There is no denying that it’s incredibly tough to pull a biopic off. The amount of research that it demands, the kind of accuracy that has to be retained throughout and the constant demand to stick real close to the facts often make the endeavor an exasperating one.

‘Yugapurushan’ is well acted and seriously mounted, but maintains a half way stand between being a biopic and a historical. As a historical it remains a bit too concerned with its protagonist, and lets history move towards the periphery of the narrative. As a biopic, ‘Yugapurushan’ fails to leave a mark, and very rarely rises above a chronicled picturisation of the great sage’s most popular sermons.

The film as it is, documents the chief happenings during the age, and it’s unquestionable that the Guru is invariably linked to most of these milestones. The Vaikom Satyagraha with T K Madhavan (Devan) at its helm, the meeting of the Guru with contemporary legends as Gandhiji and Tagore, or the capsizing of the ‘Redeemer’ are thus finely captured in the film.

The factual precision that the film maintains throughout is impressive. There are few instances that have escaped the eyes of the filmmaker and starting off with the installation of the Sivalinga at Aruvippuram, he takes us on a journey with the spiritual master as he sets up several temples across the state for the downtrodden. His personal relations with his contemporaries and disciples are explored to a limited extent, be it with Sahodaran Ayyappan (Jishnu), Dr.Palpu (Siddiq) or Pavitran Namboothiri (Sai Kumar). The film ends with the final installation of the mirror as an idol at Kadavamkodam temple.

There are two characters that refuse to be transformed by the passage of time in the film. K C Kuttan, (Mammootty) the firebrand revolutionary who lends a staunch support to the Guru, and Kumaranasan (Saji Vakkanad) the reformer poet who initiated a social revolution through his verse, remain as young as ever, even as the Guru grows older. That they are icons of truth and that truth never grows old might be an explanation, but how would one then explain the Guru growing old, since there is no greater icon of truth than the Sage himself?

There are any number of personae, who walk into the film from across history, and every time it happens, there is a detrimental yank in the account when someone standing around forces a question to find out and let us know who has just arrived. Hence, when a sprightly young man (Babu Antony) challenges the upper caste goons to even as much lay a finger on his hapless associates, someone among the crowd makes his way forward and asks him who he is. Ayyankali is the answer.

The fictional elements in the film that the director brings in to hold a mirror to the highly corroded social landscape are what fail him terribly. The dramatics go overboard both with Paramu (Jagathy Sreekumar), the drunkard who makes life a hell for his family or Koran (Kalabhavan Mani) who marries Savitri Antarjanam (Navya Nair) and who sets off a radical social reform movement. There are also undeniable flashes of superstardom in K C Kuttan, when he embarks on a rampage against social inequity and proclaims that brawn is as necessary as brains in this struggle.

The remarkable similarity of Thalaivasal Vijay to the Guru might seem astonishing, and the actor leaves us breathless with a performance that brims over with such fine nuances and compassion, and that is sure to win him several laurels. The unmistakable piousness in his eyes and the dejection and grief that finally creep into them as he laments the futility of his efforts, ensure that the film entirely belongs to him.

The period sets and the costumes have a tableau like accuracy to them that makes it more picture perfect and perhaps a tad less natural. The song that sounded more like an emotional flare-up and the few action sequences that appear like unneeded diversions, might have been added on as an afterthought.

It’s only in the final moments of the film that we get to the see the Guru as a person; till then he eludes us in a mysterious sort of way, and we get to see him more through the eyes of several others. The portrait of the Guru is unrevealed till the very end, and as much as the biography remains well intentioned, it leaves us wanting for much more.

Audio launch function of ‘Yugapurushan’- the biographic movie about Sree Narayana Guru, was held at Dreams hotel in Kochi on saturday. Audio was released by Mammotty by giving the first copy to Mohanlal. The multi-starred event was inaugurated by Mrs. Preethi Nateshan, wife of SNDP general secretary Sri.Vellappalli Natesan.Producer A.V.Anoop ,

Biju Menon, Thalaivasal Vijay and Director Joshi were also present with the cast and crew of the movie.. ‘Yugapurushan’ is directed by Mr.R Sukumar.‘Yugapurushan’ has six songs composed by Mohan Sitara. Songs are written by Kaithapram. The film will release in theaters on 5th Feb under the banner of A V A productions.

