tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-303837042024-03-14T10:50:35.703+05:30Through the Corridors of Uncertainty......I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it - VoltaireE Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-1312153764709034472018-01-04T20:16:00.000+05:302018-01-04T20:16:08.151+05:30Top 30 Malayalam Film Songs of 2017: A Compilation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Despite major rumblings in the Malayalam cinema industry in the
form of Dileep’s actress assault case and incidents of online trolling of women
actresses highlighting the rampant misogyny in our artistic space, I’d like to
believe that it emerged stronger with more and more people debating the
patriarchal nature of our cinema. It was, therefore, appropriate that 2017
closed with Aashiq Abu’s ‘Mayaanadhi’ – a film that spoke for a lot of women by
giving its heroine agency. However, be cautioned - for every Mahesh Narayanan,
Ranjith Shankar and Aashiq Abu creating strong independent woman characters,
you also came across the likes of Nithin Renji Panicker (Kasaba) and Omar Lulu
(Chunkzz) whose disgustingly trashy films belied the idea that the new
generation has a different world view, when it comes to women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">*** Anyway, before I
start, just a regular quick disclaimer – I lend a keen ear to Malayalam songs
but have no knowledge of music in any way, so this is just my personal listing
of the top tracks of films released in 2017. Last year, I had tried to condense
the selection to only one song per film to cover a larger breath of the audio
scene but I think this is unfair to some of the films with multiple good songs.
So, I have expanded my listing to 30 songs, irrespective of the films. I had
left out ‘Poomaram’ last year assuming that it would be a 2017 release but with
no clear signs of when it will hit the market, I have considered one of its
songs this year. Some of the links provided below have the actual film scenes
while others have the audio or making video links because the full track is not
played in the film (eg - </span><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kilivathilin
Chare Nee, Kaatil Ila</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">).</span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Keeping the normal
practice of benchmarking, I reckon that 2017 has seen more exciting music
compared to last year. Classical music made a small comeback this year with a
few compositions (<i>Pranavakaram, Kasavu
Njoriyumoru Pulari, Engane Padendu Njan</i>) dipping themselves into it more
than we have seen in recent years – while this cannot be compared to the golden
80s-90s, this is definitely a welcome trend. With a plethora of musicians
making their mark, even singers like Vijay Yesudas have become veterans now
while P Jayachandran continues to make his presence felt every year in a couple
of tracks. P Unnikrishnan was heard in Malayalam after ages with the lovely <i>Ekayaai Nee</i> (Kaattu) which seemed like a
more accomplished version of <i>Pichavechu
Naal Muthal</i> (Puthiya Mugham). The soothing philosophical voice of Shahbaz
Aman in ‘Mayaanadhi’ after a long time was also great news. Prithviraj made not
have tasted a lot of success this year but he surprised everyone with a lovely
song <i>Arikil Ini Njaan Varaam</i> (Adam
Joan).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bijibal was
prolifically consistent with 7 of his scores making their way to the top of the
charts while Shaan Rahman’s foot-tapping ‘Jimmiki Kammal’ turned out to be the ultimate numero uno
song, cutting across language barriers and inspiring innumerable dance videos. Rex
Vijayan made a strong impact this year with ‘Parava’ and ‘Mayaanadhi’ while
Gopi Sundar had a smashing return to Malayalam with the track of the year -
‘Udaharnam Sujatha’. Justin Varghese was the debutant composer of the year with
the quirkily melodious numbers of ‘Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela’. Considering
how crowded the music space has now become, some composers who made a mark last
year were conspicuously missing this year – Sachin Warrier (‘Anandam’), Vishnu
Vijay (‘Guppy’) etc. There were films which had great music but did not carry
far because the films tanked at the box office (Cappuccino, Matchbox). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Solo was the single
largest experimental genre-defining audio track this year traversing multiple genres,
languages and composers. So, you have music ranging from the hard rock version
of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Aigiri Nandini</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, the infectiously
catchy </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Roshomon</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> to the classical
fusion of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sita Kalyanam</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sajan More Ghar Aaye</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> - the songs are
heavy on music overshadowing the singers and I was confused on how to rate the
track but for the sheer audacity of its music, it has to find itself on the
podium. Probably because I listen to music primarily on a blue tooth speaker, I
normally need more clarity on the vocals and the acoustics were too
overwhelming for me, making it difficult for me to short list songs of Solo in
my list.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Top audio tracks in
2017 (with links to their jukebox):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1 – Udaharanam Sujatha
(Gopi Sundar)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2 – Solo
(Multi-composer)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3 – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8o9UvQsqpbhqTsG8Ae6X0zsOeg_gn0nI&time_continue=1&v=4q5o3Tiwcmc" target="_blank">Mayaanadhi</a> (Rex
Vijayan)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent;"><u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My 2017 Top-30 Malayalam Film
Songs Listing</span></u></b></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">[Format
- Song (Film): Music Director - Playback Singer - Lyricist]<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1.
