Notebook

There are some films you love,  some that you hate and some others that you Initially hate and later become crazy about. Notebook is one such movie. The first time I watched it, I was barely a teenager. I was told by a friend that it was a highly NSFW kinda movie that talks about periods and pregnancy. I was curious.

I remember watching it in a hush hush manner on TV alternating between channels to not get caught in the act of watching it by mom.
I too found it NSFW.  But on entering my teens I ended up watching it a couple more times and went on to realize that this was one of the most superior movies made at that time.

Today I watched it again. Even though I was watching a film that I had watched umpteen number of times, I still found it as engaging as ever. I watched it with an all new understanding. You see, you aren't the same person and as the person you're keeps changing, so does your perspective. The person watching it has changed a great deal and therefore the movie also has undergone a metamorphosis.

This movie was made way ahead of its time. 2006 was too early a time for the audience to be fed with something like teenage pregnancy. They weren't prepared for something like this. Quite expectedly this film earned a lot of brickbats upon it's release, but later went on to be a cult classic. This film holds relevance even today and it will be relevant at every point in time.

Kudos to director Roshan Andrews for having chosen this subject at that point in time when people were uncomfortable on hearing the 'p' word (oh they still are...aren't they? ) and also not being judgemental or preachy about teenage pregnancy.

Gopi Sundar's bgm gave new depths and meaning to this film. This film would never be the same without it's bgm. Also cheers to Mejo Joseph for the love anthem for decades to come. Hridayavum is an evergreen song. It rings in every young malayali's head and is as fresh as it was when it came out 12 years ago.

Lawrence school serves as the perfect backdrop and it elevated the movie to an all new level, giving it a classy hollywoodish flavour. Lawrence school is as important a character as the trio of Sree, Sarah and Pooja.

Roma was superb as Sarah and the most likable of the trio. Quite expectedly Roma went on to be a popular actress for a few years. But there was someone else who seemed to be overshadowed by Roma's performance, the least liked in the trio, she was the one who played the betrayer. One who wasn't really given the space to perform. She seemed to be just another girl. Little did anyone think that she'd one day be one of the biggest superstars of malayalam film industry! One who'd bring about a revolution, one who'd change how people saw female actors. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, give it up for none other than Parvathy Thiruvoth Kottuvatta!

This was the first time I watched this movie after she rose to this level and after I became this huge fan of her way of life. I had all eyes for her today. The way she has evolved is magnificent. From someone nobody gave a second thought about,to someone who created a furrore in the malayalam film industry, this woman has come a long way.

So all in all, I love this film for many reasons. One, for trying to destigmatize periods,  second for not being preachy about teenage pregnancy, and yet giving out a strong message to teens and parents alike, third, for giving some warm moments of true friendship.