Category: malayalam cinema

Lucifer : When Personal Propaganda Takes A Ride On Unparalled Popularity.

Lucifer was destined and designed to be disruptive right from the day it was announced for reasons more than one. To put the origins of the title into context, everything about the film was biblical and on the opening day as well as the days leading upto it, the mass hysteria that it kicked up could be described aptly with no other word. A popular mainstream actor who in the past was the brunt of jokes for his views and opinions that were more or less alien to Malayalam Cinema was making his directorial debut with the biggest box office star in Kerala in a film penned by a script writer known for his ability to cook up complex tales and to irk, mock and insinuate too, backed by a producer whose name was eponymous with the star’s and the film was titled Lucifer. If this is not biblical in the tiny world of Malayalam Cinema, I do not know what is. Personally, as a fan who has been unapologetically yearning for the next big thing from Mohanlal on the lines of the alpha male trilogy of Devasuram, Aram Thamburan and Narasimham  or something that matched up to the quintessential anti- hero that Aadu Thoma was, Lucifer was indeed a beam of hope and I shamelessly indulged the fan in me right up to the moment I entered the hall for the evening show on the first day of the release.

When the Malayali filmgoer sits down to watch Lucifer, Murali Gopy offers a blue pill and a red pill, not much different from the ones offered to Neo by Morpheus in The Matrix. You either watch the film as a starry eyed fanboy or you watch as an unbiased observer with feet firm on the ground, who is not oblivious to the political undertones of the narrative. When you are in for the movie on the day of it’s release and can’t hold your horses, there’s no prize for guessing what pill you’d choose. I obviously chose the blue pill intended for the unflinching fan but the effects did start to fade towards the end. That the film was about politics was evident from the day the first look was released which had Mohanlal donning the khadar ,which also hinted that Murali Gopy had the UDF in his crosshairs this time around. But of course the big news was Prithviraj’s debut as a director with none other than Mohanlal. Though he was tight lipped early on, in the weeks that led up to the release, he promised a treat for the fans. Mohanlal the way he wanted to see him on the screen as a fan was Lucifer, said Prithviraj the director. And he has done exactly that. Lucifer is nothing but a walk in the museum of all things that makes Mohanlal the box office powerhouse that he is. The actor towers over the rest of the impressive cast in the role tailor made for him by Murali Gopy and envisioned almost flawlessly by Prithviraj. The man is on fire here and it’s an understatement when I say that he defies age in the action sequences. That’s not to take anything away from actors ranging from Tovino to Indrajith to Shajon to Baiju to Manju to Vivek Oberoi who holds their own in the characters that fit them like a glove. Saikumar represents the UDF and Shivaji Guruvayoor is the personification of Murali Gopy’s favorite punching bag, the Left. Prithiviraj downplays his presence to that of a glorified stuntman in his own film, which is more or less an ode by the fanboy in him to the lead actor. Prithviraj impresses with his frames, scale and style, as a director though he did falter and fumble towards the end. The “item song” stood out like a sore thumb.

The storyline is borderline over the top conspiracy theory and in a state as politically literate like Kerala, it’s a hard sell if you ask me, which is where the lead actor’s stardom that knows no bounds helps the film’s cause. Mohanlal had his first tryst with the devil in the iconic Spadikam but it was the vernacular chekuthan who found his way into the narrative there. Prithviraj’s love for the occult is more than evident and even by his standards, for a film that seemed to deal with political climate in Kerala, the choice of the title sounded a bit outlandish. It didn’t fit for some reason at least to me and though it made sense once I watched the film in whole, I have to say it was the impossible merging of two different worlds that the director and the writer tried to pull off here. Cinema is after all fiction and fiction is ultimately suspension of disbelief. Murali Gopi is no Ranjith and neither is he Renji Paniker, which is to say rousing dialogues are not exactly his forte, which is why I am willing to forgive the terrible nod to Pulp Fiction. He is but indeed a master of plots and weaver of complex tales. Even in a film that was more or less apolitical like Ee Adutha Kaalathu he unwittingly made a choice that prompted the audience to speculate up on his political allegiances. Left Right Left which followed, only helped cement the suspicions about the political agenda of his films and writing. Kammara Sambavam, which came before Lucifer was again a testimony to the fact that he had no love lost for the political leadership in Kerala, especially the Left. Past behavior, they say, is the best indicator of future behavior and that could not be more truer here, with Lucifer. At a time when the State and the Country are engulfed in election frenzy, Murali Gopy trains his guns on the two major political factions who have taken turns, albeit democratically to rule Kerala for the past 70 years or so. To me at least, most ironic was the ending note where the writer almost sneers at the Malayali for having surrendered to the two political ideologies, the left and what used to be the right. Then the audience erupted into applause. And that’s where his propaganda succeeds if you ask me, though his alternative, is conspicuous by its absence in the narrative.

