DEATH & DARK HUMOUR

Aman departs. Organising his funeral is hell for his family. The title of Malayalam film Ee. Ma. Yau. means R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). But in director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s sixth feature there’s no peace to be found for the family of Vavachan after he drops dead, literally, after a night spent in drunken stupor. His son Eeshi (Chemban Vinod Jose) is left to negotiate with the mercenary funeral industry, follow police protocol and fulfil elaborate rituals of their faith, Syrian Christianity. In the period of mourning, screenwriter P.F. Mathews sets a dark comedy that examines human behaviour at its ugliest.

The vicar (Dileesh Pothan), a fan of detective novels, thinks Vavachan’s death is murder, his suspicions fuelled by village gossip. The nurse only reluctantly steps in after the doctor is too drunk to attend. And the coffin-maker aggressively pushes his most expensive box. Amidst the chaos, Eeshi has little money to realise his father’s last wish for a “funeral fit for an emperor”—and nobody’s support other than his friend Ayappa (Vinayakan).

With shots of coconut trees swaying in the wind and the turbulent seas, cinematographer Shyju Khalid paints a vivid portrait of the fishing village of Chellanam, and the film is rich in socio-cultural context. Alcoholism is widespread. Many men have clandestine second families, and demonetisation is still wreaking havoc on the economy.

What makes the film poignant is the nuanced portrayal of Eeshi’s overwhelmed isolation as the village comes together to bid farewell to a divisive man.

Apart from Jose, who steals the show in the dramatic finale, Vinayakan, Pothan and Pauly Valsan, who plays Vavachan’s wife, deliver standout performances. Meanwhile, Pellissery, who wowed last year with the crime drama Angamaly Diaries, has further confirmed he is one of the most ingenious voices in Indian cinema.

—Suhani Singh

What makes the film poignant is the portrayal of Eeshi’s overwhelmed isolation