Arabikatha

‘Cuba’ Mukundan (Sreenivasan) is a leading member of the communist party in a village in Kerala. His whole life revolves around the party so much so that he is not married. To me the movie was almost like a cheap imitation of a work of V.S. Naipaul. The writer has made a caricature out of the main character. Mukundan has learnt his communism from ‘Marx’s book with red cover’ and from his dad and some songs. He is a simpleton with no real understanding of the world. But he is an honest man; you don’t even for a minute doubt his intentions. He is opposing the pollution caused due to a factory whose owner is a rich industrialist from Dubai. One of the party leaders, Karunan try to make him compromise but to no result. In the end the leader along with the industrialist falsely implicate Mukundan’s father and blame him for stealing 20 Lacs from the bank in the name of party funds. Meanwhile Mukundan’s father passes away.

To clear his debt Mukundan decides to go to Dubai. At every instant he is cheated. Finally back at home his close friend realizes that Mukundan was implicated falsely and he travels o dubai to find him. But for two years no one has heard of Mukundan. Finally they are able o trace him and also catch the party leader who is now a minister taking bribe and record it on camera. Mukundan settles score and returns home to serve his party and his people.

The film has its moments where the director tries to bring in the irony. Sreenivasan is passable as a simpleton. Nedumudi Venu is wasted in the role of Mukundan’s father.  But the biggest flaw for me is that the movie was pointless.

Useless script, mediocre performances.

Do skip.

Udayananu Tharam (Udaya is the Star)

Today I saw the movie which was later remade into Vellitherai in Tamil. Since it is an almost exact reproduction, for the story please see the review of Vellitherai - http://manymorewoods.blogspot.com/2010/05/vellitherai-silver-screen.html

Even though I knew the story of the movie I enjoyed watching it. Mohanlal plays Udayan and Sreenivasan plays Rajappan. Mohanlal gives a superbly restrained performance. Where Prithviraj (playing the same character in Vellitherai) comes across as an angry young man, Mohanlal is slightly more sophisticated and mature. Prakash Raj played a much more melodramatic form of Sreenivasan and I must say, I felt that Prakash Raj brought more color to the movie. After all the satire on cinema should be slightly exaggerated...

Again, Good direction, interesting script, superb performances.

(Do Watch)

Classmates

Finally on a wild guess I played the DVD which said “No Subtitles” to discover that the movie actually has subtitles. And it was a movie I have wanted to watch for a long time, highly recommended by some.
The movie starts with the principal of a college announcing that to commemorate the death anniversary of a student, Murali (Narain) who had died 14 years ago, his batch mates were coming for a reunion of sorts. The dead boy’s parents also teach at the same school. It all begins with the old classmates coming back together. The first to arrive is Suku (Prithviraj) who is a diamond merchant in Mumbai and then the rest of the gang – Pious (Indrajith) who was Suku’s close friend, Tara Kurup (Kavya Madhavan) who is a famous dancer and the daughter of a MLA, Satheesan (Jayasurya) and Vasu (Vijeesh) amongst others.

From the first scene you can see that there is some tension between Suku, Satheesan and Tara. Suku is also upset because he is recently divorced. During the evening function Tara learns that Pious’s daughter has a severe throat infection and gets an appointment for them with a famous pediatrician for the same night. Pious suspects Tara’s motives for this. Another person to arrive is Raziya (Radhika) on the condition that no one will ask about her past.

After the function Suku is in his room drinking when Murali’s father, Professor Iyer (Balachandra Menon) comes to enquire about him. Late in the night after returning from doctor’s appointment, Pious goes to Suku’s room to check on him and finds him strangled. Police is called and Suku is admitted in the hospital where he is struggling for life and death. Police discovers Suku’s journal where he has written about ending his life. Police is not entirely convinced that it was an attempted suicide. Prof. Iyer is also not convinced since Suku seemed very happy when he talked to Suku just before this incident.

Prof. Iyer starts talking to Pious and they decide that the actual reason for this murder would be in the past and not the present. In the flashback we see that Suku was a communist leader during his college days and would get into tiffs with Tara for the strikes in the college. Satheesan was the DSU leader who had won the college election last and wanted to be a politician. He coveted Tara primarily because her father was a MLA. Tara and Suku are always at loggerheads and continuously playing tricks at each other. In a strike in college the situation gets out of hand and police beats up the students and shuts down the college. Suku saves Tara and both of them get locked in a room. There they acknowledge that they love each other. Suku goes to submit his and Tara’s certificates for some camp and forgets Tara’s certificates at his home enroute.

It’s time for college elections and Satheesan pressurizes his party to have Tara represent DSU. Seeing that this has no effect on Tara’s and Suku’s relationship he tries to create misunderstanding. He gets hold of a letter written by Tara for Suku and puts it in the ballot box. Pious sees him doing this. He and Suku try to get hold of the ballot box but are unsuccessful. The same night Murali, who is an asthma patient gets trapped in the generator room and dies. Tara leaves college and so does Suku as they are unable to reconcile their differences.

Coming back to the present Prof. Iyer quizzes Tara and she admits that she met Suku behind the generator room before his attempted suicide. She had realized that Satheesan was behind all the misunderstanding and she and Suku decide to get back together again.

Esthappanachan (Jagathy Sreekumar) who can’t see properly admits that he had heard a third person in the generator room besides Tara and Suku and identifies her as Raziya. Prof. Iyer confronts Raziya and she admits that Murali and she were in love during college days but her father learnt about it and got her transferred. She informed Murali and they were supposed to meet behind the generator room. He never turned up while Raziya waited for him. She only later realized that he had died inside. Due to the shock, she lost her mental balance, her father died as a worried man and she now lived alone as none of the relatives would take her. When Tara and Suku were talking she was there. She heard Suku reveal the truth of Murali’s death. Suku thinking that Murali was Satheesan’s goon in the dark had thrown chloroform on him due to which he lost consciousness. It was only in the morning he realized it was Murali.

However Suku regains consciousness and accepts the incident as a suicide attempt. Prof. Iyer and Raziya forgive him and all ends well.

Though the movie was successful at the box office, I found the movie quite boring and performances quite stale. It doesn’t have the chutzpah of “Chocolate” or the camaraderie of friends as in “Thirakatha or Mozhi”. Prithviraj, Jayasurya and Radhika have delivered average performances and music is seriously flawed so much so that I forwarded the tracks.

On the positive side, the movie is very realistic and I liked the way it moved between present and past. Also the story moves forward as the three characters – Pious, Tara and Raziya narrate their version of the events and we see the story emerge in bits. The story itself is quite weak and is not engaging.

(Can Skip)

Thalappavu (The Headgear)

Every film maker has a specific reason to make a movie, just like a writer has a specific reason for telling a story.

This movie is a story in retrospect. An old man, a retired policeman, Ravindran Pillai (Lal) is finally confessing to a conspiracy in which he was forced to kill a naxalite leader, Joseph (Prithviraj) in police custody and file it as an encounter. This incident completely ruined his life as he takes to drinking unable to live with the guilt. His wife leaves him with his two kids and he lives at the mercy of his friendly neighbors.

The story alternates between past and present seamlessly much like “Thirakkatha”. The direction is crisp and creates impact. Lal has played the role of the repentant policeman perfectly and the expressions of Prithviraj stay with you even after the movie is over. There are two ways to look at the story - one is to stay that it is the story of a man repenting for killing someone and another way to look at it as a view of the bourgeois oppressing and suppressing the naxals. The director is not very clear on what view he wants to stress on and as a result its not as clear as "Thirakkatha" but much more ambiguous.

