Pathemari ..Salim Ahmed strikes again !

In every family in Kerala, there would be atleast one man who had made it to the Middle East, who ended up being the breadwinner of the family, the pride of the family. Pathemari is about that one man. As the tagline goes, the film is indeed the journey of survival... the journey of survival of Pallikkal Narayanan (Mammootty) who ended up in Dubai in those days when people travelled to Gulf in a Pathemari (the traditional wooden Arabian sail boat).

Narayanan a simpleton who loves his family and homeland more than anything sacrifices his happiness, pleasures for the well being of his family and lives a dreary life in the Gulf soil. The family members under the misconception that all those who land up in Dubai live life king size treats Narayanan just like one among them. The film depicts the darker side of the Indian migrants in Gulf who in reality struggle to make a living for their families. Pathemari explores the psyche of a Gulf Malayali like Narayanan.

We easily empathize with Narayanan in his happiness, his sorrow. Mammootty in a role tailor made for him does a fantastic job. A character which goes through various stages of life is safe in the hands of this ace actor. Salim Ahmed is one filmmaker who always keep check of the minute details while crafting a film, which was seen in his previous two ventures Adaminte Makan Abu & Kunjananthante Kada. It is evident in Pathemari too. The director has remained completely faithful to the timeframe in which the movie is set.

Pathemari doesnt disappoint you at any level. The songs and the background score by Bijibal strikes a deep chord in the hearts of the viewers. Needless to say acclaimed cinematographer Madhu Ambat who cranked the camera in Salim Ahmed's first two outings does an equally good job here too. Apart from Mammootty, highly notable performances came from Siddique, Sreenivasan , Jewel Mary, Joy Mathew, Salim Kumar, Shaheen Siddique etc . Salim Ahmed excels as the writer and director in Pathemari and considering the fact that it was such a memorable experience, I would rate it as the best work of Salim. Pathemari is a glowing tribute to the entire Kerala Gulf diaspora, certainly not to be missed.