Ore Kadal () is a 2007 Malayalam-language film written and directed by Shyamaprasad. The film is based on Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Bengali novel Hirak Deepthi. The film examines the extra-marital relationship between an intellectual economist and a housewife. It stars Mammootty, Meera Jasmine, Narain and Ramya Krishnan.
Ore Kadal was chosen as the inaugural film of the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India. Ouseppachan won the National Award for the Best Music Director for Ore Kadal. Despite critical acclaim, the film was commercially unsuccessful.
Plot
The film is based on Sunil Gangopadhyay’s novel Hirak Deepthi. Dr. S. R. Nathan (Mammootty) is a 52-year old world-renowned professor of economics. A theorist to the core, he always harps on his pet topics of poverty and developmental issues that concern the developing world. He is a loner who is a drunkard, who drinks up to 10 bottles of liquor a day. He is also a chain smoker who smokes up to 25 boxes of cigarettes. Sometimes he's close with pornography, one-night stands, stocking condoms at home, walking naked in the house, masturbation and even hires female prostitutes to come to his house to have sex during stress. He also uses different types of illegal drugs. Sometimes he would faint in the corridor due to heavy drinking and sniffing of cocaine and he regularly goes to the hospital.
His close friend Bela (Ramya Krishnan) is more practical. She tries to identify herself with some of the stark realities of life.
Deepthi (Meera Jasmine) is a housewife who stays in the same apartment complex with her husband (Narain) and son. Her husband is on the lookout for a job. On his persuasion, Deepthi approaches Nathan.
Their chance encounter ends up in a sexual relationship. But Nathan is unperturbed and quite unmindful of his ways. While Deepthi gets a feeling of guilt, Nathan just shoos it away. In fact, he is working on a book on middle-class attitudes and notions. Yet, when confronted with real questions, Nathan loses ground — a reference to the pseudo-intellectual image. Nathan urges Deepthi to have sex with him, but she strictly refuses, saying that she is already married. Then, both of them had fights regularly and did not talk to each other, with Deepti thinking that Nathan is a weirdly acting man.
Here, the director closely examines the disturbing relationship between two individuals. Deepthi is not able to pull herself away from Nathan. However, Deepthi gets to know about all the bad habits of Nathan and tries to pull herself away from him. But, she realises love and affection growing towards Nathan.
The undercurrents in the minds of Deepthi and Nathan, their tormented souls as turbulent as the sea, are captured on frame dexterously by Alagappan N., the cameraman. Though the film does not give any direct message, it does hint at what makes or breaks a relationship.
Cast Mammootty as Dr. S. R. Nathan Meera Jasmine as Deepthi Narain as Jayakumar, Deepthi's Husband Ramya Krishnan as Bela, Nathan's close friend Sindhu Shyam as Arathy
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features five songs composed by Ouseppachan and lyrics penned by Gireesh Puthenchery. All songs and background music is composed in the Carnatic raga Shubhapantuvarali. Syamaprasad told Ouseppachan that this movie's mood is serious. So he composed the music in that raga. The soundtrack earned Ouseppachan the National Film Award for Best Music Direction.
Song Artist(s) "Manassinte" Sujatha Mohan, G. Venugopal "Nagaram Viduram" Vineeth Sreenivasan "Oru Kadalay" Naveen Nair "Pranaya Sandhyayoru" Bombay Jayashri "Yamuna Veruthe" Shweta Mohan "Yamuna Veruthe" Ouseppachan
Film festival participation IFFI Indian Panorama, 2007 Asiatic – Rome, 2008 Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2008 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, 2008 International Film Festival of Minneapolis, 2008 Cine Del Sur, Granada, Spain, 2008 Stuttgart Festival of Bollywood and Beyond, July 2008 Festival of Malayalam Films, Vollodoid, Spain, June 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, 2007 Hyderabad International Film Fest Pune International Film Festival MAMI Festival, Mumbai Habitat Film Festival, New Delhi Asian Film Festival, Abudhabi
Awards At the 55th National Film Awards according to Sibi Malayil, one of the jury members of feature film, Meera Jasmine was one of the front runners for National Film Award for Best Actress, along with Jyothika for the Tamil film Mozhi and Umashree for the Kannada film Gulabi Talkies. However, she lost the award to Umashree who was adjudged the Best Actress.
National Film Awards National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam Best Music Direction - Ouseppachan
Kerala State Awards 2007 Second Best Film - Ore Kadal Best Actress - Meera Jasmine Best Background Score - Ouseppachan Best Editor - Vinod Sukumaran
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam - Meera Jasmine Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Malayalam - Shweta Mohan
Dubai Amma Awards 2007 Best Movie - Ore Kadal Best Actor - Mammootty Best Actress - Meera Jasmine Best Supporting Actress - Ramya Krishnan Best Camera Man - Azhakappan Best Music Director - Ouseppachan
IFFK 2007 Awards NETPAC Award for the Best Malayalam Film Fipresci Award for the Best Malayalam Film
Asianet Film Award 2007 Best Actor award - Mammootty Best Actress award - Meera Jasmine
Film Critics Award 2007 Best Movie Best Director Best Female Singer Best Camera man Best Sound Recorder
Vanitha Film Award 2007 Best Actor- Mammootty Best Actress - Meera Jasmine
FOKANA Film Award 2007 Best Actor - Mammootty Best Actress - Meera Jasmine
Sify Award 2007 Best Movie - Ore Kadal Best Actor - Mammootty Best Actress - Meera Jasmine
Amrita Film Awards 2007 Best Director - Shyamaprasad Best Actor - Mammootty Best Actress - Meera Jasmine Best Supporting Actress - Ramya Krishnan Best Music Director - Ouseppachan Best Female Singer - Shweta Mohan
Others John Abraham Award for Best Malayalam Film - Ore Kadal"John Abraham Awards for Best Malayalam Cinema - Looking Back". Federation of Film Societies of India (Kerala). Retrieved 28 January 2023. V.Santharam National Award for the Best Actress - Meera Jasmine First Sreevidya Award for Best Actress - Meera Jasmine Bollywood & Beyond 2008 (Stuttgart, Germany): Audience Best Film Award for Ore Kadal "Malayalam Film Wins Award at Germany's Indian Festival". Daijiworld.com (2008-07-22) Retrieved on 2008-08-04
References
External links
http://www.shyamaprasad.info Ore Kadal on Indian Auteur The Hollywood Reporter review