This is one of many very colorful scenes in the Malayalam movie Arabikkatha (2007), which I finally found in the library yesterday and watched last night… And I have to say, this movie was as enjoyable as I’d expected. This is a very sweet good vs. evil kind of tale, about a good and idealistic communist versus a mean and corrupt communist. (Once again…only in Kerala…) It’s also story about how this good and idealistic communist learns a few things to temper some of his more naive notions. In the middle, there seems to be a romance brewing, but that doesn’t fully develop because of another nice realistic touch; that is, that the fantasies our hero has about his dream Chinese girl can’t really come true, and neither can the fantasies he’s always had about China. That part is a bit tangential for a central sort-of-romance, but it also provides an excuse for a really fun fantasy/dream sequence (which I actually posted to this blog a few days before May Day), which includes some great little touches like this statue:
As I’ve said before, if you think communist references and imagery disappeared from Indian films after the 1950s, you just need to set your sights a little further south, where socialism has been thriving (at least until the last elections…).
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P.S. If anyone didn’t get why I thought old Mehboob would like that house so much, here’s another look at his logo.
Dances on the Footpath 