<b>Kannile Poika (Thondimuthalum
Driksakshiyum)</b>: Bijibal - Ganesh Sundaram/Soumya Ramakrishnan- Rafeeq
Ahammed <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2. <b>Kasavu Njoriyumoru Pulari (Udaharanam
Sujatha)</b>: Gopi Sundar - Gayathri Varma - D Santhosh<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3.
<b>Kadavathoru Thoni (Poomaram)</b>:
Leela L Girikuttan- Karthik - Ajeesh Dasan<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4.
<b>Nanavere (Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela)</b>:
Justin Varghese - Tessa Chavara/Vipin Lal - Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">5.
<b>Kilivathilin Chare Nee (Pullikkaran
Staraa)</b>: M Jayachandran - Anne Amie - M R Jayageetha<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">6.
<b>Ozhukiyozhuki (Oru Cinemakkaran)</b>:
Bijibal - Haricharan /Shweta Mohan - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">7.
<b>Mizhiyil Ninnum (Maayanadhi)</b>: Rex
Vijayan - Shahabaz Aman - Anwar Ali<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">8.
<b>Pranavaakaram (E)</b>: Rahul Raj -
Saritha Ram - Vinayak Sasikumar<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">9.
<b>Oru Puzhayarikil (Munthirivallikal
Thalirkkumbol)</b>: Bijibal - Shweta Mohan - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">10.
<b>Janah Meri Janah (Cappuccino)</b>:
Hesham Abdul Wahab - Vineeth Sreenivasan - Haseena S Kanam<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">11.
<b>Kattu Vannuvo (Lakshyam)</b>: M
Jayachandran - Vijay Yesudas - Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">12.
<b>Kannil Kannil (CIA: Comrade in America)</b>:
Gopi Sundar - Haricharan Seshadri/Sayanora P - Rafeeq Ahammed <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">13.
<b>Ekayaai Nee (Kaattu)</b>: Deepak Dev - P
Unnikrishnan - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">14.
<b>Aaro Nenjil (Godha)</b>: Shaan Rahman -
Gowry Lekshmi/Shaan Rahman - Manu Manjith<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">15.
<b>Aaradyam (Matchbox)</b>: Bijibal -
Vishnu Kurup/Shilpa Rajiv - Rafeeq Ahammed</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">16.
<b>Mazha Paadum (Sunday Holiday)</b>:
Deepak Dev - Aravind Venugopal /Aparna Balamurali - Jis Joy<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">17.
<b>Kaatil Ila (Udaharanam Sujatha)</b>:
Gopi Sundar - Vijay Yesudas - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">18.
<b>Lailakame (Ezra)</b>: Rahul Raj -
Haricharan - Harinarayanan B.K.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">19.
<b>Entammede Jimikki Kammal (Velipadinte
Pusthakam)</b>: Shaan Rahman - Vineeth Sreenivasan/Renjith Unni - Anil
Panachooran<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">20.
<b>Njanee Onjalil (Rakshadhikari Baiju
Oppu)</b>: Bijibal - Jayachandran/Chithra Arun - Harinarayanan<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">21.
