Neelavelicham, Bhargavi Nilayam, Sarangi

 

Though the film Neelavelicham (‘The Blue Radiance’, Malayalam, 2023) is a remake of Bhargavi
Nilayam (Bhargavi Mansion, 1964), both must be considered independent creations and comparison must be avoided. However, I couldn’t help comparing some aspects when I watched the new film. Both movies offer excellent visual experiences. To me, Bhargavi herself is the most prominent person in Bhargavi Nilayam. So, I didn’t have a problem with Tovino or Roshan in place of Madhu or Naseer respectively in Neelavelicham. However, I couldn’t fully reconcile to Rima’s occupying the place of Vijaya Nirmala. I kept comparing them. It’s not about their performance, but the stark differences in their appearances and countenances.

In Neelavelicham, Tovino became more important than Bhargavi to me. The song 'Pottithakarnna kinavu…’ and the scenes within it are what I loved the most about the movie. The writer’s character, performed by Tovino, makes small talk with the invisible and imaginary Bhargavi for days. But I can’t get over the consternation on his face when he sees her for the first time in flesh and blood at night through the window. Tovino in his best shape in the film is found in this song sequence.

Even as Bhargavi’s form, an embodiment of a heart with dreams utterly shattered, drifts dreamily in the swing at night, a peculiar and haunting kind of strains of instrumental music in the song makes the pain more intense and deeply felt by the listener too. It's not a sound characteristic of Malayalam film music but is often heard in Hindustani. It aroused a special interest, but I couldn’t get any useful information on it from the online pages that talked about the movie. However, navigating some convoluted paths, ChatGPT and Google told me it was ‘Sarangi’ and I found myself on the Facebook page of Manonmani. (Remembering that the song ‘In ankhon ki masti ke…’ from Umrao Jaan (1981) had similar-sounding notes helped). I saw the Neelavelicham song video from YouTube shared there. I asked Manonmani if she was the composer of those haunting notes, and she replied in the affirmative. Then I learned more about her and came to know that she was the first female Sarangi player in South India. What a pleasant discovery! This made my day! Thanks Bijibal for including Sarangi in Neelavelicham.


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