Peranbu

Story:

Peranbu is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by Ram and produced by P. L. Thenappan under Shree Rajalakshmi Films. It stars Mammootty, and Anjali. The film’s score and soundtrack album is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with cinematography and editing handled by Theni Eswar and Surya Pradhaman respectively. It follows the story of a confused father, who is dejected after his wife abandons him and their child, who has cerebral palsy, struggles to take care of his daughter while society constantly rejects him.

Director Ram worked on the script for almost six years, and narrated to Mammooty in February 2015, although production being further delayed, after the team decided to finalise the cast and crew. The principal photography of the film commenced in January 2016, with filming took place on Kodaikanal and Chennai, completed within a year. The film was internationally premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 27 January 2018, Shanghai International Film Festival, China on 17 June 2018, the Indian Panorama category of 49th International Film Festival of India, before being scheduled for a theatrical release on 1 February 2019.

PLOT

The story of a single father Amudhavan and his daughter Pappa is told in chapters.
Amudhavan works in Dubai while his wife Stella lives in India with their 14-year-old daughter Pappa who has a muscular health condition making her dependent to carry out daily functions. One day, Stella writes to Amudhavan asking him to take care of their daughter and leaves her family and runs away leading to Amu moving back home after 10 years to raise Pappa as a single father.

Amu finds it difficult to connect with Pappa having lived abroad for so long. They are shunned by their neighbours because of Pappa’s health condition. They move in to his brother’s house to live with his family and Amu’s mother but his sister-in-law, irrationally fearing her own child will catch Pappa’s “illness” asks them to move out. Amu returns home with Pappa where he continuously fights with some locals trying to force him to sell the house and leave the neighbourhood. Pappa and Amu slowly start bonding. One night when Pappa begins menstruation, Amu helps a panicked Pappa relax and seeks help from a woman named Vijaylakshmi. Vijaylakshmi (Viji) offers her help in return for basic needs and starts living with Amu and Pappa. Gradually, Viji and Amu become closer and marry. However, Viji’s motives are revealed when she tries to kill Pappa by pushing her into a well only to be stopped by Amu. Amu discovers Viji is already married and was pretending to help them to gain ownership of his house. A dejected Amu leaves the house to Viji and moves away. Having received no money, he is forced to leave Pappa at home while he goes to work.

Pappa falls sick and the doctor diagnoses her with a fungal infection. She also refers Amu to Dr. Dhanapal who advises him to let Pappa stay at a special home for others with her health condition. Amu agrees with a heavy heart. On his way home he meets a trans-woman named Meera and they develop a bond. Meera helps him find a house. A few days later, while visiting Pappa, Amu discovers that Pappa was beaten by some workers at the home. He brings her back and seeks Dr. Dhanapal to understand more about Pappa’s condition and her needs.

Feeling helpless, Amu decides to end his and Pappa’s lives and the two walk into the sea at night but are saved by Meera. The last chapter of Amuvadhan’s story is about great love as he reveals that Meera taught him about love and the two are married. Pappa stays happily with her loving father and step-mother, Meera.