<b>Roshomon (Solo)</b>: Prashant Pillai
- Ashwin Gopakumar/Arun Kamath/Niraj Suresh/Sachin Raj/Rakesh
Kishore/Alfred Eby Issac/Mithun Jayraj - Harinarayanan<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">22.
<b>Arikil Ini Njaan Varaam (Adam Joan)</b>:
Deepak Dev - Prithviraj Sukumaran - Santosh Verma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">23.
<b>Unarukayaano (Udaharanam Sujatha)</b>:
Gopi Sundar - Sayanora Philip - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">24.
<b>Ivalaro (Oru Mexican Aparatha)</b>:
Manikandan Ayyappa - Vijay Yesudas - Rafeeq Ahammed</span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">25.
<b>Theeyame (Angamaly Diaries)</b>: Prashant
Pillai - Angamaly Pranchi/Shreekumar Vakkiyil - Traditional<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">26.
<b>Engane Padendu Njan (Cappuccino)</b>:
Hesham Abdul Wahab - P Jayachandran/Manjari - Venu V Desom<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">27.
<b>Ethetho Swapnamo (Avarude Ravukal)</b>:
Shankar Sharma -Vaisakh C Madhav - Siby Padiyara<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">28.
<b>Enthavo (Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela)</b>:
Justin Varghese - Sooraj Santosh /Justin Varghese - Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">29. <b>Vaa
Kuruvi (Vilakkumaram)</b>: Sanjeev Thomas - Ammu Indira/Sanjeev Thomas - Arun
G.S <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">30. <b>Kaiveeshi Neengunna (The Great Father)</b>: Gopi Sundar - Vijay
Yesudas - Harinarayanan B.K.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Honorary Mentions<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">31. <b>Uyirin
Nadhiye (Mayaanadhi)</b>: Rex Vijayan - Rex Vijayan – Anwar Ali<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">32. <b>Akale
Oru Kaadinte (Ramante Edanthottam)</b>: Bijibal - Shreya Ghoshal - Santhosh
Varma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">33.
<b>Madhumathiye (Sakhavu)</b>: Prashant
Pillai - Shreekumar Vakkiyil/Preeti Pillai - Shabareesh Varma <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">34. <b>Kayalirambilu
(Paipin Chuvattile Pranayam)</b>: Bijibal - Bijibal/Ann Amie
- Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">35. <b>Njanum
Neeyum (Theeram)</b>: Afzal Yusuff - Shreya Ghoshal /Quincy Chettupally - Harinarayanan
BK</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Below is a playlist for the entire set of songs:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span>
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="424" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VWU51Q2n3h4?list=PLNI91EPK9-qKaSVNCIpOD1PRZWmcB0WdL" width="550"></iframe>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.3333px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez</span>: <a href="https://madaboutmoviez.com/2017/12/30/top-30-malayalam-film-songs-of-2017-a-compilation/" target="_blank">Top 30 Malayalam Film Songs of 2017: A Compilation</a></div>
</div>
E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-11098088587233038342016-12-27T08:49:00.001+05:302016-12-27T08:57:55.815+05:30Top 20 Malayalam Film Songs of 2016: A Compilation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As 2016 comes to a close, there are familiar rumblings in the
Malayalam film world about new film releases with the distributors, producers
and theatre owners slugging it out leading to no releases on a Christmas
weekend! This is a familiar scenario for Malayalam cinema buffs but let’s hope
this perennial bickering gives way to new releases waiting to hit the road, for
an industry which has perked up a bit recently in the mainstream space. Meanwhile,
I decided to spend time to look at the audio tracks this year and see how they
stack up. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*** Before I start, just a quick disclaimer - I lend a keen ear
to Malayalam songs but have no knowledge of music in any way, so this is just
my personal favourite listing of the top 20 tracks of films released in 2016. Also,
I have tried to condense the selection to only one song per film to cover a
larger breath of the audio scene this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2015 was a fabulous year for Malayalam music with the likes of
Premam, Ennum Ninte Moideen and Charlie but I cannot really place any track