Now you need to ask, who were the intended audience for the movie? If it was the artsy types then the movie needed much more pathos and grotesqueness which brings forth the “undiluted in your face” incidents to make it critically acclaimed. If the intended viewer were the masses then the movie is way too serious and uninteresting. Compare to something like Thirakkatha which is also a serious movie albeit the theme of the movie is not so seriously socially relevant but in that case the movie is highly engaging with an element of mystery which keeps the viewer glued. Where as in Thalappavu you know the store from the first scene, there are minor surprises here and there (for me the moment when Ravindran’s daughter accepts that she was forced into prostitution at a very young age was hard hitting) but they fail to create an impact.

So while the direction, story and performances are all commendable, the movie failed for the want of a proper audience.

Watch it for the direction and performances.

(Can skip)

Nandanam

It’s a simple story. Balamani (Navya Nair) is a hired help in the rich household of Unni Amma who lives with three other old women who supposedly take care of her in the temple town of Guruvayur. Balamani ends up doing all the work but she is very effervescent and good natured and Unni Amma treats her like her own daughter. Balamani believes in Lord Guruvayur strongly and lights a lamp everyday though for some reason she doesn’t get to go to the temple. One night she dreams of her wedding and sees an unknown man as her groom. Next day Manu (Prithviraj), Unni amma’s grandson comes to stay with her for two weeks before leaving for US. Balamani is surprised to see that Manu is the man who came in her dreams.

Balamani and Manu come closer and Manu wants to marry her. Meanwhile Manu’s mother Thangam (Revathi) fixes his marriage with some other girl whose family resides in US. By the time Manu is able to tell his mother the truth it is too late and he is unable to say no to her.

Meanwhile Balamani is heartbroken but she can’t even leave the house as she owes Unni amma some money. One day she is contemplating jumping into a well when a young man stops her. She thinks he is Unni, the son of her neighbor who is visiting her. The two become friends and Unni who is always cheerful gives hope to Balamani. He believes that she will finally end up marrying Manu in spite of all obstacles.

Unni’s words bear fruit. On the eve of the marriage, the bride elopes with someone else. Though the family tries very hard to get Manu married to his cousin, that too doesn’t succeed. Finally in spite of brooding family members Unni Amma gets the two married. Balamani goes to her neighbor’s house to give the good news to Unni but discovers that he is not the guy she met in the woods. Balamani and Manu go to the temple to get the God’s blessings but are unable to enter as it is cordoned off for some VIP’s visit. Outside the temple Balamani catches the glimpse of her friend unni and realizes that Lord Guruvayur himself came to help her.

A simple and old tale with devotional background coupled with a pace which reflects the old times, could have made the movie uninteresting. But it doesn’t - the reason being Navya Nair, she has played this innocent, sweet, full of life, simple girl who steals your heart from the first scene. Prithviraj also plays his role of a young city boy who has fallen in love with a village belle to perfection.

The movie is slow paced but stills keeps you interested and the story moves forward fairly quickly. Renjith has done a brilliant job in capturing the life as it exists in the small towns. Though the scenes with Kumbidi (Jagathy Sreekumar) intended to bring some humor are dead and unnecessary.

Superb acting especially by Navya Nair, Commendable direction.

(Do watch)

Lollipop

I had picked up this movie for the actors especially Prithviraj and Roma who had amazing chemistry Chocolate.

The movie begins with Panji (Jayasurya) telling his story to another man while waiting for the ferry. Panji was a small time pick pocket committing petty crimes. One day he tried to steal Franco’s (Prithviraj) bag and gets beaten by him. Unfortunately both of them are caught by the police and later released on the insistence of a local priest who is also Franco’s godfather. Panji follows the priest and Franco and is ultimately given work in Franco’s garage so that he can mend his ways. Franco lives with his sister Jenifer (Roma) who is a tomboy. Their parents are no more. He is over protective of his sister and picks up fights with anyone who upsets her. One such person is Rose (Bhavana) who studies with Jeni who for some reason hates Rose. Though at the face of it Franco scolds Rose for picking a fight with Jeni, actually they are in love. They cannot acknowledge their love openly as Franco and Jeni have a pact that each will marry the person of other’s choice so that they can always live peacefully under one roof.

Meanwhile Panji falls in love with Jeni who is oblivious to his affections. Jeni ends up meeting a doctor, Dr. Aby (Kunchacko Boban) and the two like each other instantly. When Franco sees Dr. Aby, he instantly rejects him for some reason. As a result Jeni also breaks her association with him. Dr. Aby and Rose are coincidentally neighbors who parents are constantly fighting with each other.

One day Franco ends up beating a SP who was rude to Jeni, unaware of his actual identity. Hearing this Rose comes to tell him of the consequences when Jeni sees them. Brother and sister are about to have an altercation when the SP comes and arrests them. The local priest again comes to their rescue. Jeni is extremely upset with Franco who realizes his mistake and breaks up Rose. A little later Jeni realizes her mistake and talks to Rose and tells her to call Franco. Meanwhile we see Franco at a mental hospital meeting his mother who is in a very bad shape. He meets Dr. Aby there and acknowledges that he was the one who told Jeni to break up with Aby. He admits that the lady is only Jeni’s mom and in reality Jeni is not related to Franco. Franco found her on the road one day when she was a child and took care of her like a sister as her mom was not in well. Jeni knows nothing about it and he thought if she got together with Aby she will learn the truth which might upset her. Aby acknowledges Franco and promises never to reveal the truth. Meanwhile Rose calls up Franco to tell him about Jeni’s acceptance of their relation. Thus Franco and Rose; and Jeni and Aby get together and their parents throw a big party on their engagement.

Meanwhile Panji is heartbroken and is determined to marry Jeni. He creates a misunderstanding between Franco, Jeni and Rose and Aby where Franco and Jeni suspect them of having an affair and break off the engagement. After a while Franco unaware of Panji’s true nature gets Jeni and Panji engaged. Police catches an associate of Panji who confesses to everything, just in time before the wedding. In a fight Panji is killed and everyone gets back together and lives happily ever after.

Movie starts on a comical note and seems to have potential. But after an hour of running time, gets absolutely entangled and looses the plot completely. I actually couldn’t sit through the movie and fast forwarded the songs and fight sequences.

Shafi is extremely disappointing and the movie is a complete waste of time. Prithviraj is disappointing, Roma is her usual bubbly self and the rest of the actors are wasted.

(Do skip)

Rithu (Seasons)

One of my very first movies which captures the angst and aimlessness of the modern youth…not the rebel, doped out, high on everything kind…not the pseudo intellectual spouting Nietzsche and Kafka at the drop of a hat but the garden variety yuppie working in the IT city, travelling on projects to US, caught between the old and new…

And the director has done a fantastic job with it. A movie with which I can surely say 99% of my colleagues will relate to. And yet it’s not a run of the mill movie. It explores the basic believes and fundamentals of our lives, of parents forcing their children to become software engineers, of an entire generation forgetting how to think, how to feel, of the futility of the rat race we all have become a part of.

The movie begins with Sarat coming back from US after a stint of three years to his hometown in Kerala. He calls his two childhood friends Sunny and Varsha, both working in Bangalore, to come and join him to work for a start up. Together they form the core team of the company. Sarat is the team leader and popular for his stay in Silicon Valley. Sarat who still considers Sunny and Varsha as his closest friend thinks that the camaraderie between them is same as before. But Sunny and Varsha have moved on with their lives of which Sarat is no longer a part of.

Sarat is also a son of a famous writer who used to translate Bengali novels. Sarat too wanted to pursue literature but under pressure from his father had to do engineering and move to USA. You still feel the lingering tension when he interacts with his father.