കുമ്പളങ്ങിയിലെ യഥാർഥ മനോരോഗി ഷമ്മിയല്ല.#kumbalanginightsblues

 

 

നൗ ദാറ്റ് ഐ ലുക്ക് ബാക്ക് ഓൺ ഇറ്റ്, ഷമ്മി അല്ല ഷമ്മിടെ ചേട്ടൻ ആണ് പ്രശ്നം. ഹീറോയാണെന്നു സ്വയം വിളിച്ചു പറയുന്ന ഷമ്മി കാഴ്ചക്കാർക്ക് വില്ലൻ ആണെങ്കിലും ഒരു പക്ഷെ ശ്യാം പുഷ്കരന് വിക്ടിം ആയിരിക്കാം. ടോക്സിക്ക് മസ്കുലൈനിറ്റിയുടെ പ്രതീകമായ അവതരിക്കുന്ന ഷമ്മി ചിലപ്പോ അതിന്റെ ഇര ആണെങ്കിലോ? എഴുത്തുകാരൻ ഉന്നം വെയ്ക്കുന്ന സാമൂഹ്യ മനസ്ഥിതികളുടെ ഉടമ ശെരിക്കും ഷമ്മിയല്ല ഷമ്മിയുടെ ചേട്ടനാണ് എന്ന് ഇപ്പോ എനിക്ക് തോന്നുന്നു. ഷമ്മി ഒരു പ്രേക്ഷകൻ എന്ന നിലയിൽ എന്റെയും നിങ്ങളുടെയും വെറുപ്പ് പിടിച്ചു പറ്റിയിരുന്നു. മൂലയ്ക്ക് പോയി നിൽക്കുന്നത് വരെ. അവിടം തൊട്ടു വലയിൽ ആകുന്നത് വരെ ഷമ്മിയോട്‌ എനിക്ക് സഹതാപം ആണ് തോന്നിയത്. അവനു വട്ടാ എന്ന് സിമിയുടെ അമ്മയെ കൊണ്ട് ശ്യാം പുഷ്ക്കരൻ പറയിപ്പിച്ചപ്പോൾ ഞെട്ടൽ ആണ് ഉണ്ടായത്. അത് കൊണ്ടാണ് ക്ളൈമാക്സിലെ ഇൻസെന്സിറ്റിവിറ്റി ടു മെന്റൽ ഡിസോർഡേഴ്സ് എന്നെ ഡിസ്റ്റർബ് ചെയ്തു എന്ന് ഞാൻ എഴുതിയത്. അത് വരെ കണ്ട പുരോഗമന ചിന്തകളുടെ ആഖ്യാനങ്ങളെ ഒടുക്കം കാറ്റിൽ പറത്തി എന്നാണു എനിക്ക് തോന്നിയത്. എന്ത് കൊണ്ട് അത് ശ്യാം പുഷ്കരന്റെ തൂലികയിൽ നിന്ന് സംഭവിച്ചു എന്ന ചിന്തയാണ് ഒരാഴ്ചയ്ക്ക് ശേഷം എന്നെ ഷമ്മിയുടെ ചേട്ടനിൽ എത്തിച്ചത്. ശ്യാം പുഷ്ക്കരൻ സൂചനകൾ നൽകിയിരുന്നു എന്ന് എനിക്ക് ഇപ്പോൾ തോന്നുന്നു. ഷമ്മിയെ സ്വന്തം വീട്ടുകാർ ഒഴിവാക്കുകയാരുന്നു എന്ന് ഇപ്പോൾ ആണ് മനസിലായത്. ഷമ്മി ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കുന്ന പാത്രങ്ങൾ ഉൾപ്പടെ സിമിയുടെ വീട്ടിൽ എത്തിക്കുന്ന ചേട്ടൻ. അതെ ഒരു പക്ഷെ അത് ഷമ്മിയുടെ OCDയുടെ സൂചന ആയിരിക്കാം എന്നേ ഞാൻ അപ്പോൾ കരുതിയുള്ളൂ. ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാൻ ക്ഷണിക്കുമ്പോൾ ചേട്ടൻ കാണിക്കുന്ന സ്നേഹശൂന്യമായ പ്രതികരണം പുള്ളിയുടെ വ്യക്തിത്വത്തിന്റെ സൂചന ആയിരുന്നിരിക്കാം. സ്വയം കമ്പ്ലീറ്റ് മാൻ ആയി കാണുന്ന ഷമ്മി പക്ഷെ താമസിക്കുന്നത് ഭാര്യവീട്ടിലാണ്. ഏകദേശം സ്വന്തം വീട്ടിൽ നിന്ന് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ചേട്ടന്റെ വീട്ടിൽ നിന്ന് പടി അടച്ചു ഇറക്കി ഉപേക്ഷിക്കപ്പെട്ട അവസ്ഥ. ഷമ്മി അത് ന്യായീകരിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഗൃഹനാഥന്റെ സ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് തീന്മേശയിൽ കസേര വലിച്ചിടുന്ന ഷമ്മി ഒരു പക്ഷെ തനിക്കു ലഭിച്ച പുതിയ സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിന്റെയും അധികാരത്തിന്റെയും സൂചന ആയിരിക്കാം നൽകിയത്.ചേട്ടന്റെ കീഴിൽ തനിക്കു കിട്ടാതിരുന്നത് എല്ലാം സിമിയുടെ വീട്ടിൽ ഷമ്മി നേടുന്നു.കല്യാണം കഴിപ്പിച്ചു സ്വഭാവ വൈകല്യങ്ങൾ ചികിൽസിക്കുന്നത് ഒരു നാട്ടു നടപ്പാണല്ലോ. ചേട്ടനിൽ നിന്ന് ഷമ്മിക്ക് ലഭിച്ചിരുന്ന പരിഗണന എന്തായിരിക്കാം എന്ന് സിമിയുടെ ഫോൺ കോളിന് ഉള്ള പ്രതികരണത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മനസിലാക്കാം. മനോരോഗിയായ സഹോദരന് അർഹിക്കുന്ന പരിചരണം കൊടുക്കാതെ വിവാഹം കഴിപ്പിച്ചു ഒഴിവാക്കിയ ചേട്ടൻ വില്ലനും ഷമ്മിയെ വലയിട്ടു പിടിച്ച സഹോദരങ്ങൾ പൊതുസമൂഹവും ആയാൽ ഒരുപക്ഷെ കഥയിൽ നായകൻ അഥവാ ഹീറോ ഷമ്മി തന്നെ ആയിരിക്കാം.

