January 2010 Programme

RAMANAM - Night Sky
Malayalam/2009/116 mins.
Based on Story "Smaraka Silakal" by Punathil Kunjabdulla
Screenplay & Direction: M P Sukumaran Nair
Photography: K G Jayan
Cast: Jagathy, Indrans, Margi Sathi, so on...

Synopsis

It was the crack of dawn. Yet darkness had not lifted and the crescent of the moon was still visible in the sky.

Eramullan, the Muadh-din at the mosque owned by the Thangal family woke up and as usual filled the water tank with water. He then purified himself by applying water from the tank on his feet and face. Eramullan then walked to the tomb of senior Thangal. He struck a matchstick to light an incense stick and in that instant streak of light, he saw a woman lying on the tomb of late Thangal.

He rushed to the Arakal family home to tell the Thangal about the incident. Together, they found that the woman had been kicked out from her home and had nowhere to go. The woman, Neeli is from Hindu community and is pregnant. Thangal gave Neeli shelter in his Hindu employee, Bapukanaran’s house. Thangal’s wife Atta Beevi is also pregnant.

Atta Beevi gave birth to a baby girl, Pookunji. Almost at the same time, Neeli gave birth to a son. But Neeli died at child birth. Since there was no Hindu woman to breast feed the child, Thangal adopted him and converted him to Islam. The boy is named Kunjali. But, sensing his wife’s hostility to the child, Thangal left Kunjali in the care of Pathu, a servant girl at Arakal family.

Days went by. Pookunji Beevi and Kunjali were admitted to school.

Nampiyar, Thangal’s friend and the temple festival organizer reminds Thangal about his request to teach Pookunji dance even when she was in the womb. Thangal repeats the request and Pookunji begins to learn Nangyarkooth. Pookunji completes her study of the traditional dance-drama Nangyarkooth and gives her debut performance at the time of the temple festival.

Pookunji and Kunjali passes the eligibility course for higher education. Pookunji joins for a Bachelor course while Kunjali decides to pursue a course in medicine at a medical college.

One morning in his attempt to give pray-call, Eramullan finds that he cannot raise his voice. Medical investigations confirmed cancer. Thangal admits him in the medical college were Kunjali studies and requests Kunjali to take care of him. Eramullan’s illness worsens and he dies. At the same time a mosque is destroyed and Hindu-Muslim riots break out in different parts of the country. Thangal gets totally upset.

The newly constituted temple festival committee protests against Pookunji’s Nangyarkooth performance on the temple premises. But despite the tense atmosphere, Pookunji performs Nangyarkooth on the festival grounds.

Unfortunately, some miscreants sets fire to the stage. Thangal is totally devastated by the incident and is seen dead in front of his house.

The dawn broke. And the crescent of the moon still stood visible in the sky.