Overtime Sarat realizes that though he and Varsha were seeing each other before he left, she is now with someone else. Also Sunny harbors a lot of ill will against Sarat for not helping him with his visa. A colleague, tips of Sarat that Sunny is trying to steal the software code they are working on and sell it.

Meanwhile Sarat’s dad passes away and the circumstances especially his disillusion with the rat race and the futility of his life, force him to do a lot of introspection. He ultimately leaves his job to pursue a career in writing. How his friendship with Varsha and Sunny morphs like changing seasons is the highlight of the film.

Shyamaprasad’s direction and Joshua Newton’s screenplay have come together beautifully to make the movie extremely realistic yet entertaining. There are melancholic undertones to the movie but what amazed me most is the cast. The three newcomers Nishan, Rima and Asif Ali have played their characters to perfection. The director has kept true to each of the three characters till the end.

A movie that will resonate with many in urban India.

(Do watch)

Thanmathra (Molecule)

Finally a Blessy movie which makes some sense...

After having watched Bhramaran and Calcutta news, I had lost faith in his direction but Thanmathra proves that it’s not a lose cause yet. The movie begins with the life of a simple man Ramesan Nair (Mohanlal). He lives with his wife Lekha (Meera Vaasudevan), son Manu (Arjun Lal) and daughter. He works at the secretariat. His aim is to make sure that his son becomes an IAS officer. He is absolutely involved in bringing up his kids, teaching them and is himself has a very gifted memory and even lectures at his son’s school on memory techniques.

His is a small and perfect family.

The first anomaly we see is when at his hometown he forgets the nickname of a childhood friend. Not much later he forgets the lyrics of one of his favorite songs. This really frustrates him and he rushes out of a bath without drying himself when he remembers the lyrics. Slowly after that his life starts unraveling and he forgets an important file in the freezer. He even goes to the doctor who initially attributes his forgetfulness to the stress caused due to his son being in class XII.

But then he turns up at office one day with vegetables and behaves as if he is at home. Soon the situation gets out of hand and his good friend Joseph takes him to the hospital. His father (Nedumudi Venu) also comes from the village. The doctor informs the family that Ramesh is suffering from Alzheimer’s and the family needs to be prepared for it. Throughout this the son Manu behaves very maturely and handles the entire crisis.

Ramesh’s father decides to move the family back to the ancestral home so that they can take care of Ramesh. Thereon we see slowly the degeneration of Ramesh while his family watches.

The movie is well directed especially because it tackles an issue like Alzheimer’s very sensitively. While watching the movie, initially I felt that the director is rambling aimlessly but after he starts showing the effects of memory loss on Ramesh you realize the importance of the initial background the director gave. In my personal opinion the technique of moving between past and present that Blessy later used in Bhramaran could have made this film a little crisp. Nevertheless he successfully tells the story of Ramesh in a very poignant manner.

What disappointed me in this movie are the performances. The fundamental reason for that could be that the actors and the director might not have done their background research in actually studying a patient of Alzheimer’s. To understand the nuances of their behavior, to see how the disease reduces a person to a vegetable, you actually have to spend some time with a person suffering from it and with the family taking care of the patient. But our Indian actors are above all this. They can just wake up and play any character. As a result Mohanlal’s performance is melodramatic and all Meera Vasudevan does on the screen is cry. Arjun Lal, looks extremely unnatural as the dutiful son.

The film has its moments but falls short of expectations.

(Can Skip)

Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek)

After watching Raavanan I had to see an actual Mani Ratnam movie to remind myself how great his movies are. And I decided to watch Kannathil Muthamittal.

It’s a story of a young girl, Amudha (P.S. Keerthana) who on her ninth birthday learns that she is an adopted daughter. She was adopted by a popular Tamil writer Thiruchelvan (R. Madhavan) and Indira (Simran). For a child that shatters her entire sense of security, her identity and her world view. She feels herself alienated from the family and tries to run away from home to try and find her birth mother. Finally her father promises that he will help her find her birth mother.

Amudha was born to Shyama (Nandita Das) and Dileepan. While pregnant, due to the strife torn state of Sri Lanka, Shyama came to Rameshwaram to give birth to Amudha. After the baby is born Shyama however chose to go back. Thiruchelvan writes a story fictionalizing the inner turmoil of Shyama who left her new born to go back to a devastated homeland. While writing the story he sees the baby and wants to adopt her. However the law does not permit a single man to adopt and he asks his neighbor, Indira who also likes him to marry him and adopt Amudha.

Meanwhile Amudha runs away to Rameshwaram where she learns that that her mother was from Sri Lanka. Keeping his promise, her parents take her to Sri Lanka where Dr. Herold Vikramsinghe (Prakash Raj) helps them. Throughout this while Amudha refuses to listen to Indira, dreaming about her real mother. Mani Ratnam has beautifully depicted the chaos and pathos of the war torn Sri Lanka. The rest of the story moves with Amudha and her parent trying to get to the Tamil heartland to find Shyama.

A beautiful and poignant story exploring various facets of human relationships against the backdrop of war and strife… All aspects of the film are very sensitively handled. A child’s dilemma and resulting stubbornness, a mother’s helplessness and love, a father willing to go to any length for his child, a writer trying to make sense out of the world around him…the movie takes you on a journey and you identify in one way or the other with each character. The best thing about the movie is the way Mani Ratnam builds up the character so much so that the act of Thiru taking his wife and daughter to a place where war can erupt any minute seems natural. You know that this is his philosophy of life; to do what he believes is right. The honesty with which all characters are portrayed is what makes this movie a treat.

As far as performances go, every one of them is outstanding. Amudha tugs at your heart every time she comes on screen. You cry with Indira and her love for her child is palpable. Madhavan has outdone himself in his portrayal of the father and the writer. I loved the songs and the music especially the title track. Ravi Chandran’s cinematography is breathtaking and the editing of the movie is very crisp yet the movie flows.

(Must Watch)

Calcutta News

Ajith (Dileep) is a news reporter for one of the news channel in Calcutta. He lives with his mother and two sisters. One day the channel gets the news of a dead body found near the river. On seeing the dead man, Ajith realizes that he had seen the same man sometime earlier with a young girl, perhaps his wife, and they are also malayalee. Ajith who had recorded a small video of the couple on his mobile feels personally involved and sets out to search for the girl. They soon learn that a malayalee girl was found locked in a room with some head injuries. Ajith realizes it’s the same girl and meets her. The girl Krishna Priya (Meera Jasmine) finds some solace on seeing Ajith since she only speaks Malayalam.


Ajith takes her to identify her husband’s body where she breaks down and admits that she is an orphan from Kerala and just married Hari a few days earlier and came to Calcutta. Ajith and crew realize from her story that the husband was a crook involved in sex racket and was planning to sell Krishna Priya to a one arm guy who is involved in trafficking.

Initially shattered and suicidal, Krishna Priya gets better when she stays with some colleagues of Ajith. She is a beautiful singer and Ajith tries to get her some opportunities to showcase her talent. Ajith also takes her to a psychiatrist who helps in her treatment. The two eventually fall in love.

Meanwhile the ‘one arm’ villain kidnaps Krishna Priya and Ajith and his colleagues go to the red light district and bring to light the squalor and abject poverty in which the women live. All ends well as CM sends a rescue mission on seeing the story on TV.

The best bit about the movie is undoubtedly Meera Jasmine. She has played the character of innocent, lively Krishna Priya with utmost finesse. Dileep is passable though I found his expressions quite foolish and boring.