this year as that real outstanding stand out album that would have kept me
glued for a long time. This is not to suggest that we did not have great music
this year but in comparison to last year, I think this list definitely falls
short. The large pool of musicians and singers has also democratized the audio
scene to a great extent, so the sounds you hear are quite numerous and varying
in nature. While the earlier generations have hibernated, P Jayachandran and MG
Sreekumar still managed to make an impact this year, as the new generation
stayed on top. Curiously, last year’s topper – Bijibal, who started with the
fantastic ‘Maheshinte Prathikaaram’ went quiet after that and had a very
limited presence and Shaan Rahman was probably the winner this year with 3-4
tracks topping the charts. Also, despite Vijay Yesudas’ excellent year last
year, there were many others taking on the lead this year, namely Haricharan
and Vineeth Sreenivasan. 2016 also saw a lot of musical debuts like Vishnu
Vijay (Guppy), Sooraj S Kurup (Valleem Thetti Pulleem Thetti), Sachin Warrier
(Aanandam) and the trend of multiple film composers for a film (Kismath, Guppy,
Kavi Udeshichathu?).<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UeR-Zq5sGP8/WGHchBcwT7I/AAAAAAAADm0/MarNMrSf5mQFYFPSdbBZE4nLSa9DvO3bgCLcB/s1600/best-of-malayalam-film-music-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UeR-Zq5sGP8/WGHchBcwT7I/AAAAAAAADm0/MarNMrSf5mQFYFPSdbBZE4nLSa9DvO3bgCLcB/s320/best-of-malayalam-film-music-2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top audio tracks in 2016 (with links to their Jukebox):<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Maheshinte Prathikaaram</b> (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJLsgEWGYNA"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJLsgEWGYNA</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Aanandam</b> (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtTdiRLyPFg"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtTdiRLyPFg</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Jacobinte Swargarajyam</b> (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTtAVUq9000"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTtAVUq9000</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Kismath</b> (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICtdRsEF1WY"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICtdRsEF1WY</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho</b> (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH7OjbXDsc8"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH7OjbXDsc8</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My 2016 Top-20 Malayalam Film Songs Listing</span></u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[Format - Song (Film): Music Director - Playback Singer -
Lyricist]</span></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Idukki (Maheshinte Prathikaaram)</b>: Bijibal - Bijibal
- Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bijibal delivers in this beautiful monsoon soaking
ode to Idukki, made even better by the visual appeal of the video. In this song
where you feel the atmosphere, Bijibal leads the vocals, with some excellent
harmonic backing from the chorus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Thennal Nilavinte (Oru Muthassi Gadha)</b>: Shaan Rahman
- Vineeth Sreenivasan/Aparna Balamurali- Harinarayanan B.K.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reliable Shaan Rahman-Vineeth combo works magic
in this melody, with a gorgeous violin backdrop, with Aparna Balamurali
supporting it suitably. Again, the retro like feel and visuals make it more
appealing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Pularkalam Pole (Valleem Thetti Pulleem
Thetti)</b>: Sooraj S Kurup - Haricharan/Madonna Sebastian
- Harinarayanan B.K.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haricharan and Madonna Sebastian rock in this debut
composition of Sooraj S Kurup, with a classic fusion of Carnatic music and folk
percussion. Pity that the film was quite a damp squib.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Oonjalilaadi Vanna (Action Hero Biju)</b>: Jerry
Amaldev - Chinmayi - Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Veteran music composer Jerry Amaldev returns after
13 years in this retro album, creating this lovely soulful melody by Chinmayi.
