'Kazhcha' on a Closed Holiday

Today was what we print journalists call “a closed holiday”. The occasion: Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the major Hindu festivals in India.

We call it “closed holiday” because none of us go to the office on such a day, and there’s no issue of the paper the next day.

Is there something called an 'open holiday', when we go to office?

Yes. We don't call it 'open holiday' though. A normal working day, for us. Barring four days in a year, every day is a working day for the journalist, at least in the paper I work for. Those who work on such days are eligible for a “compensatory off”, in addition to the normal “weekly off”.

It was a day of relaxation for me. In the evening, I watched the Malayalam movie Kazhcha (Sight). Stunning visuals, controlled pace, balanced handling of the theme, remarkable acting by Mammooty and Yash are some of the features of the film by the upcoming director Blessy.

If you haven’t seen the much-talked about greenery of Kerala, its backwaters, and the countryside, you must see this film. Even if you don’t understand Malayalam, as the movie is not so dialogue-intensive, there shouldn’t be a problem enjoying it.

The movie’s all about emotions, loving and caring. It’s about a small boy’s life in an alien land (Kuttanad in Kerala). Not just how he (the boy, Yash as Pawan) himself adjusts to a new place, but how the society (Mammooty, a small-time film operator as Madhavan) takes care of the boy who has strayed in from elsewhere (from Kutch in Gujarat after the earthquake).

Blessy also allows us a peep into how our bureaucracy, politics and law deal with such a situation. A movie definitely worth seeing.