The movie starts on a very promising note, with enough mystery to keep you glued. But later he loses his grip and the hitherto realistic story becomes a cheap melodrama. The issue is that (and I saw Blessy doing the same in Bhramaram) when you take a real story, at all points you have to keep it grounded and logical. If you have to make a fantasy then see “Mr. India” and create a villains like “Mogambo”. Don’t mix the two genres. It’s as if somewhere while directing, Blessy realized that his movie was too offbeat and decided to make it more commercial.

Interesting story which goes awry. You can watch it for Meera Jasmine though.

(Can Watch)

Gramaphone

I recently saw this Malayalam movie starring Dileep, Meera Jasmine and Navya Nair. Sachi (Dileep) is the son of a great singer who is no more. Burdened by a legacy he never cared to inherit Sachi juggles between multiple jobs to make ends meet for his family. In addition he also takes care of his father’s friends who were a part of his orchestra. They are all friends with Jenny, a local Jew and one of the few families still living in Cochin. Jenny’s father wants her to marry a boy who will take all of them back to Israel. Jenny and Sachi like each other but are too stuck in their worlds to be able do something about it.

Pooja (Navya Nair) is the daughter of a singer whose importance in the movie I never really understood. Pooja becomes good friends with Jenny when she starts working at the same hotel Jenny works. Meanwhile there’s Jenny's Aunt Sarah (Revathy) who refuses to leave the room she has shut herself in. Though never explicitly mentioned we get to learn that Sarah was in love with Sachi’s father, the singer, but for her dad’s insistence on marrying a Jew, who could take them to Israel, could never get together with Sachi’s dad.

Another angle in the story is that though Sachi is a brilliant singer and musician, he refuses to acknowledge it because he believes that all musicians are corrupt and base.

So as you can already see there are too many angles in the movie. I don't quite understand the story that the director wants to tell. The thing in having too many characters is that you have to bring all of their stories, however unique or mundane, to a logical conclusion. And add to it they should all connect somehow. This is where the script writer and director fail miserably. The movie is all over the place.

I don’t think that whatever the actors did could have salvaged the movie.

(Can Skip)

Kerala Cafe

There are two parts to the story of Kerala Café. One the individual stories and secondly the thread or the background that ties the stories together so that in spite of being ten different stories they look like a montage.

Let me first talk about the stories individually. (To give a perspective on stories relative to each other, I have tried scoring them on a scale of 5)

First story “Nostalgia” starring Dileep. The concept reminded me of a book “Ignorance” by Milan Kundera where he explores the whole idea of nostalgia. He says – “The Greek word for "return" is nostos. Algos means "suffering." So nostalgia is the suffering caused by an unappeased yearning to return…nostalgia seems something like the pain of ignorance, of not knowing.” The problem is that when you return to a place after a long time your memories no longer match. It’s just your attempt to recapture your experience of the past. The movie tried to explore the same concept through a Keralite living in Dubai. While in Dubai he fondly remembers his village, the cool breeze and the green fields and sings the songs he heard as a child. But when he returns the same things irritate him and he misses his structured and comfortable life in Dubai. Interesting rendition with excellent acting by Dileep. I only wish the director had only explored this feeling and not confused it with the usual story of a petty rich guy exploiting a poor friend. (4/5)

The second story starring Prithviraj is called “Island Express” and is in itself a montage on lives of people who died in a train accident. From narration and story perspective I found it very weak. The director tried exploring too many facets in a very limited time frame and thus was not able to do any justice to any of it. The story follows a writer (Prithviraj) who survived the train wreck as a boy and goes on to write a book about the survivors and those who died. The interesting bit was how the driver who survived, lived on with his guilt and acceptance. (2/5)

“Lalitham Hiranmayam” stars Suresh Gopi has a conventional story but what makes it interesting is the ending. A man can’t decide between mistress and wife, loves both and wants to do justice to both. (Why I scoff at the story is a different discussion all together). Well directed. (3/5)

Next is the story of a haunted house “Mrityunjayam”. There is no reason why this story should have been included. A team of reporters who investigate the paranormal want to spend a night in the haunted house in a small village. One of them stays there and what happens to him is the story. Bad acting, bad direction and very uninteresting story. Horror is yet to come of age in India. (0/5)

“Happy Journey” directed by Anjali Menon is one of the jewels in the collection. A middle aged man sits next to a young girl in a bus. He tries to strike conversation and gets uncomfortably close to the girl. Initially the girl is very cornered and seems helpless. But at one point the conversation takes a turn and the girl confesses that she has kept bomb in the bus and can activate it with the press of a key on her cell phone. The rest of the journey the man experiences abject fear. The story has both serious and humorous undertones. The performances by both the girl and the man are excellent. An ideal short film with an interesting story with a twist and crisp direction. Reminds me of Roald Dahl’s short stories. (5/5)

“Aviraman” starring Shwetha Menon and Siddique is the story of an IT entrepreneur who is seeing some bad times during the recession. A subject which will resonate with a lot of people these days. This short film is warm and the subject has been treated very well without melodrama. Simple story but makes for a wonderful watch due to wonderful chemistry between the couple and thought out direction. (3/5)

Next story is a very humorous take on recession and the global nature of recession at that. Suraj does odd jobs at beaches of Goa and acts as guide for tourists. Due to off season there are not many travelers. By sheer luck he ends up meeting a Portuguese couple. Hoping to make some money from them, he takes them to a lodge for stay where the story takes a brilliant twist. It actually had me in splits. (4/5)

"Bridge" is easily the best story of the series. T. R. Unni (writer) has managed to stitch two separate lives in a wonderful mosaic so that you can’t take your eyes of it. The story follows two separate lives, one of a cat adopted by a little boy and later thrown out by his father and that of an old woman who has become a burden on her family. Anwar Rasheed has done full justice to the concept through his superb direction. Nice background score, this one had me riveted. (5/5)

Revathy directs “Makal”, a typical story of exploitation of mine workers where the parents give up a girl for adoption but she ends up in prostitution. You just expect the ending from the first scene. The children are endearing though. Stale is the word that describes the movie. (1/5)

“Puramkazchakal” is directed by Lal Jose and stars Mammotty. The story narrated by Sreenivasan is of a man who gets into a state bus and is constantly asking the driver to hurry constantly annoying the passengers on board. All of them curse and abuse him till he finally gets down at his stop. The ending tears your heart and will bring tears to your eyes. The movie makes you realize that you can never know the reasons behind a person’s actions. No matter what you guess, it’s not enough. A beautiful story, well directed with brilliant performance by Mammotty. (5/5)

Now coming to the direction of Renjith of “Kerala Café”, which he explains in a prologue to the movie. I can understand Renjith wanting to make sure that people sit through the movie and understand the motivation, but seriously it was a wee bit annoying. Also I think it is Renjith who fails in this movie. The individual stories had a lot of potential but they needed to be painted together on a canvas. The concept of a café is good where all these people spend some part of their lives but it’s not enough. It needed a little more depth and interaction. He just scrapes though it. (2/5)

Overall a movie worth watching with some brilliant moments.

(Do watch)

Raavanan

As I keep on watching movies, I try to understand what makes these movies a success or a failure and I am not talking about commercial success. What makes a movie riveting and thought provoking?


Not all the movies I have liked have been directed well, or have had great cinematography or great music for that matter. What they have had is - thought out characters, well researched and connected storyline (the story may not be unique; it is the treatment that matters). I think somewhere in the successful movies the director was clear in his thoughts about the subject, characters and story. He was clear why he was making the movie. And he stayed true to the story and the characters. Be it Manichitratalzhu, Mozhi or Chocolate – movies from different genres and appealing to different generations. The potential of actors and their ability to understand the characters and act of course is primary requirement.

