Did you ever go hunting in the forest?
How could you? There isn't any forest left.
Long, long ago it was all forest here.
A fearsome forest - with elephants,
bears, tigers, leopards, bison...
Nobody ventured to go there alone.
Lucky was he who caught sight of an animal track.
Even in the daytime it was dark,
with piercing cries of the cricket...
and the strange hooting of owls.
Once, a prince, who was defeated in battle and on the run,
entered the forest with his faithful wife and precious son, seeking refuge.
At that time, a cannibal demon ruled over the forest.
The prince dared to enter the forest with nothing but a sword.
Weary from walking all day,
the prince and his family rested for a while under a tree.
Suddenly, a yell resounded throughout the forest.
Alerted, the prince stood guard with his sword drawn.
The demon came along, as the earth shook underfoot.
The demon let out a roar of delight as he eyed them up.
The prince asked, "What do you want with me?"
The demon roared with laughter.
Eyeing the boy, crouching behind his father, the demon gloated,
"Tender ﬂesh! Tender blood!"
The prince asserted, "I'll finish you, you demon!"
The demon mocked him, "Don't be rash
"You lost the battle, you're ﬂeeing. You must be tired.
"If you fight, I'll slay all three of you."
This irritated the prince, "Really!"
The demon said,
"We can avoid a confrontation if you give me your son.
"I'll spare you and your wife.
"As for the son, you can always have another."
The prince thought for a while.
"Hurry up. Make up your mind. I'm hungry", the demon insisted.
The prince said, "We'll be spared. All right.
"We could have a son. All right. But you will still be here!
"What will be the fate of other boys traversing this forest?"
Not waiting for a reply the prince, sword in hand,
rushed towards the demon.
It's tough. It's a breech birth.
Dear God, let its mother be safe!
This will take time. Let's go out for a while.
Can we not celebrate?
The pain started last night.
She's delivered a boy - but he won't cry.
Hold it upside down and give it a smack.
Salutations to Lord Ganapati
Salutations to the Sun and all the planets
Salutations to the Gurus and the divinities
(Quoting Sanskrit verse on astrology)
Reading the planetary positions, the child should come feet first.
The mother or the child could be handicapped - or worse.
By God's grace, nothing happened.
Yes, madam, I can see it here.
Still, he may be handicapped as I see it.
It could be a minor affliction.
It could be just a simple bruise.
Or there might just be a slight wound.
I don't know if I should say this or not.
He is not destined
to feel the warmth of paternal affection.
The less said the better.
A good job and good family... It seemed an ideal match.
Shukra, the presiding planet,
is in an unfavourable position, and there is a sign of sin.
The moon isn't favourable either.
The mother will be distressed, both mentally and physically.
Was the post office open, Veluchar?
Yes. I posted the letter too.
One too many I'd say.
The man is rude not even to acknowledge them.
Why do you belittle yourself?
Will you get that bird for me?
- Sure. But isn't it Friday today? - Yes.
It's a sin to trap a bird on a Friday.
- We'll do it on Sunday. - You won't forget?
Me? Forget? Now get going.
Veluchar... Can you recite the vowels?
How can I? I haven't been taught.
But you're grown up?
What can I say?
I was born. I grew up. I know not how.
Walk fast. Otherwise the teacher will punish me.
When you leave me at school won't you be lonely?
Where is the time to be lonely with all those chores?
Is there no end to this learning?
This is nothing. You have so much more to learn.
No, I can't.
How can it be? You've got to pass all those major exams
to become an important officer.
Ka, Kha, Ga, Gha, Nga.
Cha, Chcha, Ja, Jha, Nha.
Tta, Ttha, Dta, Dtha, Nna.
Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na.
Pa, Pha, Ba, Bha, Ma.
Master...
Master Kunjunni.
Recite the lesson.
Ka!
K... K... K... Ka...
ot K... K
K... K... K... Ka.
Write...
Ka!
- K... K... K... Ka. - Not K... K... Ka!
Mummy!
Veluchar...
Why are you crying, my child?
Meenakshi frightened me.
How dare she?
Assured of three meals a day, she has grown presumptuous.
Who are you scolding, Veluchar?
That Janamma's daughter. She's too conceited.
I don't hit her because she's still a little girl.
