|
''Newspaper Boy'' is a Malayalam–language Indian film released in 1955. The film, a drama of stark realism, narrates the life of the common man on the street. The film is noteworthy in that the entire production programme from script-writing to direction was controlled and executed by students. The group of students were from Adarsh Kalamandir and was written and directed by P. Ramdas. The screenplay was based on a short story written by Ramadas himself. Though the film had a shoestring budget of , featured mostly amateur actors, and was made by an inexperienced crew, ''Newspaper Boy'' was a critical success. Influenced by Italian neorealism, the film is also remembered for being the world's first commercial film made by students. ==Plot== Set in Kerala of the 1950s, ''Newspaper Boy'' focuses on the lives of Appu (Master Moni), the young protagonist of the film, and the members of his impoverished family. Appu's father Sankaran Nair (Nagavally R. S. Kurup) earns a meagre living as a worker in a printing press. He is easily exploited in his work – he cannot even muster the courage to ask his employer for overdue wages. Nair's wife, Kalyani Amma (Neyyattinkara Komalam), takes care of their three children, Leela (Kumari Madhuri), Appu and Balan (Master Narendran). Kalyani Amma helps her husband by taking up the job of a housemaid in rich Madhava Menon's (G. R. Nair) house. She is treated like a slave by Menon's wife Lakshmi Amma (Adoor Pankajam). Extreme poverty forces Leela to stop her education. However Nair manages to provide education to Appu, his only hope. Adding oil to the fire, one day, Nair injures his hand during his work in the press. He could not go to work for two-three weeks. The employer fires Nair from the job during this period. He offers Nair the payment for those days, but Nair refuses it, although his family is in dire need of money. Nair tries to find another job but in vain. He cannot even pay the house-rent. House owner Kesavan Pillai (Veeran) asks Nair either to pay the rent or to leave the house. Soon Nair dies of extreme poverty and illness. After his demise, the family sinks even deeper into poverty. The whole family is now on Appu's shoulders. Appu finds no way to save his family from this situation. Kittummavan (Kuriyathi), a kind-hearted neighbour, is his only help. Kittummavan asks his son Raghavan (P. Ganga) to take Appu to Madras and find him a job. Appu leaves to Madras, where he gets the job as a servant in rich Sreedhara Menon's (Madhavan) house. Menon's wife Kamalamma (Omana Madhavan) behaves brutally to Appu, even worse than Lakshmi Amma behaved to his mother, and he had to leave the job soon. Appu desperately wants to return to his home. He wanders in the street searching for a job to arrange money for his return. He befriends with Pappan (Master Venkiteswaran), and both of them take small jobs to earn money for Appu's return. Meanwhile, Kalyani Amma, who is suffering from tuberculosis, is thrown out of the house by Kesavan Pillai. Leela and Balan begs for help from Madhavan Nair. He gives them ten rupees and asks them not to come again. Raghavan informs Appu his mother's condition and arranges money for his return. Kalyani Amma dies of illness before Appu reaches. The film ends with Appu taking up the job of a newspaper boy to look after his brother and sister. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Newspaper Boy (1955 film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|