Moonnam Pakkam

<p>Thampi, who retired as an accountant from the in the mid-1980s following his son’s death, leads a solitary life in his ancestral house. Thampi’s grandson Bhasker, also known as Bhasi or Pachu, is pursuing his medical studies in Bangalore. Thampi is excited when Bhasi comes along with his friends Lopez, Ranjith Menon, and Krishnankutty to spend his vacation with grandpa. Their presence brings joy and happiness into Thampi’s house. Bhasi is engaged to a girl named Bhadra, who happens to be the granddaughter of Thampi’s friend, a doctor. During the vacation, Bhasi and his friends often go to the nearby beach for a swim. During one such visit, Bhasi and Lopez are pulled into the ocean, and only Lopez manages to escape. The police and the locals conduct a rescue operation in the ocean but in vain. It is believed among the locals that whatever is taken by the ocean is returned on the third day, as meant by the title of the movie. Thampi refuses to acknowledge the fact that Bhasi is dead and puts on a brave face, consoling Bhasi’s mother, his friends, and Bhadra. Eventually, Bhasi’s body is found on the third day. The funeral is held on the same day, and Bhasi’s friends get ready to leave the day after. They all visit the beach one last time to say goodbye to Bhasi, where they see Thampi arriving with priests to perform the funeral rites of Bhasi. While performing the “bali,” Thampi, who had lost all hope, takes the rice ball, “balichoru,” in his hands. While taking the riceball, Thampi remembers about the young Bhasi swimming in the sea. By losing all the hope, Thampi proceeds to the sea. To everyone’s shock, Thampi, along with the “balichoru,” submits himself to the sea and commits suicide. Major portions of the film were shot in and its surrounding areas. The locations include , where the ancestral house is set, and Vatta Kottai, where the fort scene and the song “Thamarakkili” were filmed. The film’s art direction was handled by Kurian Sabarigiri, makeup was done by Mohandas, and designed the costumes. Surya Jones worked as the film’s still photographer. Malayalam playwright played a significant role in the film as Thampi’s closest friend and Bhadra’s grandfather. Another playwright, , made a cameo appearance as one of Thampi’s friends in the film. All lyrics are written by ; all music is composed by . In 2019, Aradhya Kurup of wrote, ” It’s a breezy watch till a few scenes before climax. But after that you witness one of the most traumatic climax scenes in Malayalam cinema. And Thilakan’s performance is such that you go through the whole rollercoaster ride with him.” wrote, “A youthful Jayaram and versatile Thilakan produce a unforgettable display of love and affection between a widower and his grandchild. Thilakan’s Thampi is as good as his Kochuvava from (1990) or Achuthan Nair from (1989) and (1993), establishing his contendership for the best actor ever in Malayalam.” won the for the song “Unarumee Gaanam”.</p>