Let it be. We shouldn't fight with kids.
Why do you always fight with her, my child?
He's still a kid. Haven't I told you not to trouble him?
Will you do it again?
Ka, Kha, Ga, Gha, Nga...
Cha... Cha... Chcha. Ja... Ja... Jha... Nha...
Tta, Ttha, Dta, Dtha, Nna...
Ta... Ta... Tha... Da... Da... Dha... Na...
Pa... Pha... Ba... Bha... Ma...
Ya... Ya... Ra... La... La... Va... Sa...
Sha, Sa, Ha, Ila, Zha, Ra...
Here comes your father.
Get a move on...
Mother is in for a beating today.
Hurry now...
He's in good form.
Why are you loitering about?
- Why is the master here? - Nothing.
I'll get you a strand of the elephant's tail.
Let it grow some more.
His family owned two elephants!
How times have changed!
Come on...
36... 36...
37... 37...
38... 38...
- Is what I hear true, Pachupillai? - Not at all, madam.
Rumour has it you have a woman up north.
Oh, no. Nothing of the sort. They saw me at Trichur fair.
That was enough to set tongues wagging.
- Have you eaten? - No, madam.
Then go and get something to eat.
39... 39...
40... 40...
41... 41...
Come here, my child.
Where were you all this time?
Roaming in the sun all day...
You'll come down with a fever by the time school starts again.
What's wrong with you?
Where are the kids?
So you're concerned?!
Damn you. If you whine too much...
They've both gone to fetch some milk.
Thank God, you remember them!
Are you going to stop whining or shall I leave?
Don't forget, you're an old hag with no prospects...
You were thrust upon me...
Don't provoke me...
- Take this. - What is it?
Your favourite - molasses.
Come on, I'll show you something.
Now what's this? Did you have a fall?
You ran after the squirrel, didn't you?
I'll tell your mother.
Or so be it. Next time, no excuses.
You keep quiet, too.
Master Kunjunni's come to see you eat.
This is nothing. You should watch the elephant eat.
A keeper of the elephant should eat like an elephant.
And you do bring in all your earnings here!
Let's go. The fight starts here...
Indigestion, isn't it?
She's pale from a deficiency of the blood.
When I wake up in the morning or get up after resting
I get dizzy and it makes me blackout.
(Quoting from 'Ashtariga Hrudaya', the Sanskrit Treatise on Ayurveda)
Take care. The cycle will fall on the boy.
My dear child, leave it.
If you get caught in the wheels...
Go and eat something.
You've been running around since morning.
A little food would do but it should be regular.
She never eats a proper meal.
She's always complaining of a poor appetite.
The following Ayurvedic medical remedies...
(A list of Ayun/edic herbs)
All of these herb treatments
should be crushed and boiled in water,
and then proceed according to instruction. Distilled and garnished,
they should be taken twice a day before meals.
I'll send the 'Lehyam'. Take both without fail for a few days.
Father...?
That's better left unsaid.
You want to ride the bike?
You'll graze your knees though.
- What is the young master reading? - "Balachandran".
Read aloud, master. Let me hear too.
Then you read it.
- May I? From the start? - Yes.
"Balachandran woke up early that morning.
"Rubbing his eyes, he came out of the room.
"His mother was sitting on the verandah,
"her hands folded in prayer.
"When he looked at her face,
"he saw that her eyes were filled with tears.
"His heart hurt inside him.
"He knelt beside his mother
"and wiped away her tears with the palms of his hands
"and asked, 'Ma, are you crying?"'
Veluchar, Janamma, come, quick!
- Oh my God. - Oh.
Bring some water. Hurry.
What happened to you, my child?
I was going down to the courtyard and I started feeling dizzy.
That's all I remember.
If I die, who will be there for my son!
Oh, don't talk foolishness!
Lord Rama, take care of me
Let your feet be my refuge
Aren't you asleep?
May I sleep here with you?
Won't you be cold?
I like to sleep next to you.
I'm also very fond of you, my beloved child.
Let your grace take away all suffering
Oh! Rama, take care of me
Let your feet be my refuge
Are my parents cross with each other?
Why don't you speak?
How will Veluchar know?
It's fate. What else can I say?
Do you have any children?
