(This is only my view about the story. This is not to advocate any particular idea or ideology.)
Charlie is a 2015 romantic drama film directed by Martin Prakkat. Charlie, the name itself means freeman. The movie revolves around the character Charlie, a careless nomad and the girl Tessa who was inspired by Charlie from a sketchbook and trying to meet him. The plot is as simple as this. But the writer Unni R created an inner layer to this story.
“Charlie represents Jesus Christ”. Maybe this sounds funny but I think that is the treasure Unni R kept under the story of the movie Charlie. There are many pointers to support this theory. But many of you think that it must be a coincidence. For those people:
Rule #39: There is no such thing as a coincidence.
Charlie represents Jesus Christ and Tessa represents the followers or people who got inspired by Jesus Christ. While Tessa is searching about the central character Charlie it ends up in meeting different other characters who met Charlie. The character Charlie is conveyed through the stories or perspective of those people. Many people share their experience with Charlie. The same for the Bible. Jesus Christ is known to us from the stories of different people who met Jesus Christ. The Bible is a collection of perspectives of different people about Jesus Christ. This makes Charlie the best example of the Rashomon effect.
There are direct as well as indirect pointers in the movie to support the theory.
Direct Pointers
Tessa came to know about Charlie from a caricature book she got from the things where she moved to. People know about Jesus Christ through the stories in the Bible.
When Charlie meets the character Mathayi portrayed by Chemban Vinod Jose, Charlie calls him by the name Pathrose(Peter). According to the Bible, Peter was originally Simon. Jesus Christ changed his name from Simon to Peter. Same with the name of Kallan Suni. Charlie called Kallan Suni with the name D'Souza.
You can see Tessa is meeting Charlie different times unknowingly.
Chapter Usmanikka
From the landlord Usman Ikka, Tessa came to know that the man named David is the father of Charlie. According to Christianity, Jesus Christ is the descendant of King David. In many places, Jesus Christ is mentioned as “The son of David”.
Chapter David
In the movie, there is a scene where Charlie publishes fake obituary news of his own. In that news, the age is shown as Charlie 1981-2014 33 years. Jesus Christ is crucified at the age of 33.
Chapter Pathrose
The character Mathayi alias Pathrose is a fisherman. The apostle Saint Peter was also a fisherman.
‘ഇത് മറ്റവനാ’[This is the other guy] This makes clear that he has a brother. Saint Peter has a brother named Andrew who is also a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Peter's Denial Peter's Denial refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament. In the movie almost identically, when Tessa and Ansari go to Pathrose to find Charlie, his denial comes in 3 forms (’ഇത് ഞാനല്ല ’[This isn’t me], ‘ഇത് മറ്റവനാ’[This is the other guy], and ‘നിന്നോടല്ലേടാ പറഞ്ഞെ എനിക്ക് അവനെ അറിയാൻപാടില്ലാന്നു’ [I don’t know him]).
In the Bible Mathew(Mathayi) is the first book in the New Testament and that too consists of the stories of Jesus. In the movie, Mathayi is the first one who tells Tessa a substantial story about Charlie.
The chapter of Pathrose in the movie reveals that Charlie is a magician. Jesus Christ can also be considered a magician.
Chapter Mary
Queen Mary portrayed by Kalpana is also called by the name Magadalenakkari Mariam. It is an obvious representation.
“Avarnanu Magdalena Kari Mariam.. Appo sir aara Kristhu aano?” Charlie replied with a smile. Charlie said this with the posture of open hands resembles the Christ the Redeemer statue.
Chapter Thanya
Cleansing of the Temple Charlie rescued Thanya the daughter of Queen Mary from sex trafficking. Jesus expels the merchants and consumers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple into "a den of thieves" through their commercial activities. Jesus is stated to have visited the Temple in Jerusalem, where the courtyard is described as being filled with livestock, merchants, and the tables of the money changers, who changed the standard Greek and Roman money for Jewish and Tyrian shekels.
Tessa tried to reach near Charlie but failed to. But Charlie saw her chasing.
Chapter Kani
Charlie saved Kani from her death by stopping her suicide attempt and cured of her depression. This represents two stories from the Bible. Jesus raising the dead girl and healing the sick woman.