However, since the makers did not release an official video song, this probably
went unnoticed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Innaleyum (Kavi Udeshichathu?)</b>: Vinu Thomas - Arun Alat - Rafeeq Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A gentle romantic melody that flows beautifully,
especially a couple of places where Arun builds the momentum of a crescendo but
surprisingly hasn’t really found too many takers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Neelakkannulla (Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coellho)</b>:
Shaan Rahman - Vijay Yesudas/Shwetha Mohan - Vayalar Sharath Chandra Verma<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A throwback to the 80s melodies by Vijay Yesudas and
Shweta Mohan, with captivating visuals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Payye Veesum Katte (Aanandam)</b>: Sachin Warrier -
Ashwin Gopakumar /Sneha Warrier - Anu Elizabeth Jose<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Singer Sachin Warrier makes his composer debut in this peppy
youthful album. Here Sachin’s sister Sneha Warrier and Ashwin Gopakumar carry
out the playful lightness of the film delightfully. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Ee Khalbitha (IDI)</b>: Rahul Raj - Suchith Sureshan -
Manu Manjith<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Suchith Sureshan pushes the strings nicely with the
melodious Ee Khalbitha, another guitar dominated background song that keeps the
flow moving. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Thiruvaavaniraavu (Jacobinte Swargarajyam)</b>:
Shaan Rahman – Unni Menon/Sithara - Manu Manjith<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unni Menon’s Onam special ‘Thiruvaavaniraavu’ literally
creates the nostalgic feel of an Onam at a faraway land and the visuals enhance
that feeling. Wonderful to see the underutilized Unni Menon back. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Kisa Paathiyil (Kismath)</b>: Sushin Shyam - Sachin
Balu/Suchith Suresan/Sushin Shyam - Anwar Ali<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sushin Shyam (of ‘He will screw you’ fame in
‘Thattathin Marayathu’) makes quite a debut in ‘Kismath’. This is a short but
real soulful song, where the haunting instruments dominate the vocals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">11.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Nila Vanile (Shikhamani)</b>: Sudeep Palanad - Vijay
Yesudas/Swetha Mohan - Shibu Chakravarthy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A rather under rated song this year and unlikely to
be in any of the hit lists, probably for the simple reason, that the film sunk
without a trace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">12.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Thaniye (Guppy)</b>: Vishnu Vijay - Sooraj Santosh/Madhuvanthi
Narayan - Vinayak Sasikumar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another debut, this time flautist Vishnu Vijay is
the composer. Thaniye starts on a low note, almost a silent whisper and gets
Sooraj Santosh to give an energetic push to the higher notes, amidst some nice
little guitar music.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">13.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Medapoompattum Chutti (Karinkunnam 6S)</b>: Rahul Raj -
Najim Arshad - Vinayak Sasikumar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rahul Raj continues his tryst with melodies with
Najim Arshad shining in a low pitch soft melody, with a beautiful strumming
guitar guiding the flow of the song.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">14.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Manogatham Bhavan (Anuraga Karikkin Vellam)</b>:
Prashant Pillai - Haricharan/Mathangi Jagadish - BK Harinarayan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prashant Pillai pulls of a composition that is
flavoured with a fusion of classical and Western music and Mathangi makes quite
an impact.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">15.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Minni Chinnum (Kolumittayi)</b>: Sreeraj Sahajan -
Sreeraj Sahajan - Lakshmi Ennappaadam<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sreeraj Sahajan makes his debut in this children’s
film and composes a fine, slow paced melody that bears strains of Malargale
(‘Love Birds’). But the romantic nature of the song does not sit in well, with
children as the backdrop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">16.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Chillu Ranthal (Kali)</b>: Gopi Sunder - Job Kurian
- Harinarayanan B.K.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Gopi Sunder was quite busy in Telugu in 2016 and
this was one of his rare tracks in Malayalam. With Job Kurian at the helm, this
jazzy song was a special one by Gopi.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">17.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Kathangal Kinavil (Darwinte Parinamam)</b>: Sankar
Sharma - Haricharan - Harinarayanan BK<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Sankar Sharma’s debut has an interesting collection of songs,
probably let down by the film makers. Here, Haricharan gives life to Sankar’s
nice little tune.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">18.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Kuruthakedinte Koodane (Paavada)</b>: Aby Tom
Cyriac - Jayasurya - Harinarayanan B K<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">It is unlikely that you would expect a Jayasurya song to be in any top songs list but he does full justice to this energetic foot tapping drunkard song in the film. The idea of Jayasurya singing for Prithvi was an inspiring one.</span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">19.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Raavu Maayave (Vettah)</b>: Shaan Rahman-Shaan
Rahman/Rinu Razak - Manu Manjith, Shaan Johnson<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Director Rajesh Pillai’s last film ‘Vettah’ did not
live upto expectations but Shaaan Rahman does a top job in this short album,
especially in this lovely melody whose co-lyricist Shaan Johnson (Johnson’s daughter) who passed away a little later.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">20.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Chinnamma Adi (Oppam)</b>: 4Musics (Jim Jacob/Biby
Mathew/Eldhose Alias/Justin James) - MG Sreekumar - Madhu Vasudevan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MG Sreekumar literally makes a comeback in ‘Oppam’
with who else but Lal in this album composed by a group of young musicians.
