Daisy

Directed by Prathap, Daisy is a 1988 musical romance film. It's got Harish, Sonia and Lakshmi in the lead roles. The movie centres around Pradeep, a ragged, messy teenager who gets encouraged by Daisy, whose support makes him change for the better. When Pradeep begins to notice Daisy with another man, the couple’s misunderstanding turns into a gesture to break their relationship.

Pradeep Menon, an alienated and angry young man, has been sent away to an elite boarding school in the hill station of Ooty, Nilgiris. His story begins as he is repeatedly punished by his teachers and headmaster. When new student Daisy Thomas starts school, he ridicules her and sets off a chain of mischief which lands him in further trouble. This draws him nearer to Daisy, and the two begin to grow infatuated. While Daisy does what she can to intervene and save Pradeep, he is mistreating and dismissive of his mother, Malathi Menon.

She begins to understand that his animosity comes from her mother remarrying after his father’s passing and spending less time with him, and so she begins spending less time with him. When Malathi is placed under hospital imprisonment, and Pradeep becomes a frequent visitor to the hospital, things get better, correcting their relationship. When he sees Daisy curled up in the arms of James, he reverts to his self-destructive, sad boy self and pushes away everyone from him completely. James turns out to be Daisy’s older brother, and she’s terminally ill. Things quickly take a dark turn, and Pradeep loses both his mother and Daisy. The film concludes with him gaining some measure of comfort in James.

Daisy is both a supernatural musical romance and a poignant portrait of the heights and depths of human connection, with an on-stage show and visual aesthetic that creates sizzling and stripped-down beauty complemented by thrilling movement. Through music and the emotional depth of the film, the themes of love, pain and healing are vividly explored. Driven by evocative portrayals and a haunting ambience, it touches on the painful resistance and progress of its two conflicted characters, creating a wholly unforgettable and moving experience for those who enjoy tales of adversity and renewal.