One of the best contributions that superstar Mammootty has done to Mollywood last year, was definitely his decision to stay away from the role of Sree Narayanaguru. His observations about his stardom which may come into the actual realisation of the legendary social reformer on screen, was certainly true. And that noble gesture paved the way for one of the best performances from a relatively new face, `Thalaivasal' Vijay as the guru, who mesmerises everyone with his breathtakingly meticulous depiction of guru. His convincing performance as the sage in `Yugapurushan' with that authentic zeal is definitely the highlight of the movie.
`Yugapurshan' by director R Sukumaran (of Rajashilpi and Paadamudhra) is definitely a half way stand between a biopic and historical docu drama. But the director who also scripted the movie has carved out an inspiring screen story which touches almost all the great incidences from the life of the legendary philosopher (1854-1928) with such an accuracy and perfection that, none will feel to ask for more clarity in historical references. The movie must definitely be appreciated for the honesty in its making and for the selection of right actors even some with identical looks to portray the historical figures on screen.
Starting with the factors which lead to the installation of Shivalinga at Aruvippuram by Guru to the final mirror idol installation at Kalavancode, the director has streamlined the script with incidents and acquaintances of the Guru with national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, and Rabindranath Tagore to historical personalities Mannath Padmanabhan, Ayyamkali, Dr.Palpu, Sahodaran Ayyappan, T K Madhavan and Kumaran Asan. Also in the subplots that link the main narrative are those of Koran (Kalabhavan Mani), Savitri Antharjanam (Navya Nair) and those played by Salimkumar and Jagathy Sreekumar are good.
`Thalaivasal' Vijay as the spiritual guru has manifested the importance of heartfelt consistency in his mannerisms. His total body language definitely portrays the nobility of the character in every sense and is sure to bring in laurels from every learned viewers. Moreover, with this finest work seen in recent times Vijay is sure to carry this screen name, hereafter in Mollywood.
The character sketches of Koran and K C Kuttan, both names not heard in history, are of significant importance in the plot lines. While Koran's transitions from a downtrodden to a happy family man represents the total changes that was induced in the social sphere of the time. K C Kuttan's refusal to get aged and transformed according to the passage of time, stands for the unending spirit of revolution and correction, that the guru even recognizes in the final stage as the right arms of propagation of his ideals. The character of K C Kuttan often succumbs to his star status punched with heavy catchiness and action sequences.
The technical side of the movie is also a class apart with veteran Ramachandra Babu creating fine visuals. Sai Suresh in editing has gone for the conventional cuts while Kaithapram has penned some impressive lyrics for the songs set to tunes by Mohan Sithaara. The costume, art and makeup departments definitely have worked overtime to stick on to the necessities of the period film, giving it the needed authenticity.
`Yugapurushan' definitely has its moments and the movie will remain as one good attempt in creating a biopic on the biggest revolutionary, ever lived in Kerala. Even with its hard living energy in sticking to the original elements, the only thing that dissuade the spirit is the sloppy pre-publicity that may deny the a super success.
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