talking about poland

malayalam is a language tailor made for sarcasm and satire. storytellers and movie makers have made use of this particular aspect of the language to create some of the most interesting, quirky, heart-wrenching, hilarious and unforgettable narratives.

while people like MT, Padmarajan and an army of others have created a slew of classics, one man stands apart – as the king of malayalam satire, a living legend. his name is sreenivasan. a man who flexes his pen, twists malayalam to his hearts conent – and ultimately exposes the true essence what it is to be a malayali.

allow me to elaborate my point with an example….. it is very easy to understand why shobhana’s “vidamattey?…” and “yaarathu?….” bits from the wonderful Manichithrathazhu are so memorable and so often repeated. but only in malayalam, would you find a line like “Polandine kurichu nee oraksharam mindaruthu, athu enikkishtam alla” (delivered by a very frustrated sreenivasan over his first proper meal in days) receive such undeniable cult status.

[if you haven't heard this line, you haven't seen the
amazing and scathingly satirical gem of a
film called Sandesham. so, SHAME ON YOU!!]

Now, if you ask me exactly what the “essence of being a mallu” is…… i’d find it hard to explain. i guess its a mix of acid sarcasm, good humour, strong political views, unbridled cynicism, gossip and boundless wit. Or as a friend pointed out – all things mallu have one trait in common: they thrive on self-criticism. That is exactly what sreenivasan has learnt to capture, time and again, in his work.

They say that the best way to learn a language is to watch movies made in it.
So, If you want to learn malayalam…. watch the classics.
But, if you want to learn to be a malayali…. watch sreenivasan.