With a nice naadan percussion driving the song and a Carnatic touch, this is a
winner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honourable Mentions:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">21.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Oru Vela (White)</b>: Rahul Raj - Shweta Mohan - Rafeeq
Ahammed<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">22.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Podimeesa Mulakkana Kaalam (Pa..Va)</b>: Anand
Madhusoodanan - P Jayachandran - Santosh Verma<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">23.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Ee Yathrakal (Oozham)</b>: Anil Johnson - Anil Johnson -
Santhosh Varma<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 15.3333px;"><a href="https://madaboutmoviez.com/2016/12/24/top-20-malayalam-film-songs-of-2016-a-compilation/" target="_blank">Top 20 Malayalam Film Songs of 2016: A Compilation</a></span></div>
E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-16403700255846650042016-06-01T08:35:00.002+05:302016-06-01T08:35:25.407+05:30Waiting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OPgGX5-E1ms/V05Q05q4TxI/AAAAAAAADgE/uoZD0c11eu4-QOXnZ_P1qh9b7KMqTnxagCLcB/s1600/Waiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OPgGX5-E1ms/V05Q05q4TxI/AAAAAAAADgE/uoZD0c11eu4-QOXnZ_P1qh9b7KMqTnxagCLcB/s320/Waiting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15pt;">Two strangers meeting in a
hospital waiting for their beloved partners who are in a comatose state, is a
perfect subject material for melancholy with a capital M inscribed all over it.
But director Anu Menon’s tragically witty, humorous take on grief and desolation
‘Waiting’ is strangely uplifting and philosophical, without at once being
pedantic or languorous. Beautifully described by a critic as a cross between
'Lost in Translation' and 'The Descendants', it is refreshingly restrained (a
bit more restrained than maybe what it should have been).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tara Deshpande finds herself suddenly in an alien city Kochi at
the bedside of her husband who has been badly injured in an accident when at
work in Kerala – a place quite remote from the bursting life of Mumbai. It is
an unfamiliar even stifling setting that she finds herself in, armed with
nothing but just the knowledge that her husband in a bad shape. Her best
friends have their own busy lives and can’t spare time for her in this cathartic
situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Shiv Nataraj makes his daily trips to the hospital to see his
ailing wife who shows no signs of recovery but he can’t give up hope. In his
words –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="font-weight: inherit; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">khaana,
sona, nahaana, yeh rukna nahin chahiye. Yeh ruk gaye to sab kuch ruk gaya
samjho</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>– and so keeps
himself going. But words can be empty – you see him dumping the food his
friendly neighbours make for him and when at 6 AM every morning, he is awake
unfailingly; you wonder if he needs the sleeping pills that he offers Tara. Is
his disciplined and regular schedule his way to handle his emotional trauma?