The youngest of his disciples in whom Narayana Guru showed much personal interest was Natarajan (afterward Nataraja Guru),the second son of Dr. Palpu When this son of Dr. Palpu was born, the Guru himself named him as Natarajan, and the Doctor promised the Guru to give his son for Guru’s cause. Narayana Guru found in this boy even from the age of twelve, a disciple as dedicated and firm as was St. Peter to Jesus Christ. On hearing the news that Natarajan passed his Master’s Degree in Zoology and also simultaneously got his Teacher’s Degree, Narayana Guru welcomed him to join him as a member of the ashram in Sivagiri. For a short while he taught in the Advaita Ashrams in Alwaye as an English teacher. Thereafter, the Guru made him the headmaster of the Sivagirl school.

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Indian Nationalism was as much a blinding force during the days of Narayana Guru. Many of the national leaders of India believed in need for social changes together with education.They were great leaders, scholars and social reformers. But their horizon of interest was confined to the tradition of India and problems of India. But Rabindranath Tagore was an exception to this. He loved India its people its traditions its beauty and not just as a geographical area of the globe. He kept both his heart and mind open to all traditions and customs. He exposed himself to the influence of all regions,religions and races. He lived and thought and envisaged the future of man as a true citizen of the world and not just as INDIAN. His language was more of a poet than of a logician his reasoning and thoughts were as beautiful as the nature. His mystical insight was deep and profound. Thats why by his thoughts, sympathies and visions, he was very close to Narayana Guru. When Tagore’s Gitanjali was selected for the Nobel Prize in 1914 he became the greatest pride of India. (more…)

A new phase began in the Guru’s life in 1904. He decided to give up his wandering life and settle down in a place to continue his Sadhana (spiritual practice) he choose Sivagiri, twenty miles to the north of Thiruvananthapuram. Varkala Sivagiri a place of natural beauty with cliffs facing the Arabian Sea at the foots of ‘Eastern Ghats’. Goddess ‘Amba’ became his deity of worship. He built a beautiful shrine for Goddess AMBA and an ashram for him and his followers. Now Varkala has become a religious center and a pilgrimage center and tourist spot. Every year during December-January is the pilgrimage time when lakhs of people mainly his followers from Ezhava community visit the place. (more…)

Swamy Vivekanda the greatest scholar, philosopher and social reformer mother INDIA has ever produced was a constant traveler. He has travelled all over INDIA and even to many other nations. He traveled across the length and breadth of INDIA to know his country and to understand the pulse of INDIA. In 1882 Vivekanda visited Kerala. He visited Trivandrum, Kochi ,Trishur and many other places in Kerala. He was so embarrassed by the life of people and the rigid caste system that existed. He was sad seeing the how under developed Kerala was inspite of the great resources Kerala had. He then referred Kerala as ‘Lunatic Asylum’. (more…)

Yugapurushan Sree Narayana Guru’s social reforms in Kerala wont be complete unless his association with Chattambi Swami and his reforms are not mentioned. Chattambi Swami was a reformer of the NAIR caste which was the middle class. Those times the Brahmins exerted supremacy in all walks of life

Sri.Vidyadhiraja Chattambi Swami Thiruvadikal was one of the most worshiped and respected spiritual leaders and social reformer of  Kerala.  Chattambi Swami, born on August 25, 1853 in a poor Nair family known as Ulloorcode, near Kollur Mutt in Kannanmool, Thiruvananthapuram.  Vasudeva Sharma was his father and Thirunanga mother.  He was named  Ayyappan, but he was known by per name ‘Kunjan’.  Unlike Sree Narayana Guru he could not join a school for his studies due to the poor condition of his family.  He still went to the Kollur Athiyar Mutt and  overheard teaching of the ‘Asan’ whom later allowed to sit in the class.
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Ayyankali was born in a Pulaya community, an untouchable caste in Kerala. He was born into a very poor and illiterate Pulaya family on August 28, 1863. Despite his major role in the uplift of his community and the socio-political reforms in Kerala, Ayyankali is hardly known to anybody outside Kerala. Ayyankali was the contemporary of Sree Naryana Guru, Dr. Palpu and poet Kumaran Asan. In early days of his life he was terrified by the social oppression, discrimination and caste distinctions that his community had to put up with. During his time the untouchables were serfs and servants of the upper castes. His way of struggle was different from YUGAPURUSHAN Sree Narayana Guru. Guru used a Non-Violent method where as Ayyankali was bit aggressive.
In the initial stage of his struggle, he organized his friends to oppose social injustices being meted out to their fellow men and women besides the practice of untouchability. The basic agenda of his struggle was civil liberties to the untouchables. (more…)