Unfortunately, looks like Mani Ratnam (who has directed good movies earlier) had no idea why he was making this movie. It was definitely not for the story for Ramayana is the most popular story in India; it was definitely not his interpretation either for only last five minutes make any impact on the audience; it was not for the music for A.R. Rahman has produced way better music then the score of Raavanan; it was not to show off the acting prowess of the actors for Aishwarya Rai in the end has all but two expressions on her face. Why then did he make the movie?

The story is simple, Veera (Vikram) believes that Dev (Prithviraj), a SP is responsible for the custodial rape and death of his sister Vennila (Priyamani). Veera decides to take revenge and kidnaps Dev’s beautiful wife Ragini (Aishwarya). Unexpectedly Ragini is a fierce woman and not afraid of Veera. This results in Veera being attracted towards her. This attraction should have brought out the shades in his character and should have been more subtle but throughout the movie you feel that the attraction is the reason for abducting Ragini and not really the revenge. Ragini on the other hand hates Veera but slowly learns of his reasons and sees different shades of his character (not apparent to the audience) and starts admiring him. The movie is a cat and mouse chase of Dev trying to find Veera, eliciting the help of the forest officer Gnanaprakasam (Karthik) who plays the proverbial Hanuman. Again the director missed an opportunity to bring the character of a messenger who believes the good in both the sides but instead reduces it to the mokeyish histrionics. The movie barely touches the shades of grey which should have been explored and dissected to give the movie the much required depth.

Mani Ratnam, who is a genius in exploring relationships, somehow missed some key relationships in the movie. For once he had such a powerful subject. The persona of Raavana itself is so multi faceted and full of contradictions. He could have explored that in greater detail. The character of Ragini symbolizing Sita again had a lot of potential. On one hand she has an honest, morally upright, larger than life husband who loves her and on the other hand this earthy abstraction of a seemingly demonic man who has a curious sense of justice. The confusion and temptation alone would have been mesmerizing.


No doubt, Santosh Sivan has done wonders with his camerawork and Vikram and Prithviraj stand out as Veera and Dev. There are a couple of dialogues and scenes - like when the villagers are describing Veera to Dev and each comes up with his own different version of the man, or when Ragini jumps off a cliff claiming that her life is her own; but these are too few and far too in between.

A subject that had a lot of potential and a cast that could have delivered – that’s what sums up Raavanan for me.

(Can Skip)

Nadiya Kollapetta Rathre (The Night Nadiya Was Murdered)

Three crimes are committed at the same time on Souparnika Express running between Chennai and Mangalore. A girl Thulasi Mani (Suja Karthika), famous classical dancer has committed suicide, Shreya, a NDTV news reporter is killed\committed suicide by jumping from the train and Nadiya, a sharp shooter is murdered. The case is never solved and Nadiya (Kavya Madhavan) who is actually alive but comatose is vegetating in a hospital.

The case, after two years is handed over to Sharaufdeen Tharamasi (Suresh Gopi), IPS officer and encounter specialist of RACT (Railway Anti Corruption Task Force). He very soon establishes that all three girls were murdered. On investigating Sharaufdeen learns that everyone on the train was in some way or the other related to one of the three girls (That’s where I am reminded of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”, but alas the similarity ends there). Through the course of the investigation some highly influential people are suspected including some doctors, SP, prominent actress, a famous musician etc. The movie follows Sharaufdeen as he goes about solving the three crimes.

Interesting story and for each of the crimes the writer starts with a blank canvas and fills it with clues and missing links in a phase manner which sustains the viewer’s interest. Having said that, the movie suffers some serious lacunae. Firstly too much importance has been given to the characters who have actually got nothing to do with the movie (for e.g. SP Alexander (Subair) – I just did not understand why it was essential to waste screen time his animosity with other inspector). Secondly, there are just too many characters many of whom are not needed (the Tamil poet for one, Rajamma’s (Bindu Panikkar) and the actress for another). It actually creates unnecessary confusion and reduces the time onscreen which the director could have used to define and explain his main characters.

Thirdly the movie is actually three separate stories and the only common link is that the three murders happen at the same time on the same train and that the same officer is investigating them. To take the story from commonplace to phenomenal, there should have been some common link in the three murders. And finally the screenplay and dialogues are absolutely nonsensical at places.

Mediocre performances, bad screenplay and pathetic direction (what was with the obtuse angle during fight sequences).

(Do skip)

Pakal

Heart wrenching tale of how circumstances drive helpless farmers and their families to end their lives. Nandakumar (Prithviraj) is a reporter for a Kerala news channel assisted by cameraman Abu (Sudheesh). He covers a recent suicide by a farmer in Kerala. His editor decides to do a feature for which Nanda and Abu go to that village for a couple of months. There they meet a veteran Kunjappan (Thilakan) who has been fighting for justice against bank debt and money lenders for past 14 years. They also learn about Joseph (T.G.Ravi) and his family. Joseph is a poor farmer who has lost all his land to money lenders and bank and now all he is left is with a small piece of land and his house. His wife is no more and he lives with his four daughters. The eldest daughter, Merlin works in the city. Celine (Jyothirmayi), the second daughter is studying to be a doctor. The bank sends him a notice to seize his house. Meanwhile there is an evil moneylender who eyes the daughter in lieu of the loaned amount.

Learning of the bank notice and unable to arrange for the money, Merlin is forced towards prostitution but in a tragic twist she meets with an accident and is killed. Joseph unable to bear the grief also dies. Nanda meanwhile is trying his best to find a solution and also meets the collector of the region.

Celine after being advised by the father of the local church meets the bishop for help but to no avail. Finally she realizes that the solution lies not in begging for help but standing up and making things work. The villagers get together and get rid of the evil money lender and start small scale enterprise.

The movie is almost a documentary but that’s not the reason it sank without trace. It could have found critical acclaim but is too superficial and obvious while exploring the pathos in the lives of people. Its definitely not commercial.

Prithviraj, Jyothirmayi and T.G.Ravi have acted well for their parts and but I think the screenplay needed more research and a harder look at this social problem.

(Can Skip)

Manmadhudu

A masala love story with all the emotions you can think of.

Abhi (Nagarjuna) is a rich, good looking, suave bachelor running an Ad Agency. The only glitch is that he hates women. All the women at the agency are tired of his attitude. His uncle decides he has had enough and appoints Harika (Sonali Bendre) as Abhi’s assistant. There are hilarious altercations between the two. At one point she is about to resign when Abhi’s uncle tell her about his past.

Abhi was in love with Mahi (Anshu), niece of one of their managers. Thinking that the two families are worlds apart, he decides to get Mahi engaged to someone else. Abhi follows her and the two leave in Abhi’s car. The car meets with an accident and Abhi is unconscious for ten days. On waking up he, learns that Mahi has married someone else and h loses his trust in women.

Harika on learning Abhi’s past decides to stay and becomes his boss. The two of them fly to Paris for an assignment and come to like each other. But Harika tells him that she is already engaged. On their return Harika tries to express her love but Abhi is oblivious. Meanwhile Abhi learns that Mahi had actually died during the accident and to save him from trauma people lie to him.

Harika finally comes to give him her wedding card before leaving for her wedding. Abhi loves her but wants her to acknowledge first. From a station enroute to the venue Harika calls him and expresses her love. Follows a chase where Abhi uses all possible forms of transport to reach Harika leading to the climax of the film.

Nagarujuna and Sonali Bendre look good together but Anshu and Nagarjuna have even better chemistry. Hummable songs though the script could have been sharper.

A well balanced film, good timepass.