Kumbalangi Nights : An Ensemble Of Great Visuals, Great Characters, Great Performances And Great Moments.

The names Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Shyam Pushkaran, Shyju Khalid, Shane Nigam, Sreenath Bhasi and Dileesh Pothan in the credits for a single film, now that’s something you don’t get to see as often as you’d like to, if you happen to speak this language called Malayalam and have a thing for movies too. Ever since Aashiq Abu broke new ground in Malayalam Cinema a decade back we have seen subsets of these names coming together in every other film with someone from this unofficial collective of like minded artists, at the helm. These artists have played a role is establishing Kochi as the hub of Malayalam Cinema in the new century too, I think. People from this school of filmmaking were part of the teams that delivered gems like Maheshinte Prathikaram, Thondimuthalum Drikaskshiyum, Parava and Sudani From Nigeria, to name a few.  Shyam Pushkaran’s writing was something that you looked forward to, as much as to watching Fahadh working his magic, in recent times. Kumbalangi Nights looked promising early on for these very reasons exactly.

Set in the island village of Kumbalangi, which to me is familiar only as a nameboard on “ordinaries” and “fast passengers”- the flavours of the State bus service on offer to the commoner- the film tells the tale of a band of brothers from another mother, and father, to put it bluntly. It would be nothing less than a disrespect to the film itself if I start with any other aspect but the cinematography. If Shyju Khalid were to shoot your weeded backyard with his camera and then show it to you, you’d believe him if he told you that it was from a cottage set in the Swiss Alps. His frames make even the most ugliest structures look magnificent. The night shots are exquisite. It’s almost as if he has some kind of spell over light. Saiju Sreedharan works his magic too. The last time I saw a landscape so beautifully captured was in the Turkish film Once Upon A Time In Anatolia. Shyam Pushkaran’s writing has never taken us anywhere as viewers because his tales are set in places you have walked around yourself, youre at home, literally. It’s always far removed from the homes and social circles that we have come to accept as the norm in Malayalam Cinema over the years. There are deliberate attempts to break stereotypes and to infuse progressive narratives throughout here too, which is why the film disappointed me towards the end for it’s insensitive portrayal of mental illness. But that’s just me. Maybe it’s because the rest of the film is almost perfect why the climax hit me the way it did. Life in Shyam Pushkaran’s Kumbalangi is idyllic. The lives of the main protagonists are much like the tiny islands and groves where the story unfolds. They are isolated and aloof for most parts but they’re still an ecosystem that sustains eachother and do not have an existence on their own. This is ultimately the essence of the tale, I felt.

Soubhin Shahir, Shane Nigam, Sreenath Bhasi and Matthew Thomas play the brothers. Soubhin surprises us yet again with a moving portrayal. So does Shane Nigam. Sreenath Bhasi is subtle and effective. Matthew is the new kid on the block. But it’s Fahadh who is an enigma here. From playing lead in films as varied as Varathan and Njan Prakashan to playing second fiddle to a bunch of his peers here, that too as a character with absolutely no visible positive traits. He is indeed the antagonist here but you hardly notice that because you’re simply overawed by his performance. Debutante Anna Ben makes an impression in her girl next door avatar. Grace Antony plays sister to Anna’s and wife to Fahadh’s characters in a role that’s unlike that of the sisters and wives we have seen on the screen up till now, but are absoutely familiar with, in our daily lives. Madhu C.Narayan  makes his debut as a director and honestly, with names like Shyam Pushkaran, Dileesh Pothan, Shyju Khalid and Saiju Sreedharan aiding him in crucial departments, it’s too early to judge his skills as the man at the helm. There’s a Maddona and Child frame in the film at one point and if it’s indeed the director who actually conceived it, there’s promise I’d say.  Kumbalangi Nights is great cinema, almost.

Njan Prakashan : Sreenivasan And Sathyan Anthikad Go On A Walk Down The Memory Lane, Take Fahadh Faasil Along.

