for playing the role so well. I loved Ammukutty for her strength, her resolve, her content way of life, her forgiveness and her broad mindedness. Ammukutty is a reminder that you don't have to do huge things to be powerful. Making a difference in one person's life and bridging differences to strengthen relationships; it's all an act of power - of strength. It is the kind of power that usually goes unnoticed and unrecognized. Think about it – Ammukutty can be your mother, your mother-in-law, your sister, your brother, your father, your friend; just about anybody. Recognize that power – that in itself is the greatest form of gratitude that you can give him or her.