The story of a man’s sacrifices for the sake of his family

Before the 90s economic boom in India, there was a mass exodus of people migrating illegally to the Arabian Gulf in search of employment. This dangerous trip across the Arabian Sea was very common among Malayalis and it helped several families earn a decent living. The 2015 film, Pathemari, directed by Salim Ahamed tells the story of a man named Pallikkal Narayanan who traveled to the ‘Gulf’ in the 60s on an illegal sailing vessel called the Pathemari, in the hopes of securing a better life for his family.

The story explores the various hardships migrant laborers had to endure in the Middle East through the film’s lead character Narayanan. Malayalam film legend Mammotty essays the lead role as Narayanan. Mammotty is measured in his performance, bringing out the pain Narayan had to endure and the little bit of happiness he enjoys when he is with his family. However, the narrative discusses how his family fails to recognise the sacrifices made by him so that they can lead an affluent lifestyle in Kerala.

In hindsight, the film is a tragedy – the tragedy of a man in search of a better life, but who was unable to ever truly enjoy the fruits of his labor. The engrossing screenplay and excellent sound design elevate the film and it was critically acclaimed on release. It was even considered for India’s submission for the Oscars that year. The film remains one of Mammotty’s best performances and is an underappreciated gem.

If you haven't watched Pathemari yet, do so it's streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

Well thats the OTTplay Lost and Found for today’s episode , until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez