It was with a certain element of disbelief that I heard about the demise of Rahuvaran..Having been an ardent viewer of mallu films of the 80s and 90s , I could not let this news slip away just like any other any piece of mundane news item.
Raghuvaran, many would agree was different from other actors..Could be his appearance, could be the careless but stylish mannerisms, Could the uncombed and un disciplined hair style..Or was it that swooping drunken eyes , with an air of utter disregard for everything else that captured one's imagination..
For sure, though Raghuvaran was a villain in the mallu films of those times, for every young kid going to school..He was a hero ...Not withstanding his addiction to drugs ..
Not sure he got his appearance and style as a result of the drugs he took , or was it his attitude that took him to drugs ..Not sure.. But one thing..The lanky actor, was a much admired villain in spite of ( or gifted with...??) a thin skeleton, that was most often covered with a jacket around his chest and with his hands in pockets...
The mystic hype around raghuvaran's 'looks' helped him quite a lot to act his dare devil villainy to the perfection. And added to that was his hush hush..half legible oration..a Sylvester Stallone for that matter..? or a Kamal...? when u have a pronunciation that goes half legible and out of ordinary, it adds to ur character strength...
Yes, like other kids, I too had admired Raghuvaran and his daredevilry , that depended more on his plotting skills of his characters than a physical one..Yes we had a villain who do not flex his muzzle ,yet he delivers a chilling shiver down your spine with a gaze from the corner of his eye..A villain with intellect and a master mind hard to beat..That was Raghuvaran for u...
But wait..we hadn't seen Raghuvaran as an actor yet..till year 1994...Mallu films , were still in its good times, though the early signs of downward slide was popping up.. Lenin Rajendran tried to be adventurous yet again and tried to visually portray a grate literary work of its time.." Mayyazhippuzhayude Threenagalil" In fact he chose to film the second part of this novel..?daivathinte Vikrutikal"
M Mukundan, the great novelist of that time ( almost negated all his literary skills of late ...) had created a stir on the literary world with his amazing ability for story telling..But when the story telling was about Mayyazhi and about the life of pre and post colonial French colony, it portrayed how changing situations would expose human's ability to adapt or not..It would throw up questions on one's identity and one's own space and what triggers one to strive for existence on earth.... "Asthithvavadam " is great not just for philosophers but it can make even the common folks uneasy if it is told as a story...
Raghuvaran, the central character - Alphonsachan" a priest of a local church...lives like just another man for the ordinary (or was he...?)..But he was different ...his environment to whcih he was connected..was much bigger...and he let himeself was defined by it..Hence he cant adapt....and the dilemma he faces when the life changes around him...as his family breaks down...and his frame of reference changes...He succumbs to his innate desire to cling on to the deeper elements that connected him to the universe ...
That was great a role ,and a dream of any actor.. The challenges posed by those character were great..It calls for an actor , to know the character in its entirity and not in parts before he can start portraying it..Kind of roles where the actors would require some extra nuerons..And to meet the expectation of a Novelist, to show justice to his characters was indeed a demanding task...
It was with usual skepticism I went to see the movie..Thinking that the celluloid form would never match up to the novel..I had to say that the overall movie was okay though with lots of shortcomings that was a result of fitting the entire story line into a 2 1/2 hours movie.Many characters were trimmed and lost their original 'character' in the process .But Raghuvaran stood out with his extraordinary performance..For which he was even considered for the national award till the last minute.
It is hard to believe that he is no more...But guess the "Raghuvaran style" will remain a passion for some more time..as long as those movies are played on cable...
From Daivathinte Vikritikal:
Poem by ONV, Sung by poet Madhusoodanan nair
"Irulin Mahanidrayil ninnunarthi nee
Niramulla jeevitha peeli thannu
Ente chirakinnu akasavum nee thannu
Nin aathma shikharathil oru koodu thannu
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Adaruvan Vayya nin hridayathil ninnenikku..
Ethu swargam vilchalum
Uruki nin aadmavin azhangalil veenu
Poliyumbozhanente swragam....."
I will try to translate it....it is catchy lines:
"You woke me up from the deep darkness of unending sleep
And you gave me a colorful feather, called 'life'
And You gave me skies for me to fly ..
And You gave me a little space in your soul, for me to nest
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Not I can, leave your heart and go...
Be it the heaven that comes calling .
Yet,I have my heaven made, when
I melt myself and fall deep into of your soul"
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Quick translation....Excuse the mistakes...But this one moves me every time I hear it..
Here are links for the interested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqaks-Vf2i0 (poor quality)
http://www.devaragam.com/vbscript/MusicNew.aspx?MovieId=1493 (second song)
http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=244525