Veluchar has no wife, no kids.
All I have is you folk.
You get some sleep now. You have school tomorrow.
Oh! Rama, take care of me
Let your feet be my refuge
Why are you crying?
Why is he crying?
What's the matter?
Has someone been making fun of your stammer?
- No. - Then?
Teacher Ramakrishnan called him a 'petit bourgeois'.
What?
'Petit bourgeois'.
The whole class laughed at him.
What is this 'bourgeois', Veluchar?
It must be something obscene.
That low caste teacher is an impudent fellow.
The other day he was walking by our gate with his sandals on.
How times have changed!
I ignored him.
It's all the doing of that Gandhi chap.
Saying all are equal!
Veluchar is allergic to the very name Gandhi.
How can it be otherwise?
What happened to the sole heir of that family who was sent to England?
It only forced the family to sell off acres of prime land.
He wandered off with Gandhi.
What hopes we had for him!
That's all fate. His father died, pining for him.
Vasu was languishing in some jail in the North.
In that case, you listen to us
Go and ask your family whether they would share
The sins you have amassed for their sake
We shall wait till you return
Thus advised, I asked my wife and children
Whether they would share the sins I had committed
In my efforts to keep them happy?
Or am I to be the sole inheritor of these sins?
And they replied, "The consequence of one's action
"is to be confronted by oneself"
I said, who's that?
- It's me, Veluchar. - My God!
My master! Master Vasu.
Vasu, my son. Is this true or a mere illusion?
Mother, you must pardon this son of yours.
I did not fulfil a son's duties.
I'm happy I can see my son again at last!
Aren't you well?
She has been ill for quite some time.
We've tried all sorts of cures to no avail.
Have you eaten anything?
Good that you asked. I've been hungry for three days.
I had to travel without a ticket from Secunderabad.
Is it true that the British are leaving India?
Maybe, yes.
Aren't you with Gandhi now?
No. Just the British leaving won't bring real freedom.
It will take a real revolution.
Are you for murder and mayhem?
No, Mother. You wouldn't understand it.
Wasn't Satyagraha enough for you?
Each one of us has only one life to live.
Then it is to be wasted!
The food is delicious. Who cooked it?
When you're hungry any food is tasty.
Now, you stop wandering and stay here.
Do you want to see the police come and handcuff me?
But then you haven't committed any crime!
I've been accused of many crimes, rightly and wrongly.
Including murder.
To fool the police, I have to keep moving, use false names...
Oh my God!
How are you? You've been away for quite some time.
I was logging...
- Is that job over? - Yes, madam.
Do you know, your wife has given birth?
It's been a few months now... a girl.
After the lumber job, the landlord sold off the elephant.
I couldn't come empty-handed to see the newborn.
But this is not your wife's family home!
There's our father.
Do you have a job at present?
Nothing to speak of. I'm a broker of sorts.
I help arrange weddings - after much running around.
Sometimes I get paid, sometimes not.
If the girl has a handicap, I get paid better.
There are also ungrateful wretches who ignore me once the deal is done.
So you are a go-between?
Are you here for a while?
Yes, madam.
- Janamma... - Yes, Ma'am.
From now on, let your husband sleep out on the verandah.
He could sleep next to Veluchar.
Gandhi has been shot dead.
No!
On his way to a prayer meeting - last evening.
Oh my God!
How could anyone kill a man who has preached non-violence all his life?
I never wished him any harm.
Where did you hear this?
The congress men are holding a meeting of condolence.
They are coming this way.
Don't cry my child. We are helpless.
There's something under your nose. Didn't you wipe your face after eating?
Oh, it's nothing.
There should be water in the jug. Wash your face well.
- I'll tell your mother. - What?
You think nobody noticed?
You've smeared on bear's fat to help you sprout a moustache.
You think you're too clever. I'll smear it on your face too!
Give it to me. I want it.
Not so easy!
Are you studying? Did I disturb you, Kunjunni?
- No, I've been writing. - Then I'm all the more guilty.
Don't be so formal.
Why have you left the mail unopened?
They're my stories which have been rejected by magazines.
You could still open them.
I thought I would take them in one lot.
And then publish a collection, "Stories That Returned".
What about "Love Stories That Returned"?
Insinuation noted. Is love forbidden for communists?
