Warring families, inherent thirst for violence, rebellion and deep-rooted feuds are passed on from one generation to the next in Nithin Lukose’s debut feature Paka (River of Blood) that was screened at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival. A man with a striking big moustache plunges into a river and pulls out a dead body as the police and locals gather. Swimmer Jose enjoys a legendary status. In the distance one can hear cricket commentary going on a radio. It’s yet another day in Kerala’s Wayanad district. The next time we hear a WWE match commentary and another body has been plunged into the river. Murder is almost a sport here and the feuding families are keeping score. It’s this intergenerational violence that the star-crossed lovers must escape but in Paka - this flowing river of blood is a constant reminder of how deep the violence runs and breeds.
Borrowing from the tales that his grandmother recited to him as a child, sound designer turned filmmaker Lukose doesn’t treat violence as a spectacle to revel in. Instead, through his carefully crafted narrative, he talks about the inevitability of bloodshed and presents an empathetic understanding of why even those unwilling to join in have little choice when self-preservation and family honour is at stake. The river bears witness to this as the tranquil waters brim over with turmoil.
Ensconced in this cycle of violence is a Romeo & Juliet like story of Johnny (Basil Paulose) and Anna (Vinitha Koshy), which promises some hope and respite but even here trauma becomes an imperceptible presence.
At some level everyone who is forced to inherit violence and perpetuate it is also a victim unable to escape the stranglehold. Srikanth Kabothu’s tactile cinematography and Nithin Lukose’s ability to poignantly lay out the personal and social cost of violence makes Paka a powerful, engaging debut. The Malayalam film has been co-produced by Anurag Kashyap.
Rating: 4.5 Quints out of 5
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