Unnikunju, Our own Oblomov

Unnikunju is the protoganist of Adoor Gopalkrishnan's film "Elippattayam" ( The Rat Trap). He is a feudal landlord, egoistic & lethargic. He never lifts a finger for himself, depending on his younger, unmarried sister Rajamma totally. After her illness & death, he becomes paranoid & locks himself in his room. But the fed-up villagers break in, drag him out & give him a ducking in the village pond.

In 1982, the British Film Institute gave its prestigious Sutherland Trophy to this film. Previous winners of this trophy were Ozu, Bertolucci, Fassbinder, Godard, Antonioni & our own Ray.

"Oblomov" was published by Goncharov in 1859. He was the quintessential idle landlord who let his estate go to rack & ruin. He was spoiled in his childhood by his parents & later looked after by his valet. Towards the end of his life, he married his widowed landlady & later died in his sleep, fittingly.

This novel has become a classic of Russian literature & Dostoevsky & Chekov rated Goncharov highly.