(Can Watch)

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha (A midnight murder story)

Most of the movies I appreciate or the way I see them is with the premise that there is a core of the movie, then the backdrop and then the supporting characters that help take the movie forward. The supporting characters, backdrop might have their own story and significance, but the better movies do not make them larger than the core.

The movie Paleri Manikyam can be reviewed from many perspectives – politics and use of power in Kerala during fifties, atrocities of feudal lords and exploitation of poor, psychological analysis of what drives people towards certain actions etc.

I see the movie as a murder mystery against the backdrop of dictatorial feudal system and play of politics in the society. And as a murder mystery, it keeps you guessing till the end.


Haridas (Mammotty) is a private detective who is intrigued by two murders which were committed the night he was born at Paleri. The murderer was never convicted for the lack of evidence. Haridas wants to go back and unearth the truth and he is accompanied by crime analyst Sarayu in his quest. Almost fifty years after the murder, he travels back to Paleri to meet anyone still alive who can shed some light on the case.

Manikyam (Mythili), bride of a poor low caste Pokkan is brutally raped and murdered soon after her marriage. Pokkan’s mother Cheeru (Shwetha Menon) tries to cover it up as an epileptic attack but the police soon decides that it was a murder. The main suspect is the wealthy and powerful Murikkum Kunnathu Ahmed Haji (Mammootty) who is notorious for his affairs with beautiful village women. Infact Cheeru, Pokkan’s mother was also his mistress at some point in time. His two men are caught as accomplices but for lack of evidence are evicted by the court.


Since no one associated with the murder is alive today, Haridas tries to reconstruct the crime mainly by the versions of some village folks, like Barber Keshavan (Srinivasan) who was a communist party worker. It appears that at that time Haji was sheltered by the leaders of the party. Various reports and facts were buried and not brought to light. There was another murder at the same time which was never linked to Manikyam’s murder.

During the movie we also learn why Haridas has such unusual interest in the murder. The most interesting aspect of the movie is the narrative where Haridas narrates most of the events and moves along with the characters and which brings together the present and the past in a surreal way. Also notable is the way each character tells their version of the events such that you can almost feel getting closer to the truth but not quite there. Also with each character’s narrative you also get to see the various shades of their lives and the society they live in.

Haridas’ quest ends when he meets the eldest son of Haji, Khalid (Mammotty) during the climax.

The cinematography of the movie is pretty neat and Renjith has recreated the Kerala of yester years with brilliant finesse. The background score, not overwhelming gives a lot of character to the movie. The only place where the movie lacks is that there are a little too many characters and thus a lot of loose ends. For some of the characters there is no apparent reason for their actions. The movie could have definitely done with some editing to make the script a little crisper. Mammotty comes in three different roles but shines out as Haji.

Interesting, fast paced, quite gripping, well executed.

(Can Watch)

Devasuram

There is something very unique about the directors and script writers from Kerala. They have uniquely engaging style and a continuity in the movie they make\write.

Devasuram is one such film. Mangalassery Neelakantan (Mohanlal) is the son of a famous personality but does nothing except wasting away his father’s wealth. The only actual passion he has is for music and appreciates ad patronizes local artists.

He himself is a gifted musician but lacks the self discipline. He is also at loggerheads with another feudal family in the village and there are frequent fights between the two camps. Neela has a trusted advisor Warrier (Innocent) who takes care of his daily affairs.

The rival gang corners Warrier and beat him up one day. To retaliate Neela’s friends decide to hire a thug to rough up the rival leader but instead the thug ends up killing him. He then goes into hiding.

Meanwhile Appu master (Nedumudi Venu) is a drunkard with two daughters. He has sold all his land and has taken multiple loans for the dance education of his elder daughter Bhanumathi (Revathi) who is very gifted and is all set to go to Delhi to further her career as a dancer.

Neela restores an old concert hall near the temple and the villagers want to plan a grand opening. They decide to invite Bhanu to dance at the temple. When Neela’s men go to invite her, she rebukes them and sends them away for their rowdy behavior. Later Neela apologizes to Appu master and pays him the token amount to have Bhanu perform at the temple. At the last minute after the artists are ready Neel forces Bhanu to perform in front of him and his friends in his courtyard for insinuating them earlier. Bhanu though forced to dance is furious and vows never to dance again till Neela’s death. Warrier believes, she has cursed the family.

Shortly after that Neela’s life starts to disintegrate one thread at a time. The killer who had gone into hiding is caught and demands a huge sum to keep quiet. As a result Neela has to sell his ancestral land for peanuts to a buyer he had refused earlier.

Hard times also fall on Bhanu and her family as they have to give up their house to the debt collector. They start living at a relative’s house who misbehaves with Bhanu. Hearing their plight Neela sends Warrier to bring the family to live with them and Bhanu has to relent under pressure from her father. Meanwhile, Neela’s mother is not keeping well and stays with her brothers. When Neela goes to visit her he learns a terrible secret about his birth which completely shatters him. His mother dies soon after.

Neela decides to change for the better. Meanwhile Bhanu’s relative comes and offers them a place to stay. Soon after in a fight Shekharan from the rival family runs down Neela and he is paralyzed.

The rest of the movie is about how Bhanu supports him in this difficult time and how they rediscover each other.

No doubt the movie is engaging and fast paced and has the kind of attraction Godfather has. I still feel the characters needed to be etched out more. They don’t get to show individuality and seem to be always giving in to circumstances.

Mohanlal again delivers a superb performance. Revathi is not too impressive.

Fast paced, engaging.

(Can Watch)

Thirakkatha… (Screenplay)

Another one of those movies which rekindles my love for cinema. It’s actually my love for stories. Over time I have learnt to appreciate other aspects of a movie but quintessentially for me it is the script closely linked to performances.

Thirakkatha which literally means “screenplay” has an interesting script and an engaging narration. The movie follows a young director Akbar aka Akki (Prithviraj) who highly appreciated for his first movie is looking for a script. He finally decides to make a movie on the life of a celebrated actress of yester years, Malavika (Priyamani) who has completely disappeared from public life. What follows is essentially the journey of Akki discovering the life of Malavika for his script.


Malavika was at some point married to a now famous star Ajay Chandran (Anoop Menon) who was just a struggling actor back in the old days. In his quest Akki meets the son of an old friend of Malavika and Ajay, the late director Abby (Renjith). Abby’s son gives him the diary of his father and some letters in which he had chronicled the story of Malavika and Ajay.

From this point the narration moves from present to the past seamlessly as Akki reads through the diary.

Malavika and Ajay Chandran met at a time when she was a successful actress and he a struggling artist. They fall in love in spite of the opposition by Malavika’s truant mother and eventually get married for which Malavika had to leave her entire fortune. Ajay is struggling to revive his career after a series of flops when Abby decides to direct a film casting Malavika and Ajay as the lead pair. Just then Malavika realizes that she is pregnant but Ajay forces her to abort the child. Soon after that she has to undergo another operation for minor growth in ovaries. Her close friend later confesses that her fallopian tubes were cut during that operation and she will never get pregnant again. Distraught and feeling betrayed Malavika thinks that Ajay did this purposefully and leaves him. She falls on tough times and ends up doing cameo roles before completely disapeering.

As Akki is trying to put this story together, he gets a call telling him the whereabouts of Malavika who was untraceable till now. He rushes there and realizes that she is terminally ill with cancer and looks really frail and wasted. He and his friends take her with them to take care of her.

Towards the end her dying wish is to meet Ajay and Akki persuades him to come. When the two meet we learn the mystery and the secrecy behind their separation. Malavika asks Ajay to take her to Cloud’s End, a bungalow in the hills where they first met. Ajay agrees.


