Adaminte Makan Abu English: Abu, Son of Adam) is a 2011 Malayalam family drama film written, directed and co-produced by debutant filmmaker Salim Ahamed, starring Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab in the lead roles. Notable smaller roles are filled by Mukesh, Nedumudi Venu, Kalabhavan Mani, and Suraj Venjarammoodu. The film chronicles the riveting tale of a poor old couple longing to go on a Hajj pilgrimage.
After nearly a decade of pre-production work,the film was shot over a month beginning on 7 November 2010. It bagged four National Film Awards including for Best Film and Best Actor (Salim Kumar). The film released in theatres on 24 June 2011.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1945039/
Plot
Abu (Salim Kumar) and Aishumma (Zarina Wahab) are an elderly Muslim couple living in Kerala's Malabar. Their aspiration is to go for Hajj and they make many sacrifices to achieve this aim. Their son Sathar, has migrated to the Middle East with his family and virtually discards his aged parents. Now in their late 70s, they decide that they will go for Hajj that year.
Abu sells athar and Unani medicines that nobody wants for a living. Aishumma breeds cattle and hens, and helps her husband realize their dream. Just like the traditional products that Abu sells, he too has been outdated, stepped upon and discarded by a fast changing world. A school teacher (Nedumudi Venu), an intelligent friend of Abu's, is there in his time of need. Hyder (Suraj Venjarammoodu), a local teashop owner also empathises with Abu. Abu is often given genuine advices by a mysterious saint known simply as Ustad (Thampi Antony). Good-natured people try to help him by loaning the amount, but since this is against the accepted practices of the religion, he refuses to take them.
With advancing years, Abu's desperation also grows. Finally, in frustration and terrible distress, Abu gives away his cow and an old jackfruit tree. Abu is helped by the manager of a travel agency (Mukesh) to get tickets and other documents. A policeman (Sasi Kalinga), who does the police verification, initially rejects Abu's passport application, but once he gets his bribe he becomes quite helpful.
When the passports and the tickets are just a bus journey away in Kozhikode, the sawmill owner (Kalabhavan Mani) while handing over the money for the tree says that its wood turned out to be rotten and hence useless. He insists that Abu still take the money, since it is for a noble cause. But Abu refuses it, saying that it wouldn't be halal, and hence could anger Allah. At last when he is sure that he cannot fulfill his dream, Abu reaches another conclusion – that tree too has life, and several lives must have died when he cut the tree in front of his house. And that may be one of the reasons for his not being able to go for the Hajj. On the dawn of the Hajj, Abu tells his wife that they will go the next year. He goes to the mosque to pray on the Hajj morning.
Cast
Salim Kumar as Abu
Zarina Wahab as Aishumma
Mukesh as Ashraf
Nedumudi Venu as Master
Kalabhavan Mani as Johnson
Suraj Venjarammoodu as Hyder
Sasi Kalinga as Kabeer
Thampi Antony as Ustad
T. S. Raju as Maliyekkal Hassainar Haji
M. R. Gopakumar as Sulaiman
Jaffer Idukki as the photographer
Ambika Mohan as Lalitha, Master's wife
Vinod Kovoor as Moideen, the fish seller
Critical response
Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindustan Times rated the movie three on five stars () and said, "Adaminte Makan Abu while being a rare study in restraint often plays out like a placid stream. Except for the old couple's son, who is never shown and who turns out to be the cause of all the misery and disappointment, Ahamed portrays too idyllic a situation." About the cinematography, the reviewer says that "some of the shots are divinely beautiful, conveying a deep sense of loneliness and gloom." The critic praises Kottukappally's background score claiming that it "does add up to create the mood that swings between despair and hope, between despondency and cheer." The actors' performances were labelled as "marvellous", with the lead pairs receiving particular praise.
Paresh C. Palicha of Rediff.com gave the film a very positive review and praised it as "simple and beautiful". The review mostly praised the performances, direction and story, giving it three stars over five (). Palicha particularily praises Salim Kumar's performance saying "It goes without saying that it is Salim Kumar who has the towering presence and hovers above the story. Make-up by Pattanam Rasheed helped, but it is Salim Kumar's acting skills that have made him enact perfectly the part of a 75-year-old man with blood shot eyes and a tendency to fall off to sleep in the middle of a conversation."
In Deccan Chronicle, Keerthy Ramachandran gave the film a complete five star rating (), writing, "This is one movie which should get a glorious position in the annals the history of Malayalam cinema." The critic was all praise for the cast performances and stated, "Through his portrayal of Abu, Salim Kumar has elevated his image from that of a comedian in the film industry to that of an exemplary actor. Though not recognised with an award, Zareena Wahab’s performance as his wife is also worthy of appreciation. The movie would also prove to be a milestone in Suraj Venjaramood’s acting graph as he gets to show his histrionic abilities, without depending on the Thiruvananthapuram slang. Mukesh and Kalabhavan Mani, though in cameos, have done a good job." Salim Ahamed's screenplay and direction was praised by the critic, who stated, "Hats off to the debutante film maker, Salim Ahmed, who with his story, screenplay and dialogue proved that in cinema, ingenuity lies in simplicity." She appreciated Madhu Ambat's cinematography saying "Ace cinematographer Madhu Ambat is surely an asset to the Indian film idustry and has framed poignant shots for the movie." She labelled Ramesh Narayan's songs as "excellent" and Kottukappally's baclground score as "intense" and "economically used".