The writer-director duo of Sathyan Anthikad and Sreenivasan need no introduction in Malayalam Cinema. They have been keen observers of, and commentators on the  conundrum that Kerala  society is, for over three decades and their movies have made the average Malayali laugh their hearts out and think, to an extent. Not that anyone sane would expect Cinema of all things to bring about change in a Malayali. The best of both artists have come to the fore when they have collaborated, with Sandesham being hailed as their magnum opus. They teamed up for the first time in T.P Balagopalan M.A and have delivered some of the most memorable films of our times. One of the most talked about rather lamented “Mohanlals” of yesteryear is the one from the films by this duo, the “quintessential face of the common man” as you would have it in Malayalam Cinema, before the “other” Mohanlal, the one from another school of filmmaking entirely, that of Ranjith took over. Sathyan Anthikad and Sreenivasan went on to make movies cast in the same dye with another actor who fit their bill, Jayaram. That grew old on the audience quickly thanks to the recurring themes in those movies. Sathyan Anthikad  found gold again recently, on his own though, with Fahadh Faasil. Oru Indian Pranayakadha  presented Fahadh in a previously unseen light and Sathyan Anthikad must have been as delighted as the audience with the results. Here was an actor who could finally carry the burden of their creative expectations with ease. It was only a matter of time before Sathyan dialed his pal and told him the news. Looks like he did that and hence, Njan Prakashan.

Njan Prakashan is basically an ensemble of all plot situations that we have come across in Sreenivasan- Sathyan Anthikad films to date. I think it is even safe to call it a self tribute of sorts that the duo have paid themselves here. It starts off with the Poland reference yes, though the joke has been over done in every other Malayalam film from the new crop I guess they still hold the right to use it. Then of course there’s the nod to the change of name from Mazha Peyunnu Madhalam Kottunnu. And the political party in town is still called RDP, saw that in at least two other recent films that I can count of. I could also count at least one  plot reference from their first collaboration  T.P Balagopalan M.A, that being Prakashan’s bonding with Salomi’s family and the subsequent rejection which reminded one of Mohanlal’s interaction with Balan.K.Nair who played dad to Shobhana’s character in T.P. The next significant re-enactment featured Sreenivasan himself where he managed to successfully infuse the scenes from Gandhinagar Second Street in which his character gets embrassed before the public and has a tryst with the law and gets branded a thief when goes out of his way to help his friend, into Njan Prakashan. This evoked some genuine lingering laughter in the audience in my part of the world and yes, me too. That brings us to the female characters in the film who serve as teachers in life lessons to Prakashan. They again bear shades of all Sathyan Anthikad leading ladies we have seen in the recent past, hard working young women who shoulder the burden of the family in the absence of a patriarch. The only surprise is the character played by Nikhila Vimal which is a first in Sathyan Anthikad films if I’m not wrong. I could still go on about the recurring themes but don’t get me wrong here, Njan Prakashan is indeed one of the better cinema experiences of the season still and the film has none other than Fahadh Faasil to thank for it. The man is easily the finest actor in the country today and in the hands of the right filmmaker he simply revels. He was a revelation in comedy scenes in Oru Indian Pranayakadha and he has picked up from where he left off in that film here in Njan Prakashan. When it comes to nuanced transformations and expressions, I would go so far as to say that even Mohanlal of the yore would pale in comparison when Fahadh is on a roll.

Sreenivasan has always been looked upon as a sympathiser of the Communist cause in the State though it’s with cynicism that he has portayed his leanings in his films. Here too he doesn’t hesitate to poke with a single line and that’s almost the only original tribute to vintage Sreenivasan, who in my book is the Woody Allen of Malayalam Cinema. Now this could be speculation entirely on my part but I can’t but help assuming that maybe Sathyan Anthikad and Sreenivasan have had help from the younger generation to stay relevant with the jokes and the interests of the youth of the present, especially the women. This thought came to me because I noticed the name of Sreebala.K.Menon who made her debut after a stint in the Anthikad stable in the titles. Sreenivasan has also found space for his pet themes which have put him in the seat of controversy in the recent past. We get to see the Sreenivasan take on social issues from the migrant labor phenomenon to the waning interest in agriculture amongst the populace of the State but he makes sure that he doesn’t indulge in these personal themes which helps the film too. And the one statement that I would like to make the most here is that when a film that tickles your funny bones for most parts shifts shapes and transforms itself into a tearjerker with a couple of brilliant performers  like K.P.A.C Lalitha and Fahadh Faasil hell bent on working your tear ducts, just before the lights are about to come on, it’s simply not fair. I mean it’s not a pretty sight is it, seeing a fully grown man sporting a beard sitting there with tears rolling down his cheeks. Please, Mr.Sreenivasan and Mr.Anthikad, do everything but that.Nah, I’m just messing with you.

 

 

 

Odiyan : V.A Shrikumar Passes, Not With Flying Colors Though.

Wouldn’t blame V.A Shrikumar if he is tempted to think that his personal D-Day at the Box Office was as bad as the one the Allied had on the beaches of Normandy. On the eve of the release a hartal was declared and fans unleashed their wrath on the social media pages of the political party in question. The makers went on to announce that the shows wouldn’t be cancelled and social media was rife with jokes in no time. Today as i write this, the jury has been out since the wee hours and I woke up to a spate of distasteful comments on the social media pages of the movie and the director though even the most vile of detractors would think twice before doing that on the lead actor’s page considering the kind of clout and sway he holds over the Malayalam film industry and the viewers at large. But the fact remains that the box office is a different beast entirely, impervious to any kind of influence. Most of the comments blamed the director of sky rocketing expectations with the pre release hype. By the time I was in for the film, people were talking about how the movie should be  inducted as a case study in business schools. Well, did you expect an ad-man -turned – director to not market his debut film with the biggest star in Malayalam using all the tricks in his bag?  Dude’s got brains and you have to hand it to him and I for one do not feel that he has taken me on a ride, having watched the 10 am show in the UAE today.

