Blessy, the director ‘notorious’ for making viewers cry an ocean, is the key factor driving anticipation for Prithviraj’s Aadujeevitham

One of the few Malayalam filmmakers ‘notorious’ for never allowing viewers to leave the theatres without struggling to control their tears, Blessy is a master at delving into the depths of his characters and bringing out their rawest emotions. However, he never crafts films solely to provoke emotional reactions; but, they reflect the harsh realities of life. Even though viewers become extremely invested in his characters and long for a better life for them, hoping for a happy ending, the filmmaker seldom resorts to providing simplistic resolutions just for the sake of it. Rather, he portrays the stories of the least privileged, highlighting how their lack of agency prevents them from attaining happiness and tranquillity.

At the same time, Blessy’s career exemplifies the profound impact of excellent mentorship. Having entered the film industry assisting one of the finest storytellers Malayalam cinema has ever had, P Padmarajan, Blessy has a talent for crafting rich and authentic characters that resonate deeply. Just like Padmarajan’s films such as Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal (1986), Nomparathippoovu (1987), Thoovanathumbikal (1987), Moonnam Pakkam (1989), Season (1990) and Innale (1990), where each character is intricately crafted with depth and individuality, Blessy’s characters too possess rootedness that belies their substance and impact, aiding actors in delivering their best performances, as exemplified by the careers of Malayalam legends Mammootty and Mohanlal.

Director Blessy with actors Mammootty and Jagathy Sreekumar on the sets of Palunku. (Image: Blessy/Facebook)

Director Blessy with actor Mohanlal on the sets of Bhramaram. (Image: Blessy/Facebook)

All of his main characters live ordinary lives: Madhavan (Mammootty) in Kaazhcha (2004) works as a projectionist, Ramesan Nair (Mohanlal) in Thanmathra (2005) is an employee at the Kerala secretariat, Monichan (Mammootty) in Palunku (2006) is a farmer, Ajith Thomas (Dileep) in Calcutta News (2008) is a journalist, Sivankutty (Mohanlal) in Bhramaram (2009) is a driver, Mathews (Mohanlal) in Pranayam (2011) is a retired professor and Meera (Shweta Menon) in Kalimannu (2013) is a bar dancer-turned-budding actor.

Despite their different backgrounds, what connects them is their determination to follow their hearts. While Madhavan is on a quest to get custody of an orphaned boy displaced by the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, Ramesan Nair’s goal is to support his son in passing the civil services exam and becoming a district collector, something that he couldn’t while growing up. Monichan dreams of improving his family’s financial situation, while Ajith’s focus is on helping a human trafficking victim Krishna Priya (Meera Jasmine) lead a peaceful life. Sivankutty, on the other hand, has embarked on a mission to prove his innocence to his family after being accused of murder, while Mathews, despite being paralysed, is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure the happiness of his wife Grace (Jaya Prada), and Meera is determined to conceive a child through artificial insemination after her husband’s tragic accident.

Director Blessy with Aadujeevitham’s music composer AR Rahman during the film’s shooting. (Image: Blessy/Facebook)

As the characters immediately captivate viewers with their kindness, innocence and altruism, their quests become ours as well. Their missions are driven by good intentions, and like many of us, they too are ordinary people with limited control over their lives and no superhuman abilities, unlike usual mainstream film protagonists. Despite this, they pursue their simple dreams, that cause no harm to others. However, just when we think they are on the verge of success, Blessy introduces the harsh realities of life, especially in the climaxes, derailing their lives and leaving them stranded on a journey marked by failure, making us feel crushed and devastated.

In fact, Blessy’s stories possess such strong emotional cores that even though they leave us heartbroken, we find ourselves unsatisfied unless they conclude with tragic conclusions which allow us to cry an ocean. This explains why endings such as Madhavan being forced to depart leaving the child behind with hopes of a future reunion; Ramesan succumbing after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease; Monichan failing in his legal battle to secure justice for his raped and murdered daughter; Sivankutty, having lost his family, unable to seek vengeance; and Mathews bidding farewell to Grace who has passed away, though they shatter us into pieces, remain etched in our hearts. This is also why resolutions where Ajith and Krishna live happily ever after and Meera discovers a new beginning fail to elicit the same impact. This speaks to our emotional depth and, perhaps, a touch of sadism within us.

Director Blessy with actor Bhumika Chawla and others on the sets of Bhramaram. (Image: Blessy/Facebook)

With intricately crafted scripts that meticulously explore every moment in the narrative, Blessy’s writings serve as excellent reference material for shaping films. Examining any of his movies, except Kalimannu, showcases the thought and effort he put into crafting sharp and measured dialogues that effectively express the characters’ emotions. As he ensures exceptional characterisations, not a single dialogue spoken by the characters feels forced or contrived, a quality that extends even to supporting characters in his films, making Blessy an exceptional storyteller.

Another one of Blessy’s biggest strengths, much like his mentors Padmarajan and writer-director AK Lohithadas, with whom he worked as an associate director in films such as Kanmadam (1998), Joker (2000) and Arayannangalude Veedu (2000), is the adept use of music, both songs and background tracks, which hit the right notes in the hearts of audiences. The compositions by Mohan Sithara for Kaazhcha, Thanmathra, Palunku and Bhramaram, by Debojyoti Mishra for Calcutta News, and by M Jayachandran for Pranayam and Kalimannu would make one feel that Blessy ensured to pour the absolute essence of his movies into the hearts of the music directors and let them touch the soul of his works so that the audiences also get to experience the same. Despite his frequent collaboration with Sithara initially, the fact that he chose a Bengali composer like Mishra, who has worked with many legends including Mrinal Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, Aparna Sen et al, for Calcutta News underscores Blessy’s dedication to authenticity and his emphasis on music. Each of his films features at least one song that encapsulates the aesthetic and narrative essence, exemplified by tracks like “Kunje Ninakku Vendi” (Kaazhcha), “Ithaloornnu Veena” (Thanmathra), “Maanathe Velli” (Palunku), “Engu Ninnu Vanna” (Calcutta News), “Annarakanna Vaa” (Bhramaram), “Paattil Ee Paattil” (Pranayam) and “Lalee Lalee” (Kalimannu), showcasing the director’s penchant for poetic and meaningful lyrics in harmony with his films’ themes.

Watch Aadujeevitham trailer here:

Nevertheless, it needs to be mentioned here that his final directorial, Kalimannu, was a significant disappointment despite its strong plot. Everything from the writing and direction to the performances fell below expectations, leaving Malayalees surprised and disheartened, considering it was from Blessy, whom they held in high regard.

However, with the release of Aadujeevitham’s trailer, the confidence in him has been restored. Each and every frame in the promo video looks stellar, akin to paintings, and the manner in which he has staged and choreographed the film gives hope that this would mark the comeback of one of the finest Malayalam storytellers of recent times. Especially since it is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name, which itself left many Malayalees with teary and sleepless nights, expectations are rightfully high. With the countdown underway for the release of Aadujeevitham, let’s eagerly anticipate how Blessy will shatter our hearts this time.