Producer: Vallabhan
Director: Kamal
Cast: Mammootty, Shradha, Padmapriya, Meena, Jagathy, Salim Kumar, T G Ravi, Indrans, Shreehari
Music: Mohan Sithara

Writer cum director Kamal is the heart and soul of ‘Karutha Pakshikal’. He has handled the story and direction quite well without making promise. He has beautifully brought out the hypocrisy that is found in the society in Kerala. He has brought to light the true nature of the people. Hundreds of films have been made on blind people but this one is different. He has added sensitive elements like corruption, apathy, red-tapism and dishonesty in the Kerala society. The emotion involved in the film is also striking.
 
The film begins with a bunch of hapless visually impaired patients receiving drop of medicine during a medical camp with the hope seeing the beautiful world. Murugan’s blind daughter Malli is also among the crowds waiting for her chance to come. Murugan, who is from Thirunelveli came to Kerala two decades ago in search of a job. He settles down in a slum with his three children Mayil, Azhakappan and Malli who is blind. He speaks a mixture of Malayalam and Tamil and makes a living by ironing other people’s cloths. His only aim is to make his blind daughter see. He goes to every free eye-care camps and the only support he gets is from Muthu Annan’s family who make pappads.

Murugan saves money and manages to buy a four-wheeled pushcart, with which he goes around from house to house and from colonies to colonies with his blind child on board to iron other people’s cloths. He comes across different varieties of Keralites – the good, the bad and the ugly. However, his life takes a new beginning when he meets Survana, who is waiting for her last hour. She becomes fond of Malli and agrees to donate her eyes to her after her death. Even the donation agreement has been signed but her husband starts thinking that donating eyes to a poor Tamilian, and that to from a slum is too demeaning.

In the meantime, Murugan’s cart is burned down in a political assault, thus pushing his life to the edge. He goes in search of job and finally hires a cart from Shanmughan, a drunkard. Adding more salt to the wounds, Shanmughan beats him up for not paying the rent, and thus he is sent to the hospital. Even in the hospital, there is nobody to take care of him, as the doctors are on strike. Now, Poonkodi (Padmapriya), who begs on the streets, comes forward to help the patients while the nurses stay indifferent.

The film tells about the love and care people in the slum share and the existence of hypocritical people who claim to be civilized. Mammootty is simply superb from the beginning till the end. It has brought out the actor in him. The emotion involved in the story keeps the audience glued to their seats and the manner at which the audience watches it with rapture tells more than words could explain. All the actors have given out excellent performances. Sukumar’s camera work is simply brilliant and Mohan Sithara’s songs are fine.

This is a wonderful piece of work from Kamal. You should not miss this film if you want to taste a slice of real life. This is a film with a difference.