Ottaal (or) The Trap (Malayalam, 2014)

The story – based on Anton Chekhov’s Vanka is a timeless tragedy following an innocent boy who loses his innocence and is made to work in a harsh world. This movie is a very rooted adaptation of this excellent short story. Any kind of adaptation works well only when it stays true to the original writing but at the same time roots it into the culture to which it caters to. This is perfectly balanced in this movie.

The acting of Ashanth K.Shah as Kuttappaayi is pivotal to the movie which runs from his perspective. There is a certain innocence required to the character that is brought by the actor effortlessly. The nonchalant performance by Vasudevan Kumarakom as the aging grandfather is effective as well. The other characters that support these two have a minimal screen presence but they fit in well with the ambience.

This is a director’s movie. As the original material is a short story, it is through use of such cinematic storytelling, the adaptation works well. There are some stunning visual motifs. The old man waiting to catch a fish, the image of ducks moving in the direction of the the herder, the visual of a farmer working on the irrigation wheel singing a song – these scenes tell the story visually. The repetition of such scenes at the right intervals to show Kuttappaayi adapting to the simple yet beautiful life with his grandfather all the while learning their life is shown in a charming fashion.

The music for the movie by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, even though used minimally, highlights the scenes and influences the emotional impact. Radhakrishnan’s cinematography captures the rustic beauty of Kerala in natural light.

NA