The movie starts off in Varanasi and wastes no time in presenting an aged but heroic Odiyan Manikyan before the audience. Mammooty then takes over during the titles narrating a brief history of the Odiyan clan which ends with the return of the dreaded Odiyan to his home, the rustic Palakkadan village Thenkurissi. Most of the story is told in flashbacks which takes us to a time when electricity had still not reached the lands. The odiyan relies on darkness and the psychology of fear to practice his “art” as he prefers to call it. To put things in perspective for the uninitiated, the odiyan is not too different from the Batman Nolan presented before us  in Batman Begins but unlike Batman, odiyan’s services are on sale for those in need and that’s how he makes his living when he is not helping in the household of Prabha, played by  Manju Warrier. Batman again was trained by Ras Al Ghul in Ninjutsu while Manikyan is trained by his grandfater, an odiyan himself. The much hyped younger avatar of Mohanlal dominates most of the screentime in comparision to the aged odiyan. The makers have tried to portray the craft of the odiyan realistically here. Though V.A Shrikumar claimed early on that the CGI would be world class, you can’t but help notice that not much of it has gone into the depiction of the actual odi act, which is not a bad thing if you ask me and more importantly the director and the writer have taken care not to insult the intelligence of the viewer. You would find yourself thinking that maybe this is indeed how the legendary odiyans went about their profession, in the dark. You see a deliberate choice on the part of the makers to stick to reality and to not cross over into the realm of fantasy for most parts, though there are indeed some conflicting sequences. In addition to electric bulbs, playing the antagonist to Manikyan is Prakash Raj as  Karuman Nair who is obsessed with Prabha. The references to the color of the skin are borderline racist and I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t go down well in this age of political correctness. Shammi Thilakan interestingly dubs again for a Tamil actor playing villain to Mohanlal and is obviously a deliberate tribute of sorts by Shrikumar to the iconic Devasuram. There is some unforced humor in the film mostly delivered by a restrained Siddique.Sana Altaf and Kailash have done justice to their roles too.There are more than a couple of songs and the one that stands out most is Kondoram. Though a bit untimely, its the most beautiful in terms of music and visuals too,  thanks to a stunning Manju Warrier. It is indeed refreshing to see a leading lady on the other side of forty giving the younger crop a run for their money, and how.

The story proceeds at an even pace and there are quite a few number of scenes where Mohanlal and Manju Warrier get to flex their acting muscles. The younger odiyan is all smiles mostly but the aged odiyan is someone who regrets his actions and is weighed down by guilt. He believes that he bears the curse for the actions of his ancestors. Mohanlal has translated this shift in odiyan’s perspective in his inimitable style, in the most subtle of ways, so much so that you wouldn’t realise this until long after you have left the theatres. The action sequences might not blow you away but are decently executed. Mohanlal briefly engages in a stick fight reminiscent of the Kilukkam dhobi ghat fight. While most of the movie worked for me, the climax came of as a bit disappointing and gave the impression that the director lost his vision and rushed through the proceedings towards the end. Despite Peter Hein the final showdown doesn’t quite work. The movie deserved a better ending and this could be attributed to Shrikumar’s lack of experience in feature cinema but then again it’s uneducated speculation on my part. The movie is indeed a tad too long, at three hours but hey, I’m not complaining. Having said that, V.A Shrikumar has made more than a decent debut if you ask me. Yes, the movie is not Narasimham but that was almost two decades back and even I have moved on , as a fan. Believe me when I tell you that the film certainly did not deserve the kind of onslaught that was meted out early on, literally. By the time the first half of the film was over, I was angry and relieved, for the right reasons. But given the events in the recent past that rocked the Malayalam film industry which involved the major names associated with the film, there’s always room for malice. The movie gets cocky too when it takes a dig at Communists. That might not go down well especially when the leading man’s political ambitions are a topic of hot speculation  in the state. But none of these factors should stop you from finding out for yourself, after all I am a self confessed fan. Not a fan boy though.There’s a difference but I’ll save that for another day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joesph : Joju George Is Joseph George In A Gorgeous Thriller.

The gold standard for crime thrillers in Malayalam Cinema is undoubtedly Oru CBI Diarykurippu which spawned an entire series that refuses to go away even today, though purists might argue the case of Yavanika which is absolutely justified too. That both featured Mammooty in unconventional cop avatars is more than a mere coincidence I’d say given the actors penchant for expirementation. Apart from rather lacklustre sequels which rode merely on the legacy of the first film,  CBI Diarykurippu also set a rather pedestrian pattern for investigative thrillers in Malayalam to follow. As we have witnessed in Malayalam movies in the genre, the climax is almost always a witness parade where every plot twist until then is discussed in what’s nothing less than a lecture by the lead actor, be it any of the  CBI sequels to Jeethu Joseph’s debut thriller to the many insignificant  Sureshgopi crime thrillers.This was even seen in Ranjith Sankar’s Pretham. For an audience conditioned  to such banality in the past couple of decades Joseph is novel in more ways than one.

