M’wood banks on films with medical themes

Most Malayalis came to know about the Alzhiemer’s disease through the Mohanlal-starrer Thanmathra; about schizophrenia from Manichithrathazhu; and about surrogate pregnancy through the 1989 film Dasharatham. It is tricky to make a film with a medical theme commercially successful, but Malayalam filmmakers have managed to do so. A handful of such films in the recent past have dealt with a medical condition or been set inside hospitals, showing the audience a very real side of life, besides educating them.We list out a few of the more popular films in the recent times.
Apothecary The very title of Madhav Ramdasan’s film indicates the theme of the film — the dark reality of the functioning of private hospitals these days. Suresh Gopi plays an upright neurosurgeon, who is coerced into turning to unethical medical practices for the sake of profits for the hospital and pharmaceutical companies. However, he is fighting a lone battle, as the majority of doctors take sides with the hospital management in prioritising money over the welfare of the patients. The film, which has been produced by a doctor duo, also portrays the struggles the common man have to go through for treatments in such hospitals, with Jayasurya and Asif Ali playing two such patients.
Zachariyayude Garbhinikal Aneesh Anwar’s film had something almost unspoken about in Malayalam — pregnancy. The film centred around five women who go through unconventional pregnancies; while one is an elderly woman who opts for artificial insemination, another is an unwed teen mother to be. One is pregnant with an illegitimate child, another battles infertility, and yet another fakes her pregnancy. They are all bound by the same gynaecologist they consult. The film essayed the stories of the women in a poignant manner and won critical acclaim.
Ayalum Njanum Thammil Lal Jose’s 2012 film blends romance, suspense and medical ethics beautifully, and went on to become a blockbuster hit besides winning four State Awards, including Best Popular Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Prithviraj. The film dealt with the relationship between a senior doctor played by Prathap Pothen and a junior doctor, Prithviraj, whom he mentors. Ayalum Njanum Thammil also looks at the question of medical ethics, and the decisions a doctor have to make under different circumstances.
North 24 Kaatham North 24 Kaatham by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon was a fun film, a coming of age one, but had a young man suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as its protagonist. Fahadh Faasil played the character, who has to have everything in perfect order and be squeaky clean, in the absence of which he gets a nervous breakdown. The film shows how a journey forces him to come out of his bubble and changes his life.
1 by Two Arun Kumar Aravind’s film was a psychological thriller which portrayed a handful of people who suffer from various psychological disorders and the circumstances which brought them to the situation. Murali Gopy is someone who takes on the identity of his dead brother, unable to bear the loss, while Fahadh Faasil is a cop in search of his real identity following a traumatic childhood. Honey Rose plays someone who is a mental wreck and the film follows their journeys in search of themselves. It also touches upon the unscrupulous practices inside hospitals.
All-time favourites Films featuring diseases affecting the mind have always captured the imagination of the Malayali audience like nothing else. Here are some of the all-time favourites: Thanmathra — Blessy Manichithrathazhu — Fazil Innale — Padmarajan Thalavattam — Priyadarshan