S. Anandan of The Hindu published a positive review, saying, "'Adaminte Makan Abu', with its honest portrayal of a devout old man's pursuit of spiritual bliss, offers a glimmer of hope for Malayalam cinema, currently at its nadir". He appreciated Salim Ahamed's direction saying that "The movie may be a tad utopian, but Ahamed demonstrates commendable mastery in relating an individual's undying spirit and a happy death he so much yearns for." He labelled the film setting as "idyllic" and said, "The village, not far from the bustling town of Kozhikode, is idyllic and the life of the people there, harmonious. The story unfolds in 2010, as evident from a flex board in front of the travel company that helps the protagonist couple get their travel documents. But the societal life in the village, reminiscent of rural Kerala in the 1980s with its crop of do-gooders and mystics, is too ideal to be true in current times. But then, Salim Ahamed is out to picture life in a Basheerian habitat, where inter-religious individuals gleefully share the earth with pagan living organisms."
T. Sudheesh of City Journal concluded his review saying that "Director Salim Ahamed, who has penned the story and the screenplay, has made a beautiful film. Adaminte Makan Abu is quiet engaging and entertaining as well. The film truly deserves the national award. It is really worth watching." He labelled Salim Kumar's performance as "brilliant", and commented that "The chemistry between Abu and his wife Aishumma is touching and has been beautifully brought out through simple narration." The critic praised Madhu Ambat's cinematography as "another highlight of the film".
Veeyen of Nowrunning.com was all praise for the film and commented that it "is a wholly functional drama that probes into questions of basic human existence. Fabulously directed and sensitively acted, this is no didactic film, but rather a poignant parable that ponders on human aspirations and the strenuous journey to their fulfillment." He gives it a rating of three stars out of five (), and adds that the film "is meticulously paced and splendidly staged to create a sense of optimism that should keep the human race going in these testing times."
A reviewer from Sify.com also gave the film a complete five star rating (), saying, "Adaminte Makan Abu has done proud for Malayalam and will find its place among the most powerful films ever made in Malayalam." The critic praised Salim Ahamed's direction stating that "The director, who is also the scenarist, pours his heart and soul into the film and the honesty with which he has approached the film is there to be seen in every frame." The critic labelled Madhu Ambat's cinematography as "brilliant" and Kotukappally's background score as "absorbing". Salim Kumar's performance is praised by the critic, saying, "It’s perhaps an once-in-a-lifetime role for Salim Kumar and he gives subtle acting an altogether different meaning. He is just outstanding and his performance has been easily the best by any actor in Malayalam, during recent years." The critic also praised the performances by other actors, saying, "Every actor in the film has done their role with lots of conviction. From Zareena Wahab, Nedumudi Venu, Mukesh, Kalabhavan Mani, Suraj Venjarammoodu, M R Gopakumar and Thampi Antony to those who have appeared in a scene or two like Sasi Kalinga and Jaffer Idukki, for instance, leaves lasting impressions in the viewer’s mind."
A reviewer from Oneindia.in said that Salim Ahamed "has created a masterpiece out of a simple story." The review, which mainly praised the technical expertise and cast performances, labelled Salim Kumar's performance as the "major attraction of the movie", Ramesh Narayan composed songs as "good", and Vijay Shankar's editing work as "commendable".
Accolades
The film received numerous accolades including four National Film Awards and four Kerala State Film Awards.[36] Salim Kumar became the tenth Malayalam actor, and the first comedian, to win the national award. State award Jury Chairman Buddhadeb Dasgupta was profuse in his praise for Salim Kumar. "I was overwhelmed. For the first 10-15 minutes I couldn't believe my eyes. I had seen the same person in comedy roles in some other films that came up for our consideration. This performance was overwhelming. He overshadowed everyone else."
The national and state award going to Salim Kumar in the Best Actor category created tension in the film industry. Director Ranjith said that he expected the award for Mammootty whose performance in the film Pranchiyettan & the Saint had received rave critical reviews. He said that Salim Kumar's performance in Adaminte Makan Abu was no patch on Mammootty's performance in Pranchiyettan & the Saint.Salim Kumar lashed out against Ranjith's comments and said it is just sour grapes. Several film pundits have backed the opinion of Ranjith.
In an interview, Pattanam Rasheed complained that the absence of Malayalis in the national award jury cost him the award for best make-up artist. He says, "I would've got it [the award] if there was a Malayali. Jury members thought Salim [Kumar] was actually an old man. As such, they couldn't appreciate my work.
Screen shot
? They shouldn’t have come to a seventh sequel in the first place. This movie is the close-enough-to-perfect cherry on top of a franchise that will be remembered for years to come. It’s ripe, beautiful, and you’ll be sad – but satisfied – when you’re done with it.