Don't be cross. Who am I to tell a writer what to do?
Will you be offended if I ask you something?
Never. I have no such fickle sentiments.
Why do you always snub me?
Deep down inside you're still a feudalist.
- Here comes the Master! - Where is he?
Look, the Master is here!
I spotted a man in the distance...
When I looked again...
Are you feeling better?
They say I look better since I came back from the hospital.
It must be the strong drugs. She is a little weak.
She is still on the Ayurvedic treatment.
Did you eat anything?
You must be hungry. It's along bus ride.
- When did you come? - Yesterday.
- I cried a lot last night. - Why?
There was this book on your table, "The Childhood Friend".
I read it and towards the end I could not contain myself.
Why were Suhra and Majid fated to suffer all the time?
So, you do read books?
Higher studies were denied me.
But your mother would give me the books she read.
I would also read to her when she was ill.
You seem to be growing day by day.
You too. You have the moustache now.
Thanks to the bear fat!
- When are you going back? - Day after tomorrow.
LAND REFORMS BILL PASSED
The tenants don't even give us what's owed to us.
And now this law... How are we to survive?
Legally, now the land belongs to the tenants.
Voting the communists to power was ruinous, as was feared.
That's how it seems because we stand to lose.
But doesn't the land belong to the tiller?
What are you saying?
Are you a Commie too?
Veluchar, she is very ill.
Even after all those visits to the hospital?
She wants to see Kunjunni.
Go and fetch him from the hostel as soon as you can.
Isn't his father in Trivandrum too?
Inform him as well.
Where's her husband? Veluchar went all that way to tell him!
Despite the distance, Kunjunni should have been here before she died.
If he were coming, surely he'd be here by now.
Touch the feet and prostrate.
Sanctify the ritual ring and wear it.
Pick up the jug and walk around three times.
You know Janamma...
I don't like to send you off like this.
I see you as one of us.
I don't need to tell you, times have changed.
The tenants have ruthlessly taken over what little we had.
We had to pawn and pledge properties for Kunjunni's tuition.
To pay off debts, he must finish his studies and find a job.
You keep this.
Lack of gold should not be a bar to your marriage.
Now don't pledge or pawn this. This is hers.
Tell me when a marriage has been arranged for her.
Who is going to want a woman with neither house nor land?
We take leave of you, madam.
We take leave of you, Master.
We take leave of you.
POLICEMAN KILLED Commies Attack Police Station
COMMUNISTS INVADE POLICE STATION
CONSTABLE MURDERED
NAXALITES STRIKE AGAIN Extremists on a Rampage
POLICE STATION ATTACKED Constable Shot Dead
CONSPIRACY TO OVERTHROW LEFT FRONT GOVERNMENT IN KERALA
Are you Kunjunni? Move out. We have to search this place.
- Do you have a warrant? - Yes.
REVOLUTION THROUGH THE BARREL OF A GUN
NAXALITE PEASANT REVOLT
MAO ZEDONG's
THE FOOLISH OLD MAN WHO REMOVED THE MOUNTAINS
LET A THOUSAND THOUGHTS CONFRONT...
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
My Lord, have mercy.
Our young master has done no wrong.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
To charge him with murder...? God will show no forgiveness.
Damn nuisance. Throw this old man out.
Who let him in?
His grandmother is on her deathbed.
Please let him out for a last visit.
Let her die. Then we'll see.
Have you no feelings?
That's enough.
Come here.
Move, or you'll get hurt!
This is a chance to slip away.
Come with me. I'll wait in the lane.
No, I won't.
Who are you looking for?
- Veluchar? - Yes.
He was here a while ago. He should be somewhere here.
I'll bring him.
Must leave now.
He's not here. Where could he be?
Get going...
Enough of trying to change the world. Look after yourself first.
Quite a knowledgeable guy. You can listen to him for hours.
We can't fault him.
Poor fellow. He took idealism too far.
Anyway the court let him free.
Do you know a Pachu Pillai?
He was a mahout once. Now he's a marriage broker...
Do you want to meet him or call at his house?
He won't be in a fit state to meet now.
He is out there in the toddy shop.
You go straight this way and then turn right.
Go further and you find an electricity pole.
Next to that is his house.
