'Nidra' (Malayalam)
Director: Sidharth Bharathan
Cast: Sidharth Bharathan, Rima Kallingal, KPAC Lalitha, Thalaivasal Vijay, Vijay Menon, Jishnu
No comparisons please! For, the world has changed a lot in three decades. So is cinema and its viewers. But the human mind has not changed, says Siddharth Bharathan while he remakes ‘Nidra’ as a tribute to his father Bharathan by adapting his film by the same name (1981).
It has all; the sensuous love between young couple, age-old sibling rivalry, the individual victimised by society with their written and unwritten rules and the lust of man towards the unexplored nature.
Raju (Siddharth) has a history of ‘nervous breakdowns.’ Though most treat him an outcast, Aswathi (Reema), his childhood friend considers it normal. As birds of the same feather, they flock together intimately and they have a passionate marital life. But the voyeuristic society makes him lose his temper by its virulent insinuations. His money-minded brother Viswam (Jishnu), who is in the real estate business is ‘practical’ and ‘normal,’ while dreamy Raju, is ‘insane’ and ‘abnormal.’ Raju is annoyed at the very presence of Viswam who taunts and torments him. The clashes culminate into the inevitable tragedy.
The witty and timely dialogues penned by Santhosh Eachikkanam make the film contemporary and add more life, while Samir Thahir’s camera gives a fresh feeling especially when it captures the shades of green forest.
Siddharth, son of one of the finest directors and one of the greatest actors of Malayalam, makes his parents proud by his directorial debut and his lead role as Raju.
Reema, often seen a heroine with the same mannerisms in most of the films she has acted, has changed and impresses us in the role of Aswathi, a caring and lovable wife. Two actors, from the original film, hero Vijay Menon (psychiatrist) and KPAC Lalitha(Reema’s mother) are in the new version too.
The BGM by Prasanth suits the mood, while the lines of Rafeeq Ahmed and Santhosh Varma in Jassy Gift’s tunes are hummable.
If you call ‘Nidra’ (2012) a remake, you are wrong. It’s a son’s fresh blend of legacy left behind by his father.