Pathemari () is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language period drama film written and directed by Salim Ahamed and starring Mammootty in the lead role, with a supporting cast that includes Jewel Mary, Siddique, Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Shaheen Siddique, Viji Chandrasekhar, and Joy Mathew. The plot follows the life of Pallikkal Narayanan (Mammootty) who migrated to the Middle-East in the early 1960s when the Kerala Gulf boom was just beginning.
Resul Pookutty handled the sound recording while music was composed by Bijibal and cinematography by Madhu Ambat. The principal photography began in October 2014. The film was shot in Kerala and the Middle East. Distributed by Eros International, Pathemari was released on 9 October 2015 and received critical praise. Pathemari was selected for the Indiwood Panorama Competition section at the 2nd edition of Indiwood Carnival 2016 in Hyderabad.
Plot In the 1960s, a young Palikkal Narayanan and his friend Moideen embark on a perilious sea journey to Dubai aboard a dhow, smuggled by Launchi Velayudhan in pursuit of financial stability. Upon arriving in Gulf, Narayanan and Moideen secure work as heavy construction labourers, living in cramped labour camps and enduring harsh conditions while sending their hard-earned income back to their families in Kerala.
During a vacation home, Narayanan announces his intention to quit Gulf job and settle down in Kerala with a local business. However, he quickly realises that his family treats him merely as a source of revenue, and his wife, Nalini, fears losing her social stature if he stays. Disillusioned, Narayanan returns to Dubai to continue working. Meanwhile, Narayanan's elder brother, Chandraettan, proposes a dowry deal to facilitate the marriage of Narayanan's orphaned niece: Narayanan must transfer his house to the niece, assuming Narayanan can easily afford to build a new house. Generously, Narayanan agrees.
Post-marriage , Chandraettan informs Narayanan that the new groom wants to rent out the house for income. Upset and unwilling to displace his own wife and children living there, Narayanan quietly agrees to pay monthly rent to his niece's husband for his own home.
Decades pass, and Narayanan grows old while his adult children care only for his wealth and remitted money rather than his well-being. Eventually, Narayanan dies in Dubai, and his remains are flown back to Kerala. Even during his funeral, his family displays little genuine grief, focusing instead on financial matters.
Following the final rites, the family watches a pre-recorded television interview featuring Narayanan. In the broadcast, Narayanan reflects on his life without bitterness, expressing immense pride in having lifted his family out of poverty. He reveals that he deliberately hid his gruelling hardships so they could live comfortably, finding complete fulfillment in providing for them despite their lack of concern for him. He concludes by wishing to be reborn into the exact same family and circle of friends so he can bring them happiness all over again.
Cast
Mammootty as Pallikkal Narayanan Rohit Menon as young Narayanan Sreenivasan as Moideen Stevin Kagoo as young Moideen Jewel Mary as Nalini, Narayanan's wife Siddique as Launchi Velayudhan Joy Mathew as Chandran, Narayanan's elder brother Salim Kumar as Narayanan's father Santhosh Keezhattoor as Majeed Shaheen Siddique as Satheeshan, Narayanan's elder son Viji Chandrasekhar as Narayanan's mother Anju Aravind as Pushpa Sruthi Lakshmi as Smitha, Nirmala's daughter Saju Navodaya as Narayanan's roommate Gokulan as Narayanan's Relative Parvathi Menon Anu Joseph as Nirmala Jennifer Antony as Girija Adv. Hashik TK as himself James Pottackal as Customs Officer (Cameo) Aakash Santhosh as Narayanan's younger son Mithun Ramesh as Najeeb, Moideen's son Nyla Usha as herself (Cameo)
Production Development In November 2013, Salim Ahamed announced that he would be directing a film that deals with the Gulf and various aspects of it and that it will star Mammootty in the lead, in his second collaboration with Ahmed after Kunjananthante Kada (2013). Madhu Ambat was reported to handle the cinematography with the sound recording done by Resul Pookutty. It was in 2013 that Ahamed narrated the story to Mammootty. He expressed interest, and the total screenplay was finished in a span of one year. Salim said he chose Mammootty for the role of Narayanan because he could portray the three stages of life of the protagonist. “I did not model Narayanan on any one individual but on a few workers like him in the Gulf,” he said.
Casting In September 2014, Jewel Mary a television anchor was cast as the heroine, in her feature film debut as Nalini, while Mammootty's character was revealed to be named Pallickal Narayanan. Sreenivasan was also confirmed to play the role of Moidheen, while Siddique, Salim Kumar, Joy Mathew, and Yavanika Gopalakrishnan were signed for other prominent roles. Actress Viji Chandrasekhar was confirmed to play the protagonist's mother. Shaheen Siddique was selected to play Mammootty's son. Salim Ahamed had earlier denied the rumours that Suresh Gopi and Manju Warrier would be part of the cast.