See you.
I've seen him somewhere.
Didn't you recognise him? Accused in the Naxal case.
He's one of the two who were acquitted.
How did you find this place? Who guided you?
I looked for you and I found you.
I spent a long time searching.
Is that Vanajakshi?
Oh no. She is the youngest.
It has been a long time. The kids are grown up.
We could somehow marry off Vanajakshi.
It would be a great relief if I could find a boy for her too.
Who could have imagined you would have to go through all this?
Meenakshi...
She has been our only worry.
Many had come, charmed by her looks.
No dowry, no gold demanded...
But she won't agree.
Now she is learning dressmaking from a neighbour.
She should be here any moment.
You didn't forget us...
I heard the police tortured you.
Hardly a day passed without tears.
I couldn't...
Will you come with me?
I've been waiting so long to hear you say that...
Master, when did you come?
Did you have a good time in jail?
- Listen, you come here. - Leave me.
- Now, what is it? - I've got to tell you something.
Tell and be damned.
I'll tell you, come inside.
That's it. Speak politely and I'll come.
Master has come to take her with him.
- What did you say? - It's not for me to say.
If it's up to me, then I won't let her.
- Not so loud! - What if I speak loud?
A stuttering criminal is not fit for my daughter.
What are you saying? Some father!
Then you do one thing.
If he insists, tell him to pay 10,000 rupees and take her away.
He can't have her for free.
I'll pay You
So, you would sell your daughter for a drink!
- You don't recognise me! - Uncle Vasu!
Praise be to God.
It's quite hot. Get me some buttermilk.
Meenakshi...
So you married Janamma's daughter?
Good.
Buttermilk for Uncle Vasu.
I heard Veluchar went away the day Mother died.
Is there any news of him?
No, nothing.
Karma works in strange ways.
- And your father... - I think he's alive.
The saffron...?
A communist in saffron coloured clothes?
Come to think of it, it's a thin line.
One may be accused of selfishness.
But what I need is peace of mind.
The journey in search of Atman.
In Surat...
All that you heard is true.
As the man of the house, I have three daughters and a son.
Their mother has a job, so to speak.
But it's a hard life...
Much of my life was spent in jails and in hiding.
I failed to provide for them in any way.
A poor husband and father!
We are the only two heirs to this house and compound.
I can claim only if you consent.
I don't belong anywhere.
The mother and kids won't come here either.
And you don't need a house as big as this.
Here is their address.
If ever this house and compound are sold,
you can send my share to them.
You could register the deed even in my absence.
Here is the Power of Attorney.
- Have you preserved Mother's ashes? - Yes.
I haven't discharged any of my duties as a son.
I'll make it up...
by consigning her remains to the holy river Ganges.
- Is our son asleep? - Yes, he has been for a while.
Once you sit down to write, you lose all sense of time.
Come to think of it, it's a paradox.
Time doesn't go anywhere. It's us who go.
How many have come and gone?
A huge ship rusted and leaky abandoned at sea.
Waiting for its final immersion...
And we inside... like rats...
He has woken up.
No one here?
Come in, please.
Excuse me, I can't place you.
I'll tell you. First let me ask you.
Is this house for sale?
If you sell, I want to buy it.
I'll pay 1,000 rupees more than the best offer.
Seated there inside the car is my father.
He's over 80 years old. And that's not all.
In days gone by, long before you were born,
my father was a servant in this house.
You didn't say anything about the sale of the house.
We'll sell it, it's for sale.
Fine, let's strike the deal today then.
By the way, there is one condition...
Up there on the first floor, is there a carved bedstead?
Yes.
That bedstead should be part of the deed.
Not because the carvings are in fashion.
It seems once my father dared sit on that bed of the Master.
And he was badly beaten by the manager.
Bitter as he is, he wants to own it and die on it.
What is the good of having all this wealth
if we can't cater to a small wish such as this?
You are right.
Won't your father come up?
After the deed is finalised.
Is this Kunjunni Sir's house?
- This is the house. - Is he in?
He's here now. Go and call Father.
It has been along search. I tried many houses.
Has it been long since you moved here?
About ten years.
You are...?
I have come from Trivandrum.
Please come in and sit down.
You're from the police, aren't you?
Why would you think that?