The teaser of the film had set keen movie afficionados talking for a couple of reasons, Joju George’s look and the air he had about his self. Joesph scripted by a police officer is as much an emotional drama as the procedural it is at the core.  Personally I felt that Joseph owed its pacing and narrative style to the Scandinavian and Spanish thrillers that we have come to love. In fact I almost had a sense of deja vu towards the end and I still havent shaken that feeling off, to be honest but  I have gone ahead and written what I am writing becasue Joseph is exactly the kind of movie that deserves to be talked and written about. M. Padmakumar who dished out various versions of Devasuram at the start of his career has ventured into more or less unknown territory in terms of genre and has found sweet success. And the fact that the gamble with the lead actor also paid off must add to the high the Director deserves to be on. Joju George is the single most focal point of the film and there is hardly a frame without the man in it. M. Padmakumar deserves an award for just visualising Joju as Joseph. In the scene where he rides a Bajaj Chetak to a crime scene early on with one hand on the handlebar, smoking a beedi stub with the other sans a helmet on his head had the screen cluttered with all kinds of statuatory warnings and you still can’t miss the lazy elegance and the ease at which he stays in character in that simple sequence. Few minutes later there was random applause  in the theatre when he delivered a salute to his former superior. He is an actor for the longer race and the USP of the film. That is not taking anything away from the brilliant screenplay and masterful direction.Giving Joju company are a bunch of actors from Dileesh Pothan to Irshad to Sudhi Koppa. Athmiya is the only actor who gets to make an impression amongst the female cast.

In an otherwise taut and watertight script the only time I winced was when, as is the custom in Malayalam, rather Indian Cinema the makers chose to carelessly throw in the term hacking. No, they dont resort to vappachi’s legacy here but they could have been a bit more careful given the detaling to most technical aspects of a modern day investigation the film depicts. All they need is a season of Mr.Robot, for perspectives’ sake when it comes to hacking. The film also tries to address a social menace that we are indeed aware of but has little exposure as general public to, in the mainstream newsmedia.The film has also explored the dynamics of  relationships and the concept of a family in ways that are far removed from the conventional ones that we often come across in Malayalm Cinema. The greatest success of the film is that despite the disturbing central theme and the slow burn narration it’s the character rather the actor who remains in our psyche. You will cease to wonder why the film is named Joseph and start wondering why it isn’t called Joju.

 

 

 

Oru Kuprasidha Payyan : Madhupal Turns Grisham.

It took his debut film as a director, Thalappavu for the general Malayali audience to finally accept Madhupal as a serious film personality. Then he further cemented his position with his second film, Ozhimuri. He had finally shaken off his percieved image in the collective psyche of the Malayali film going crowd, that of a man with sinister intentions thanks to his acting debut decades back  in the Suresh Gopi vehicle Kashmeeram. After a string of insignificant roles on the same lines as his debut, Madhupal finally found his silver lining and broke through with Thalappavu as a director. Both Thalappavu and Ozhimuri drew inspiration from historical and social events which had left scars in Kerala’s past and questioned our claims of progress and enlightenment. So it was only natural that Madhupal was as much the reason as the leading man Tovino why Oru Kuprasidha Payyan was one movie to look forward to.

Unlike his earlier films Oru Kuprasidha Payyan is almost entirely commercialised to cater  to the needs of the box office and the persona of the rising star it’s leading man is. Author   Jeevan Job Thomas turns screenwriter with this film and is again based on a real life incident. If a genre has to be named the film would definitely fit the description of a legal thriller though it unintentionally reminds the viewers of many recent movies namely Visaranai and Saira Banu. The writer and director have tried to explore how the enforcers of the law treat the individuals on the lowest rungs of our society. Tovino  who is on a roll with consecutive hits has plenty of scenes to test his emoting skills. Madhupal has tried to infuse comedy though it’s short lived in the shape of Balu, who on the otherhand gets a chance to explore his serious side as an actor. The actor who takes the cake here is Nimisha Sajayan in a role that’s performed and has been written with equal brilliance. It’s not exactly the kind of character that we come across in Malayalm Cinema everyday and Nimisha has proven again that she is a talent to look out for. Her choice of films too speak of her approach to the art, I feel. Every story that’s told in a movie with commercial intentions needs an antagonist  whose purpose is to act as the pole against which the viewer’s moral compass aligns and here that mantle has fallen on veteran actor Nedumudi Venu. Anu Sithara plays a character that’s a bit more than the regular romantic interest. Saranya is at home in the pivotal role she plays.

Oru Kuprasidha Payyan is not the most cinematically perfect movie by Madhupal and doesn’t compare artistically to his earlier works but it has succeeded in delivering some of the most realistic court scenes we have ever come across as viewers in Malayalam Cinema. The sequences would have made John Grisham proud. Jeevan Job Thomas’s scripting of the court proceedings and the detailing which reflects his scientific temperament is complemented by Madhupal’s visualisation. Veteran producer Sureshkumar turns actor here and maybe it’s a deliberate choice given the impact in terms of novelty the depiction of the judge character he plays has on the court scenes which almost entirely make up the second half of the movie.  Oru Kuprasidha Payyan is ultimately the tale of an underdog who is betrayed intentionally by some and out of helplessness by others. Ironically it’s the judiciary who comes to his aid here when he almost loses himself in the penal system. In the movie hall when the lights go off almost all of us root for the underdog though it’s another question if we would do that out in the real world in the harsh light of the day.

