Prayanam

Prayanam ( The voyage) is a 1975 Indian Malayalam-language feature film written by Padmarajan and directed by Bharathan. It was the debut of both Padmarajan and Bharathan. The writer-director duo is often credited for revolutionising Malayalam cinema with their expressive and innovative works. Prayanam stars Mohan Sharma, Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair, Master Raghu, Lakshmi, Kaviyoor Ponnamma and Nanditha Bose. It probes into the realities that existed within the Brahmin community of the day. Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair plays an elderly Brahmin priest married to a girl young enough to be his daughter. Bharathan produced the film as well as did the art direction. Music is composed by M. B. Sreenivasan with lyrics by Vayalar, Yatheendra Das and Bichu Thirumala. Bharathan remade the film into Tamil as Savithiri in 1980, but could not repeat the success. Plot Savithrikkutty, eldest daughter of an aged poor Nambuthiri Brahmin is married off to an aged widower (a priest) of the same caste. The new family where she is received comprises two other members, Appu (the man's son who is just a boy) and Amminiyamma. Amminiyamma's son is working in a distant place. Until Savithri's arrival she was the sole helper of the widower. The age disparity between the man and Savithri causes their sexual life to be without colors. The man soon engages himself in temple matters and the woman, finding no better way to kill her time plays with the man's kid and does her chores without charm. One day a young man named Aravindan comes to his ancestral house in the village. On his way he meets aged people who stare at him as if they never have seen a young man lately. His uncle, Kizhakkethil Raman Menon receives him cordially who reminisces his (Menon's) valiant efforts at a time when his elders would frown upon education, to send his sister, Aravindan's mother, to her studies in the city. However we come to know that city culture has destroyed her soft sides and that she now lives an unorganized life of an addict to intoxicants. Meanwhile, Appu, the boy-child of the priest, easily makes friends with his new wife Savithri. Strong child-mother affection develops between Appu and his stepmother Savithri. On some day, at a ritual performance, Aravindan and Savithri encounters each other for the first time. Aravindan, basically of a wandering nature does nothing significant after his arrival to the village.