The state of emergency.
I hear all those with a police record are being rounded up.
Oh, no. I have nothing to do with the police.
I am a school teacher.
Your father happens to be my father too.
There was no formal wedding.
They just lived together.
I have two younger sisters.
They're married and settled.
We're all fairly well off.
We were already grown up
when we heard of his marriage - and of you.
You may find it hard to forgive your father.
Yet I decided to risk it.
He's been bedridden for the past six years. He's suffered many illnesses.
Once one illness has been cured, he falls ill again.
We do our best for him.
But his days are numbered.
He has been talking about you lately.
He would like to see you before he dies.
He's been unusually insistent for the last two days.
I came myself as anyone else may not be as persuasive.
Is Father a mere procreator?
I understand you. I wouldn't blame you.
His act may be inexcusable...
But it is the last wish of a penitent old man.
Father, put your shirt on and go with him.
You too will be old. And you too will be ill...
- Give me something to drink. - I'll make tea for you.
Mother, Father is here.
It was all over by the time I got there.
You can't have eaten. Would you like some tea?
Give him his food. I'll have a bath.
I've finished my book...
But I have to make some changes.
Do you remember me? Thomas Tharakan.
You may not remember me. I'm much younger than you.
I was only little.
Perhaps that was why they used me as a courier.
Those were happy times.
While they raided the lodge and the press,
the police were looking for me too.
While you went to prison like a man,
I managed to worm my way out.
Neither was I involved in the 'action'.
Yet, a nagging guilty conscience...
It doesn't matter.
It's going to rain.
That means I start the vehicle and get lost.
But you can't dismiss me so easily.
I'm here to interview you for my paper.
We're starting a series called "Roots of the Revolution".
Now the political climate is right. Uncertainties are over...
The Left Front has come to power.
It's time for you to speak out. We want a really explosive interview!
May I come with you?
Not for the interview.
And if it's not for the interview, then what?
You're welcome.
That's plenty, thanks.
I recognised you the moment I saw you.
And yet you stood unmoved like a granite wall!
I can offer nothing to entertain your readers.
You hinted you had the right connections...
Can you find a publisher for me?
Not for your dry dialectical discourses. What's that stuff about?
It's difficult to categorise.
It could be fact or fiction.
Where is it? Let me check a few pages...
Then I'll decide.
"'The Hard Consonants', Kunjunni"
- Really explosive! - Is it?
I know a publisher who would take the risk.
Your job is done. Leave the rest to me.
"'The Hard Consonants' banned.
"Government bans novel by Kunjunni, the former Naxal leader.
"The State Government has issued an ordinance
"restraining the publishers from selling copies of the novel.
"'The Hard Consonants' by Kunjunni, an accused in the Naxal case.
"It is illegal to possess copies of the book, says the order.
"The book has had record sales and received much critical attention.
"This expository novel has sent shock waves among political circles.
- "This is Kunjunni's first novel..." - Let me have a look.
THE HARD CONSONANTS BANNED
"Government bans novel by Kunjunni, the former Naxal leader..."
Now let's wait for the arrest!
How ugly is the face of truth?!
So, let's act without touching anybody,
without disturbing anything! What do you say?
Hiding, hedging, cowering, fearing, shivering...
Mother, did you hear? Father doesn't stammer!
He has no stammer!
Ka, Kha, Ga, Gha, Nga.
Cha, Chcha, Ja, Jha, Nja.
Tta, Ttha, Dta, Dtha, Nna.
Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na.
Pa, Pha, Ba, Bha, Ma.
- Ya. - Ra.
- La. - Va.
- Sa. - Sha.
- Sa. - Haa!!
Then the demon said, "Wait, wait...
"You don't think about the consequences. You are rash.
"You foolish Prince...
"I'll give you one more chance.
"If you dote so much on your son,
"I'll spare him, all right?
"Instead, give up your wife to me.
"It's been a long time since I had a pretty lady for my meal.
"And don't grieve over her...
"You can take another beauty for your wife."
The prince rushed forth in anger, "You wicked demon!"
The demon said, "Hold on...
"In this combat, victory will be mine.
"So, you decide who I should choose for my meal."
The prince brandished his sword and leapt forward.
"What makes you so sure you'll always be the victor?"