This movie was released way back in 1988 but I managed to watch it on 4th september 2008 in my college seminar room.Initially I was not interestd in watching a silent movie but when I started watching I got hooked to it.A silent movie yet so entertaining.Infact pushpak is one movie which acctually needs no dialogue or language.
Director Singreetham Srinivasan has done a terrific job and so are the performances of Kamala Hassan, Amala, Tinu Anand, Farida Jalal etc.
The plot goes like this.Kamala is an unnamed, broke and unemployed youth.Everyday is a struggle for existence for him.Even a beggar is richer than him.One day Kamala by luck stumbles upon a drunkard millionare by roadside who resides in room number 3039 of the Hotel Pushpak.Kamala takes the drunkard prisoner in his house and assumes his identity to taste luxury.
By chance Amala stays across his room balcony with her magician father(who had to perform in pushpak)and mother.Kamala had met Amala twice before this.Soon there love starts blossoming and Kamala uses his false identity(rich man) to impress her.One day Kamala and Amala goes out on date.Kamala made Amala buy expensive gifts but she refuses and asks for a bunch of flowers on top of a dilapidated old building.And as a doting lover he abides by her wish.
But while doing it he realises that love cannot be measured in terms of money.Meanwhile a contract killer(Tinu Anand) hired by drunkard’s wife’s lover is sent after the drunkard who engaes in repeated failed attempts to kill Kamala with knives made of ice(he mistook Kamala for the drunkard because they were staying in the same room number 3039).
But after seeing the drunkard’s wife lamenting her missing husband and witnessing the people scavenging rich beggar’s money after his death followed by seeing the pictures of Pushpak owner’s success story and several other small but significant incidents Kamala’s view of life is deeply affected and changed.He eventually realises that he should not use this money which came through luck and not by hardwork and gives up his new found luxury.He relenquishes everything including his love.
In its ending, Kamala frees the drunkard and confesses everything to Amala.She tells him that she still likes him and throws a rose and her adress/phone number from her car.Before Kamala could catch it, wind catches it and takes it some distance away
The last shot shows Kamala standing at the employment line once again beggining his struggle for existence but this time with grit, confidence and determination.
Few scenes in the movie which were very touching and moving:
1)When beggar dies and how people react
2)When Amala asks for a bunch of flowers as a gift
Few scenes in the movie which were really funny:
1)All the toilet scenes
2)When beggar shows his richness(oxymoronic)
3)When Kamala is unable to sleep without the noise made by dog barks
4)When the shopkeeper treats Kamala genourously assuming him to be bigger than the last man who had just purchased a INR50, 000 statue
5)When magician is shown performing his tricks with his wife
6)Whenever Kamala goes out to throw the packed gift box
and many more
Few glitches in the movie:
1)Amala is first attracted to Kamala only because of his richness.She is shown appreciating the car on which Kamala was leaning over.
2)Kamala is shown changing in the end due to all those touching instances.But in any case, it would not have been possible to keep up the charade for a length of time.
3)Wife of the drunkard is shown commiting adultery behind her husband but cries when he goes missing.
Pushpak is an ideal case to study in non verbal communication as it was not only a silent movie but it used all other non verbal devices such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, personal space etc