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Not exactly: Don Palathara responds to my views on Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam

The biblical context of Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam (Joyful Mysteries) is hard to miss. Even before the curtains rise (anachronistically speaking), the title evokes the nativity tale: the annunciation of divine conception by the angel to Maria, mother of Jesus. As the film rolls one is not disappointed - it’s a modern day tale of an unwed woman named Maria (Ah!), who tries to grapple with an impending life-churning announcement. Maria (Rima Kallingal) is on the way to the hospital to confirm her pregnancy. Her partner Jitu (Jitin Puthenchery), who drives the car, seems to be as uncertain as Maria about what’s in store. He’d rather read his phone chats than worry about the future while Maria obsessively dwells on it. (Spoiler Alert: The film is about to be discussed threadbare.)

The camera, the unblinking eye, immovably fixed on to the dashboard, picks up the minutiae- the tensions, the dread, the teeny weeny facial expressions, while the complex questions of nurturing, abortion, marriage and, the burden of choice to have or not to have are all confronted in a short span of 1 hour 25 minutes. Though director Don Palathara would have us think otherwise, the film unintentionally thrusts on us the dilemma of Maria, mother of Jesus, and her fiancée Joseph. The director intends quite something else.

Don Palathara:  As you know, Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam in the biblical context is about how the news of pregnancy of the virgin girl becomes a happy news for the whole mankind. The film, on the other hand, is not interested in mankind or their happiness. The camera is turned towards the girl and her partner. I am someone who enjoys some dark-humour and this film gives totally a different meaning to the phrase.

Joyful Mysteries is ironically a time of anxiety and doubt in the film. The analogy also brings to the fore, anxieties and doubts of Maria, mother of Jesus. An unwed pregnant woman foisted on Joseph and her fears of what that ancient society would have thought of her are not far from our thoughts. The laws were harsher then- an adulterous woman would have been stoned to death. It is believed that Joseph had decided to quietly break the engagement but divine interventions changed the course of that tale. Palathara juxtaposes the two Marias?

Don Palathara: One can say that.The Biblical Maria got significance only because she went through it all and gave birth to the son of God. For me, stories of all Marias, Josephs and Jitins are all equally important. 

 

Maria, the protagonist, is filled with dread about her future, her career and, the burden of guilt of getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy lies with her. Jitu tries (Pilate like) to wash his hands off the dreadful proposition of committing foeticide but Maria disallows such nonchalance. Even as the pregnancy question is being tackled, the horrible effects of PMS on women mentally, emotionally and physically is examined- their sensitiveness, irritability, annoyance, their annoying behaviour etc…

 Don Palathara: I wouldn't use terms such as irritable and annoying about Maria. Jitin may be. Maria is an assertive person, a go-getter while Jitin is mostly passive about almost all matters. It is the differences that create the friction, not Maria's PMS single handedly. 

 

Jitin’s disinterest, self-centredness portrays a typical male far removed from the counterpart- the female. But Jitu here is trying to break the shackles of that stereotype and be progressive.

 Don Palathara: It is not just Jitin, Maria also claims to be more progressive than she really is. They are both flawed characters. 

 

A whole host of issues- body autonomy, conditioning of male and female roles in society have been explored. So why did Palathara explore this?

 Don Palathara: I have been thinking on these topics for a while before this film happened. It is my way of addressing my confusions. I am trying to ask some questions in my films, not necessarily to reach conclusions. 

 

The intense close up of the scenes in the confined/ captive space of a car is perhaps similar to Sanal Kumar Saseedharan’s Sexy Durga where he explores gender issues and space in the confines of a moving vehicle. However, the atmosphere of Sexy Durga is menacing and frightening.

 Don Palathara: I don't remember the camera work of Sexy Durga. From what I remember, that was a movie which I didn't like much. 

 

The telephone interview of Maria and the director seemed like Don Palathara had something to tell the audience. 

 Don Palathara: The director on the other end is a caricature of the so-called progressive contemporary Malayalee independent filmmakers, including myself. I was just mocking the bunch of filmmakers. 

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