Filming and post-production
Principal photography of the film commenced in October 2014 and was completed by April 2015, in three schedules in and around Khorfakhan, Fujaira, Dubai, Chettuva, Nattika, Thriprayar, and Bepur. In the third week of March, Mammootty joined the crew for a five-day schedule of filming in the UAE, which was mainly held in Bur Dubai, Jumeirah, and Rola Square in Sharjah. Jothish Shankar designed the art for the film, collaborating with the director for the third time. Ninety percent of the scenes in Pathemari are sets, according to Jyothish. The set for Mumbai Airport of 1980 was erected at the parking area of Greater Cochin Development Authority Building in Marine Drive, Kochi. Every scene taking place abroad except the outdoors was shot in Ernakulam. The Khader Hotel where the expatriates were used to lend food was also erected at a studio in Kochi. The house was erected at Thriprayar. The scenes in the sloop were shot adopting a water-craft from Beypore.
It was during the shoot of Kunjananthante Kada that Resul Pookutty, the Academy Award winning sound designer, was roped in the project by Salim Ahamed. For the film, sounds of air conditioners, traffic and its changing over time in the Gulf were used by Resul in order to portray the development and transformation of the surroundings. He says that he did the sound design in the same as the images are arranged in the film; that "the past is represented colourfully and the present is monochromatic." Real sounds were used for the scene in which the protagonist's first voyage aboard a sloop is featured. Resul used the 'gurgling sound of water' in the background for the scene, which, he says, the director had said "was spot on as it conveyed the loneliness and entrapment of the voyagers beautifully." It was only three changes that the director needed to suggest to Resul in the final track of the sounds designed for the film.
Marketing The production team released a making video of the film which features the creation of the 'storm' that appeared in a prominent scene in the film, where a group of youngsters are migrating illegally to the Middle East by crossing the sea on a sloop and are facing severe difficulties. The video, also featuring the VFX used for the scene, was uploaded by Mammootty on his official Facebook page on 27 October, which IB Times said "has gone viral, with more than 51,000 social media users watching it at the time of reporting." In an event organised by World Malayali Council, some emigrants who have gone to Gulf during the 1960s period aboard the dhows were honoured by the makers of the film.
Soundtrack
The music was released by Eros Music on 14 September 2015. 15 Gulf expatriates from Kerala during the Gulf boom were specially invited for the audio launch.
On 18 September, the first video song Padiyirangunnu was released. The Hindu included the song Padiyirangunnu in their weekend top-five and commented: "Bijibal makes the phenomenally appropriate decision to rope in Hariharan to sing this incredibly soulful melody. It seems — given it evokes strong memories of Karnan's Ullathil Nalla Ullam — to be set to Chakravakam raga. The result is sheer magic since the mellow tune goes really well with Hariharan's deep, sonorous voice."
Release After several postponements, on 9 October 2015, the film was released in 64 centers in Kerala. The distribution rights were acquired by Eros International, marking their second venture in Malayalam after Life of Josutty. The film's premiere in Qatar was held at an event organised by Qubis Events in Doha, during which Malayali emigrants who have been in Qatar for decades were honoured. As part of the 100 days celebration, Pathemari was re-released in more than 10 theatres in Kerala on 8 January. The distribution rights of Pathemari were brought by Surya TV.
Plagiarism allegations A UAE-based NRI, Moidutty, filed a complaint in the Additional Sessions Court, Eranakulam, against the release of the film, stating that the director Salim Ahmed plagiarised his story titled 'Swapnageham'. In July 2015, the release of the film was stayed by the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court. Salim Ahamed reacted to the allegation saying "It is said to be that about three people have come up with similar claims, one from Irikkur, Kannur, and another one who has conducted a press conference about it in Muscat." The director also pointed out that his debut film Adaminte Makan Abu had also faced similar allegations, but it died down when the movie was released. "Pathemari will be felt for each NRI Malayalis as their own story, but it is not about a single individual. We will try to solve the plagiarism issue legally," said Salim. Later in an interview, Salim Ahamed furthermore clarified the issue and said, "Upon reading the story for clarification, I could see that the accuser's own work is a plagiarized tale based on the story titled Swapnangalil Ninnu Swapnangalilekku Oru Kabir, written by T V Kochubava, decades ago. As we pointed it out, the court happened to check it and the observation was included in the final verdict, which was in our favour. We are continuing with the case as false allegations were made."
Reception The film received positive reviews. It was reported that it was among the five films shortlisted for India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, by the jury headed by Amol Palekar. Citing film director and jury member K. Madhu, Malayala Manorama reported that the film missed the submission to the Marathi film Court in the final round. However, Salim Ahamed talked about the news in an interview with The Times of India that, "I am a filmmaker who makes movies for the Malayali audience and tell stories of their lives, and those outside its realm aren't my focus group. Being considered for Oscars is good enough."
On 12 October, it was reported that the film had been selected to be screened under the category of 'Malayalam Cinema Today' at the 20th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala, which was held at Thiruvananthapuram in December 2015. In 2019, Saraswathy Nagarajan of The Hindu ranked Pathemari amongst the best Malayalam films of 2015.
Critical reception Sujatha S of Mathrubhumi called the film "An ode to Gulf Malayali" and appreciated the cinematography, editing, and sound mixing by Resul Pookutty. She said, "The dialogues on many occasions in the first half sound dramatic, though there were gems of dialogues too".