Narayani's Three Sons

 That, normal plausible happenings, typical of a middle-class Kerala family today can earn a U/A rating (violence, incest, alcohol, substance abuse, foul language) was fascinating in itself.

Narayani is dying. Her sons come together to arrange a socially acceptable death at her home. Ironically the familiar hospital scenes chill you because they are devoid of melodramas. And, seeing Bhaskar caressing the cannula marks on her hand painfully reminds each Malayali of what awaits us (thanks to our modern healthcare). Gen Z kids’ familiarity with grass and colluding to smoke a joint with their uncle, co-sisters discovering to their relief that they both share giving ‘company to their hubbies’ on drinking, toxic exchanges between mother and daughter duo on career and mutual arrogance, all have been beautifully woven in.

But the film is about relationships. At three levels, perhaps.

Siblings’ - a thriving relationship

We see a neat drama traverse property disputes, honor, traditional vs liberal, career themes. But through flashbacks and apt dialogues, director Sharan is successful demonstrating that most siblings’ relationships are defined and characterized by our childhood impressions, traumas and fight for parental affection. To sum it up, Bhaskar just wants to know if his mother still cares for him.

Cousins’ - a budding relationship

Sharan makes a brave move. A closer examination of real relationship between a male and female. Naveen and Athira, first cousins, coming out of break-ups, feel comforted by each other and eventually attracted. One is reminded of Freud’s theory (Incest as a Natural Desire), humans have innate sexual desires, including those directed towards close relatives, and the taboo against incest, emerged as a way to control these potentially dangerous impulses. The director cleverly has used Sethu (when high) to share his insight.

“Relationships are ephemeral. Complicated. Those that should not attract, do come closer and those that should come closer, never does. Hence, boundaries are good. So that relationships last longer.”

But Sharan has been extremely shrewd in crafting the context. Naveen and Athira are culturally unrelated, emotionally vulnerable and have just met and known that they are cousins. A label that is yet to register. We are made to realize that we are all conditioned into relationships and labels - into seeing relatives as brothers, sisters and cousins. Kerala even had an accepted practice of marrying one’s maternal uncle’s daughter (murapennu).

But relations are indeed ephemeral. Earlier, Naveen narrates how his first love once ‘out of sight’ rang him up to say she has moved on. Arathi pacifies through a simple metaphor. Imagine a butterfly was in your hand and it has now flown elsewhere to seek honey or someone else’s hand. You have three choices within your control. Either (1) Live in the Past – cherishing the moments it gave you or (2) Live in Future – hoping it will return or (3) Live in the Present – Let go and move on.

Relationships outside blood are all in a way, serendipitous encounters. You chance upon your partners and besties. The movie hints at several - Bhaskar’s crush, Sethu’s flame – the scintillating smile on Sethu’s face speaks volumes of unexplored stories.

Boundaries, though needed, are also defined by generations. Bhaskar’s inter-religious marriage was scandalous in his times. Today, it’s perhaps just incest. Tomorrow who knows.

Narayani’s - a wilting relationship

Why such a title despite Narayani being a ghost all along? Her existence is metaphoric. Unwanted by most, except for Nikhil (with changing priorities) and a distant sister (looking for a place to stay?), director takes care in denying her any space. We even see their father through childhood memories, but not her. All we get is Bhaskar confiding she has been a gossip queen and see her hand twitch in disapproval when Nafisa confesses she is a Muslim still. When she decides to finally give up on life, we wonder, is it because her favorite son leaves again for good or she realizes her sons will never unite and hence, relation (of motherhood) has ended.

Actually, I was amused. After writing the script, what would Sharan have thought. How best to title this story? Whose story is it? But aptly titling it, “Narayanee-nte Moonnanmakkal”, he essentially captured the entirety or fountainhead of all the relationships we just saw in the movie. Suddenly we realize, in the larger scheme of things, even a lifetime is ephemeral. Kundera puts it best. The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

NB: A controversy seems to have erupted on the incest reference. A Society that does not have issues with two ‘sons’ contemplating to smother their mother to death, but has, with culturally separate ‘cousins’ discovering love.