 

 

ഫഹദ് ഫാസിൽ ഈസ് വരത്തൻ.വരത്തൻ ഈസ് സ്ട്രോ ഡോഗ്സ്.

പണ്ട് ഹിന്ദി പടങ്ങളിൽ ധർമേന്ദ്രയും ജിതേന്ദ്രയും ചെറുപ്പത്തിൽ കുംഭമേളക്ക് പോയി വേർപെട്ടു പോകുന്ന പോലെയാണ് ബിഗ് ബിക്ക് ഞാനും കണ്ണനും വീരയ്യയിൽ കേറി ഇരുന്നത്. ഫസ്റ് ക്ലാസും ഹൌസ് ഫുൾ ആയ കൊണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് അടുത്തടുത്ത സീറ്റ് കിട്ടിയില്ല.ഒരുമിച്ചു പടത്തിനു കേറീട്ട് കൂടെ വന്നവനോട് ഇടക്ക് ഇടക്ക് കമന്റ് പറയാതെ പടം കാണുന്നെന്റെ വിഷമം കല്യാണം കഴിഞ്ഞവർക്ക് ഒരു വല്യ സംഭവം അല്ലായിരിക്കാം എന്നാലും ഏതാണ്ട് പകുതി കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോ ആണ് ഇതൊക്കെ എവിടെയോ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടല്ലോ എന്ന് തോന്നിയത്. സണ്ണിയെ കണ്ട തിരുമേനിയെ പോലെ. ചോദിയ്ക്കാൻ ആണേൽ ലവൻ അടുത്തും ഇല്ല. കുറച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞാണ് എനിക്ക് ഫോർ ബ്രദേഴ്‌സ് ആണ് ബിഗ് ബി എന്ന് കത്തിയത്. ഒരു ഡിസപ്പോയിന്റ്മെന്റ് തോന്നിയെങ്കിലും ലോകത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഭാഗത്തു ഒതുങ്ങി പോകേണ്ടിയിരുന്ന ഒരു കല സൃഷ്ടിയെ ഭാഷയുടെയും ഭൂമിശശാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെയും അതിരുകൾ കടത്തി ജനകീയവത്കരിക്കുന്ന സേവന കർമം ആണല്ലോ അണിയറ പ്രവർത്തകർ ചെയ്തത് എന്ന് ആലോചിച്ചു ആശ്വസിച്ചു. ബിഗ് ബി എന്നാലും ഇഷ്ടപെട്ട സിനിമകളിൽ ഒരെണ്ണം തന്നെ. സാഗർ ഏലിയാസ് ജാക്കിയുടെ ടീസർ ഒരു ബി എം ഡബ്ള്യു പരസ്യം ഓർമിപ്പിച്ചു കെട്ടടങ്ങി..അൻവർ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ പക്ഷെ ഡിസപ്പോയിന്റ്മെന്റ് കോപ്പിയടിയുടേതായിരുന്നില്ല ട്രെയ്‌റ്റർ പോലൊരു സിനിമയെ വെറും സ്ലോ മോഷൻ മഹാമഹം ആയി കുറച്ചതിന്റെതായിരുന്നു.വീണ്ടും ഇത് പോലെ ഒരു അനുഭവം ഉണ്ടായതു ചാപ്പാ കുരിശ് കണ്ടു ഇറങ്ങിയപ്പോഴാണ്. വീരയ്യയിൽ തന്നെ.അന്ന് പക്ഷെ കണ്ടിറങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ അറിയില്ലായിരുന്നു കൊറിയൻ ഹാൻടെൽഫോൺ ആണ് മലയാളവത്കരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത് എന്ന്. വണ്ടിയിൽ കേറി വീട്ടിൽ എത്തുന്ന വരെ മലയാള സിനിമ ഒടുവിൽ പ്രമേയപരമായും അവതരണശൈലിയിലും കൈവരിച്ച മാറ്റങ്ങളെ പറ്റി ഞങ്ങൾ വാചാലരായി. അന്ന് സ്മാർട്ടഫോണും ഡേറ്റയും ഇല്ലാത്ത കൊണ്ട് വീട്ടിലെത്തി ബിഎസ്എൻഎൽ വഴി പിസിയിൽ നിന്ന് നെറ്റിൽ കേറി കുത്തുന്ന വരെ ഡിസ്പ്പോയിന്റ്മെന്റ് കാത്തു നിന്നു. ഒരുമാതിരി പണ്ട് ഹൈസ്‌കൂളിൽ വെച്ചൊക്കെ നമുക്ക് ഇഷ്ടപെട്ട കൊച്ചിന് വേറെ ലൈൻ ഉണ്ടെന്നു അറിയുമ്പോ തോന്നുന്ന ഒരു ഫീലിംഗ് പോലെ ആയിരുന്നു. എക്സൈൽഡ് ബാച്ചിലർ പാർട്ടി ആയപ്പോ പക്ഷെ കോളേജിലെത്തിയിട്ടും ലൈൻ ആവാത്തവന്റെ മരവിപ്പ് ആയിരുന്നു . ഇയോബിന്റെ പുസ്തകം പക്ഷെ ഒരു അപവാദം ആയി, ലാസ്‌റ് ഓഫ് ദി മോഹിക്കൻസിലെ ഡാനിയൽ ഡേ ലൂയിസിന്റെ കാട്ടിൽ കൂടെയുള്ള തോക്കും പിടിചോണ്ടുള്ള ഓട്ടത്തിന്റെ പാവനസ്മരണ ഒഴിച്ച് നിർത്തിയാൽ. ഇതിനിടക്ക് ട്വന്റി ടു ഫീമെയിൽ കോട്ടയത്തിന്റെ പേര് പല ഇഗ്ലീഷ് പടങ്ങളുടെ പേരിന്റെ കൂടെ പറഞ്ഞു കേട്ടെങ്കിലും എനിക്ക് അത് ബ്രോക്കേഡൗൺ പാലസ് ആയിരുന്നു. സ്റ്റേക് ഔട്ട് വന്ദനവും വൺ ഫ്ലൂ ഓവർ ദി കുക്കൂസ് നെസ്റ്റ് താളവട്ടവും എ റോമൻ ഹോളിഡേ കിലുക്കവും ആയപ്പോഴും പ്രിയദർശൻ സീൻ ബൈ സീൻ പുനർനിർമാണം ഒഴിവാക്കിയിരുന്നു എന്ന് ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞാൽ എന്നാ പിന്നെ സ്‌ട്രൊ ഡോഗ്സ് വരത്തൻ ആയാൽ നിനക്ക് എന്നാടാ എന്ന് ആരേലും ചോദിച്ചാൽ ഒരു കുഴപോം ഇല്ല ചേട്ടാ ആയിക്കോ എന്ന് മാത്രമേ എനിക്ക് പറയാൻ ഉള്ളു.ഇതൊക്കെ പിന്നെ എന്തിന് എഴുതിപിടിപ്പിച്ചത് എന്ന് ചോയിച്ചാൽ ഇന്നസെന്റ് ലോ ലാ പടത്തില് രാത്രി കുന്നിന്റെ മോളി കേറി നിന്ന് വിളിച്ചു കൂവുന്ന പോലെ ആണെന്ന് കരുതിയാ മതി.ബട്ട് എ പവർഹൌസ് ഓഫ് ഒറിജിനൽ ടാലന്റ് ലൈക് ഫഹദ് ഫാസിൽ സിംപ്ലി ഡിസർവ്സ് ബെറ്റർ എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു കൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ ഉപസംഹരിക്കുന്നു.