Beautifully written with excellent direction and editing. Priyamani has done wonders and her transition through various stages of Malavika’s life is very touching. Anoop Menon is just another prop and fails to make any impact. Prithviraj, though not outstanding has carried off the role of the young director well. Overall, Priyamani shines out.

Beautifully told story. It won the national film award for best feature film in Malyalam in 2008.

(Do Watch)

Nadodikattu… (Wandering Wind)

So the thing about movies in languages you don’t understand is that you either enjoy a brilliant storyline or superb performances or something that makes the movie worth watching in that language and not the one you actually can understand. So even if a movie might be entertaining, to a person who does not understand the language it will come across as very mediocre because it is like one of the million movies that one has already seen.



Nadodikattu is one such movie. Bringing Mohanlal and Sreenivasan pair to the screen, in their early days, the movie is no doubt a typical masala movie. It reminded me of the countless Manmohan Desai kind of films I have seen and enjoyed.

Ramdas aka Dasan (Mohanlal) and Vijayan (Sreenivasan) are two friends working in a company as peons and dreaming of steady government jobs. Dasan is slightly high and mighty on account of his being a B.Com. graduate while Vijayan has only done Pre degree. They eagerly wait for the new MD to join so that they can request him to give them appropriate jobs. By some quirk of fate instead they get thrown out of the office. Their landlord helps them get a loan from the bank to start selling cow’s milk and ends up selling them sub-standard cows so that they are unable to make ends meet. With loan sharks behind their backs they decide to bribe a boatman to take them to gulf. Instead the boatman tricks them and they end up in Chennai. On the beach a bunch of smuggles mistake them for smugglers and hand them a suitcase full of narcotics. Like any law abiding citizens they take it to the police and end up in police custody. What follows is cat and mouse chase where the don ends up thinking that Dasan and Vijayan are CID sleuths.

Meanwhile, in Chennai they take up a house for rent and their neighbor is Radha (Shobhana) and her mother. Dasan and Radha develop a special bond and Radha helps him start selling vegetables. A local politician tries to get them to vacate their houses so that he can build a hospital on that land. Dasan tries to stop him and his goon. Through all the confusion ultimately both the don and the politician want to kill Dasan and Vijayan. The final climax happens in an abandoned mill where the politician and the don are finally arrested by the police. Police, to award Dasan and Vijayan gives them jobs in the force. And all live happily ever after…

Like a said a typical eighties movie combining social problems (unemployment, crime and poverty) with right amount of lightheartedness, romance, fights and happy endings. You will appreciate the movie if you understand the local nuances.

For people who do not understand Malyalam,

(Can Skip)

Bhramaram

The movie tells the story of a simple jeep driver Sivan Kutty (Mohanlal) who is convicted of killing a classmate in school. After his release 21 years later, he changes name and his family moves to a different village to settle. Rid of the past, he is happily married with a new identity and has a loving wife and daughter. The wife is blissfully unaware of the past. But the past catches up when she learns of the truth accidently. She leaves Sivan Kutty and goes to her parents place with their daughter. Distraught Sivan Kutty goes in search of his classmates who can prove that he is innocent and was falsely accused of a crime he did not commit.

In the city we see Sivan Kutty mysteriously appearing in the lives of Unni (Suresh Menon) and his wife and daughter. He tells his name is Jose and Unni is unable to place him in his class. Later on Unni realizes his true identity and feels threatened. This is actually the part of the film which is decently done where Unni feels terrorized by the presence of Sivan Kutty and tries to get rid of him. However Siva forces Unni to journey with him to tell his wife and daughter that it is not he who had committed the crime but Unni. From this point onwards the movie takes a turn for the worst and is irredeemable. The rest of the movie is Siva’s journey back to his hometown with Unni with a very predictable end.



I felt that the director was completely confused and could not decide what flavor to give to the movie. So while first half seems like an urban drama of a yuppy couple with a past, the second half seems a semi-horror film with a psychotic killer on loose. And if you have a star like Mohanlal in the movie you definitely have to throw in some absolutely uncalled for fighting sequences. The two halves actually seem like two different movies.

Mohanlal for his bit has acted well, but then that is accepted of a star of his caliber and then too this performance is nothing compared to his earlier movies. Rest of the actors are not even average and don’t even deserve a mention.

Overall the movie had a promising script and could have been a movie to be reckoned with but instead suffers with lack of coherence and dismal direction.

(Do Skip)

Kalyanaraman

The movie is about a wedding planner. Ramankutty (Dileep) and his brother Achu (Lal) are wedding planners and take care of all aspects of a wedding from catering to pandals, decorations etc. At one such wedding of Thambi’s (Lalu Alex) daughter Radhika (Jyothirmayi), Ramankutty meets Gauri (Navya Nair) and likes her instantly. Unfortunately Radhika’s wedding is called of the night before the wedding because the groom loves someone else which leads to a lot of anguish as Radhika is dumb. Achu and Ramankutty seeing the bride get her married off to their younger brother Sivadas (Bobby Alumoodan) who is also a doctor. While Ramankutty likes Gauri, she seems interested in another guy Unni (Kunchako Boban) who is also a suave singer. After a lot of light hearted histrionics, Ramankutty realizes that Gauri is in love with him. The family easily agrees to their marriage. At the engagement in a kitchen accident, Radhika dies in a fire accident. Suspecting bad omen, Thambi consults a priest. The priest tells him that the groom’s family has a problem wherein all women in their family will die young and the family history corroborates. Thambi requests Ramankutty to call off the wedding. But Gauri learns the truth and tries to stop Ramankutty from leaving and meets with a serious accident. Her last wish is to get married to Ramankutty and he ties the knot in the hospital. Concurring fate against all odds, Gauri recovers and the couple live happily ever after.

Good time pass, nice comedy for lazy Sunday afternoons.

(Can Watch)

Chocolate

A total masala entertainer which is a romantic comedy has emotions and drama and rebellion against tyrant dads.

The movie begins in a girl’s college in Kerala which is completing its 50 years and contemplating converting to a co-ed. Trio Anne Mathews (Roma), Nandana (Samvrutha) and Susan (Remya Nabeeshan) along with their friends plan on protesting against that move and sneak out in the middle of the night to put posters all over the college. Due to vociferous protests by the parents, finally management has to give in and maintain status quo. But there is one seat in post graduate course reserved for a boy. The dean decides to admit the son of one of the teachers. Shyam Balagopal (Prithviraj) is a troublesome good for nothing rogue who has been kicked out of nine colleges in three years for his rowdiness. After a lot of cajoling by his mother and friends who are excited by the thought of his attending a girl’s college, Shyam agrees to attend.

What follows is nothing short of war of the worlds between Anne and Shyam where they try to outsmart each other at every instance to some hilarious consequences like an incident with pads, Shyam using ladies restroom and Anne ragging him by making him wear a petticoat. Shyam is then approached by a young fashion designer, Renjith (Jayasurya) who wants Nandana to model for him but is rebuked by both Nandana and Anne. Shyam agrees to help him get closer to Nandana. Things between Anne and Shyam become better when Shyam helps Anne to defeat her arch rival Preetha in the college elections and becomes the first chairman of the student’s council. Soon they become close friends and start preparing for the youth festival.


Meanwhile Anne’s father is looking for a suitable groom and asks her to meet a guy. Anne brings Shyam along and they individually realize that they are in love but are unable to say to each other. During the rehearsals someone take pictures of Shyam and Nandana and sends to Nandana’s father who is a tyrant and disapproves of her talking to any guy. He then tries to beat up Shyam to disastrous end. Meanwhile everyone thinks that it’s Anne who sent the photographs to Nandana’s father. What follows is a fast paced roller coaster where all misunderstandings are cleared up and Nandana and Renjith get together. Finally in a dramatic ending during the play, Shyam professes his love for Anne and carries her off.