Chapter Thrissur pooram
Charlie shows his magical skills, which is a similarity with Jesus Christ.
At the end of magic, Charlie performs the magical act of vanishing man which represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Indirect Pointers
Here I will point out some dialogues and scenes that can be interpreted in the same context. Keeping the same theory in mind, I am leaving all that to you to connect those with the theory.
ഞാൻ അവിടെ താമസിച്ചപ്പോൾ എന്റെ കൂടെ താമസിച്ചവരാ അവരൊക്കെ. ഇപ്പൊ നിങ്ങൾ അവിടെ താമസിക്കുമ്പോൾ അതെല്ലാം നിങ്ങളുടെയാണ്. വേണെങ്കിൽ എടുക്കാം ഇല്ലെങ്കിൽ കളയാം.
When l stayed there, they have stayed with me. Now when you stay there all that belongs to you if you want you can use it or throw it.
അതൊന്നും നിങ്ങളെ ഉപദ്രവിക്കുകയൊന്നുമില്ല. അതല്ല ഞാൻ തന്നെ വന്നു എടുത്തു മാറ്റണമെങ്കിൽ കുറച്ചൊന്നു കാത്തിരിക്കണം.
lt won't hurt you, not that, if l have to come and remove it, Then you'll have to wait a bit
അതൊരു ജിന്നാണ് ബഹൻ
Sister, that is a 'Genie'
ഈ പറഞ്ഞ മൂപ്പര് ഇപ്പൊ ഇവിടുണ്ട് എന്നറിയാമോ
Do you know where this person is
at present?
അത് മാത്രം പറയാൻ പറ്റില്ല. വിചാരിക്കാത്തപ്പോൾ ഒരു വരവ് വരും
Don't ask that. He will give an unexpected visit. That is his way of doing
Contact ചെയ്യാൻ എന്തെങ്കിലും വഴി
Any way to contact?
വിളിക്കാൻ ഫോണോ കത്തെഴുതാൻ വിലാസമോ ഒന്നുമില്ല
No phone to call, no address
to write a letter, nothing is there
അവരാണ് മഗ്ദലീനക്കാരി മറിയം
She is 'Mariyam' of 'Madalena'
അപ്പൊ സർ ആരാ ക്രിസ്തുവാണോ?
So, sir are you the Christ?
ആ പെണ്ണിന് മുന്നിൽ എതാൻ ജിന്നുന് ടൈം ആയിട്ടില്ല എന്നു പറയു ... വെയിറ്റ് ചെയ്യാൻ പറയു.
My Pop, tell that girl not yet time for the 'Genie' to appear before she tells her to wait
അവൻ വരും
He will come
ഇവിടെ എല്ലാരും അയാളെ വല്ലാതെ മിസ് ചെയുന്നുണ്ട് .
Do you miss him?
ഒരിക്കൽ പോലും കാണാത്ത അയാളെ അന്വേഷിച്ചു ടെസ്സ ഇവിടെ വരെ വന്നില്ലേ
But over here, everyone misses him a lot. Do you miss him?
Tessa came all this way to here, on searching for him, who he has not met once.
ആത്മാർത്ഥമായി നമ്മൾ ഒരാളെ കാത്തിരുന്നാൽ എന്നയാളും അയാൾ ഇങ്ങെത്തും അല്ലെ?
So, if we wait for a person sincerely someday that person will come, won't he?
ടെസ്സയെ എനിക്കറിയാം. എന്നെ അന്വേഷിച്ചു നടക്കുന്നതും, ആ മുറിയിൽ താമസിക്കുന്നതും ഒക്കെ. എന്നെക്കുറിച്ചു കേട്ട കഥകളിൽ നിന്നും ആ കൂട്ടി ഉണ്ടാക്കി എടുത്ത ഇമേജ് എന്താന്ന് അറിയില്ല.
l know Yeah, l know Tessa. Everything, searching for me, staying in that room from the stories that are heard about me
All these pointers made me believe that writer Unni R brilliantly used the theory here. If you dig deeper you can find more and more pointers or metaphors.
The idea of this article is inspired by a few other blogs and also some discussions. I am very surprised and also inspired by the way of the writing of the movie. This is only about discussing brilliant writing, not about the idea used.
So to conclude:
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