Theevandi : Far From The Madding Crowd.

That there was something endearing about the visuals of Theevandi was evident right from the time the first song streamed it’s way into the hearts of Malayalis across the globe. If you were away from Kerala, the song made you want to hop on the next ride home. It presented before us a place that we wanted to go back to, away from the maddening swipes left, right, up and down our lives are. A place you were not quite sure if it existed for real anymore but desperately wanted to believe it did. Of late more than one film maker has used this as a tool to rope in the audience in the southern most tip of the country who feeds on anything nostalgic with fervor. It started with Maheshinte Prathikaram if I’m not wrong. Felt its tugs again when the song of Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum debuted and then to some extent in Godha. In Theevandi director Fellini TP and writer Vini Viswa Lal have done their  best to ensure that this element of nostalgia flows unhindered throughout the movie.

Theevandi chronicles the lives in a rustic smalltown and the characters are a cross section of the people we would find in a place like that in any part of Kerala. The film focuses on the problems faced by a chain smoking slacker whose habits ultimately end up having even political ramifications in the sleepy laidback countryside where the stroy unfolds. Opening to an incident which lays a sort of mystical foundation for the significance of smoking in the life of the character played by Tovino, the movie is part family drama,part love story and part political satire of sorts. There’s no magical realism  here, in fact Mario Vargas Llosa whose book is seen to be held by a character in a passing scene was never exactly an exponent of the literary style though it could be an indicator to the inclinatons of the individuals at the helm. The film takes it’s sweet time to tell the story and there are more than a few laughs once the film gets going. Every actor has delivered in perfectly cast roles. Tovino, Suraaj and Surabhi prove their mettle again. Samyukhta Menon has made a decent breakthrough though it remains to be seen if she is going to stick around or move to the more lucrative industries next door. Most notably Sudheesh has finally shed the tag of the eternal boy next door of Malayalam Cinema that he held close for almost three decades here and makes a mark too.

When it comes to humor in Malayalam Cinema, the bar was set more than a bit high by the likes of Sreenivasan, Sathyan Anthikad, Siddique-Lal and Priyadharshan. In fact these stalwarts themselves have never come close to the standards they set from the mid 80’s to the late 90’s in their more recent works. So it’s hardly surprising if the new crop of filmmakers and actors have fallen short often in their attempts to make Malayalis laugh their hearts out. Sequels to the most loved classics were attempted by desperate wannabes and the results are unforgiveable, at least in my book. Theevandi may not be perfect but it is indeed a functional homage to the golden era of humor. Tovino, who has won hearts with compelling and diverse performances is on a roll with movies like Mayanadhi, Maradona and now Theevandi striking a chord with the audience.