Fast paced, youthful, chirpy songs, crisp direction (directed by Shafi), good acting, total masala entertainment.

(Do watch)

Bharatham

A story which will resonate in bits and pieces with every family, Bharatham is a movie par excellence. A story of two brothers, both exceptional singers and what can be called a version of sibling rivalry; or a story about rise and fall in life; or story of finding the escape from the burden of your own fears; or more importantly a story depicting the circle of life.


Nedumudi Venu is a well known Carnatic singer who with age takes to drinking. Soon it interferes with his singing to the extent he collapses on stage mid-performance. Mohanlal, the younger brother and apprentice takes the stage and soon wins over the audience for his powerful, soulful and creative singing. Nedumudi Venu unable to accept the backseat falls apart. What follows is a poignant tale of how he reconciles with his destiny. But that’s not all; there is a twist in the tale that tells you that while you may be mortal, life is eternal and times it’s not about choosing one over the other but simply that you must pass on what you got.

The movie is not just a story of two brothers but a moving tribute to art. The elder brother must pass on his art and blessing to the younger brother for the tradition to continue, but there is always personal ambition to account for and the film delicately delves on the dichotomy between the two. On the part of the prodigy, he must carry forward what he learnt but in the process he owes it to the teacher a debt which can never be repaid.



Mohanlal and Nedumudi Venu have given stellar performances and it will be easily one of the best roles of their lives. Very down to earth, no frills performance. It actually reminded me of a few Ingmar Bergman movies I have seen, similar to Vaanaprastham in its treatment. I will simply not have the right words to justify Mohanlal's performance. His dedication, his talent, his burden, his anguish and dilemmas stay with you. It’s as if he is a musician.

I definitely cannot end the review without mentioning the music. Though I do not really understand classical Carnatic music but I can tell you that the music stays with you.

Beautiful script, superb direction, stellar performances, brilliant music.

(Must Watch)

Vellitherai (Silver Screen)

The first thing you feel on watching the movie is that of subtlety and subdued emotions. Nothing over the top. Even the satire on Indian Cinema is more realistic than the actual cinema.

Prithviraj and Prakash Raj again come together with superb movie about the movies. Prithviraj is an assistant director doing the rounds with his script to get a break as director while Prakash Raj is an aspiring actor. And the similarity ends in their struggle. While Prithviraj is a serious student of cinema and has studied the renowned actors and directors across the world, Prakash raj is nothing more than a street rogue all out for over the top performance and melodrama who is conniving and manipulative. He tricks Prithviraj and registers his script as his own and goes on to become a megastar. While Prithviraj dejected never really makes it after that.

Finally he also gets a script but every producer insists that Prakash Raj must star in it. What follows is a brilliant satire on cinema, what goes for talent and how stars become larger than life. Inspired by the legendary Eddie Murphy movie Bowfinger though.

I really like Prithviraj for restrained performance. Prakash Raj though has outdone himself yet again. Superb performance. And while he transforms from almost a street urchin to a superstar, you can see the subtleties in his character remain throughout.
Gopika who plays an actress and love interest of Prithviraj fills in for the character but doesn’t really deserve a special mention. Music leaves much to be desired.

Good direction, interesting script, superb performances.

(Do watch)

Abhiyum Naanum (Abhi and Me)

The reason I picked up the movie was because of Prakash Raj and Prithviraj. And of course Radha Mohan who directed Mozhi has also directed Abhiyum Naanum.

Loosely based on “Father of the Bride”, the plot follows Prakash Raj who narrates his experiences of raising a (now married) daughter to Prithviraj who has a young daughter. It takes you through the journey of a father watching his little girl grow up and move on in life to the point where he is no longer the only man in her life. It’s definitely a feel good movie with a delightful freshness and keeps you engaged. Though after a while I wanted the movie to rush to its predictable ending.



The script would have worked a bit better if it was little crisp in the second half. The groom and his family are a little over the top and unrealistic. I mean seriously at an instance the Prime Minister calls the groom to enquire about work.

Prithviraj is in a cameo. Prakash Raj has acted the part and I think he can carry off any role in any script without the associated melodrama. So he is fun to watch.
I particularly liked Aishwarya playing the mum. Trisha Krishnan fails to make an impact as the daughter though the girl who plays the kid “Abhi” is very lovable.

Overall a movie with better performances than script and direction which has its moments. Mediocre music.

(Can Watch)

Mozhi (Language)…

Every person who has lived has a tale to tell. From shocking to amusing to melancholic to macabre. Many times in movies we blank out on all characters and their stories except the protagonist and the antagonist. Not in Mozhi though. The director has tastefully and beautifully woven the tales of people living in an apartment complex and while the story is about a girl learning to let go of the past and accepting life, others characters add life to the drama and take the story forward.

It’s a simple love story of a guy (Prithviraj as Karthik) who admires a girl (Jyothika as Archana) and falls in love with her. He then moves heaven and earth (no pun intended) to woo her and win her affection. The girl though happy to be friends is unable to look past her disappointments and fears and rejects him at every instance. Kitsch, I know. But what makes this story extraordinary is the treatment of the movie and the characters woven into the movie. Be it Viji (Prakash Raj) whose wit is unmatched playing the best friend of Karthik or the heart wrenching portrayal of Professor (MS Bhaskar) who is stuck in 1984.

The best bit is that the movie is made on a light hearted note and kudos to Prakash Raj for that. Jyothika portrays her character with finesse and no melodrama. In a particularly moving sequence you see her struggle, her anger and realize no words in any language can complete that emotion.

Cheers to the director (Radha Mohan) and the editor (M.Kasivishwanathan).

A little too many songs but I liked Kannal Pesum Penne, Katrin Mozhiye and Sevvanam Selaikatti.

Effervescent, delightful and memorable.

(Do watch)

Manichitrathazhu (The Ornate Lock)

A poignant story of how our mind can trick us into believing anything and how our lives our shaped by the baggage of the past we carry. Dealt with subtlety, carefully etched out characters and realistic humor make the movie a must see.

For me this movie is one of the finest examples of what cinema is all about – engrossing two hours of complete entertainment.

A young couple (Suresh Gopi and Shobhana) move into their ancestral home and are plagued by small inexplicable accidents. Not attributing it to blind superstition and suspecting potential mental illness of one of his cousins (Vinaya Prrasad), Nakulan (Suresh Gopi) calls on his friend (Mohanlal as Dr. Sunny Joseph)who is a famous psychiatrist in America currently travelling in India. Mohanlal makes his appearance close to the interval and from then on movie takes the form of this thrilling psychodrama with brilliant twist in the tale.

The plot revolves around Dr. Sunny uncovering the source of the strange happenings at the mansion and helping the protagonist recover from her affliction. Mohanlal plays the character of slightly eccentric shrink with ridiculous histrionics which leaves you in splits. Though central to the movie the character is subdued and nowhere overshadows the movie.


This movie definitely belongs to Shobhana who plays the protagonist, for the portrayal of innocent, loving and simple Ganga and the fierce, passionate and revengeful Nagavalli. There is actually a scene in which she transforms from one character to another in front of Dr. Sunny which leaves you completely spellbound. Beautiful haunting music which will echo in your ears much after you are done watching the movie.

Fazil must be applauded on his superb direction, though there are one or two scenes which are on the verge of melodrama.

The success of the movie led it to be remade in almost all major the “woods” of Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and finally Hindi. The DVD is available with subtitles at the leading stores.

(Must Watch)