Maybe if we were to allowed to spend more time in his solitude, we would know
better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Anu
Menon sets up a clear contrast between the two central characters – One is a
man, the other a woman. One is a retired professor, the other is a young media
savvy lady. One is a gentleman who measures his words (only a gentleman reads
Wodehouse, no?), the other is a brash foul-mouthed woman. One marriage has
‘lasted’ (not lasted as Shiv points out) 4 decades, the other has just
completed 4 weeks. One accepts the situation on the outside but is still not
willing to let go off the partner, the other does not wish the partner to
suffer. But what is common to both is the sense of grief they are forced to
come face-to-face with and the lack of external support systems to handle this<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>emotional burden – one has no children
and the other no parental support for their marriage. Both these absences are
choices that they have made and it isn’t something that troubles them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The plot is sparse and depends on the heart-to-heart tete-a-tete
between the protagonists as they ruminate over their emotional struggles to
take it ahead. It is easy to go the whole hog and reduce the film to an
emotional tear jerker with the audience weeping buckets, seeing two loners
venting out their frustrations. Maybe even add dramatic music to heighten their
isolation but Anu shows remarkable subtlety to pull back and not stretch any
moment to squeeze our tear glands. A couple of instances that drive home this
point - Tara’s best friend comes down to visit her at the hospital but she has
to leave in some time and there is no one left by her side to help her out in
this situation. It could be an enticing thought to show the audience the fickle
nature of modern friendships (already heightened by the Twitter conversation)
but you genuinely sense that there is only a limit to which a best friend can
do in this situation and she also has a family back home to take care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">There
is often a temptation to paint the medical fraternity with a negative brush
when dealing with such a situation in films but thankfully here, they come off
as likable characters who have to balance sorrow and their professional duties.
Dr. Nirupam Malhotra (played by Rajat Kapoor), the chief neurosurgeon, has the
difficult task of empathizing with his patients but at the same time, be
pragmatic enough to take the awkward decision of drawing the line between
letting the patients know what is right for them and being entirely honest
about their state. It isn’t the easiest of situations to be in but the doctor
does this unenviable job and educates the younger ones to play ‘God’ when the
situation arises because (in his words) God cannot come in for the daily 9 AM
rounds, so they are his substitutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">There are a couple of conversations that stuck to me even as I
left the theatre. The first, an exchange between Dr Nirupam and Shiv, when the
doctor remarks that it is futile to keep his wife Pankaja (Suhasini) this way
spending lakhs and asks him whether this is what she would have wanted. And
Shiv, in his emotional turmoil, says –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="font-weight: inherit; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Aap
apni biwi ke saath discuss karte hai har sham ki darling agar tum coma main
jaogi toh kitne din life support main rahna chahogi</span></em>?. Brilliant! It
wasn’t just the effortlessness of the repartee but it struck me for a second,
how unprepared we probably would be to cope if faced with such a catastrophic
moment in our life. Do we ever discuss death until it stares at our face and
mocks at our mortality? At the same time, it also raises<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that uncomfortable<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>question on when is the right
time to pull the plug on a loved one's life? Can you ever say that enough has
been done and one can now bid adieu? The director could have left us to ponder
over that thunderbolt of a dialogue from Nasser but a moment later, she brings
us face to face with the practical and possibly deeper issue why Shiv wants to
keep fighting - Dr Nirupam tells Shiv that he wasn’t doing this for his wife
but for himself because in her absence, he wouldn’t know how to go ahead in his
life. Letting go isn’t easy at all – you may have fight with yourself multiple
times but the heart is scared of being alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Another
one is when Tara says she has 1500 friends on Facebook and 5000 followers on
Twitter but at this moment, there is no one with her. And Shiv nonchalantly
wonders what Twitter is? There is a delightful explanation of what it is – a
fuc**** ‘notice board’ for people to rave and rant. And as she tries to explain
this to him, she realizes how hollow it appears. Again, a powerful moment to
look back at the futility of it all – the narcissistic world of social media
magnifies your friendships - and Shiv rightly tells her – This is your grief
and yours alone. They are at different stages of grief in their lives – she, in
that dark zone of depression, and he in that Zen like state of acceptance over
a period of time; it is a journey that takes time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I am
also glad that at any point of time, the director did not succumb to the idea
of allowing the camera to linger lazily along the beauty of Kerala – something
that a lot of directors tend to do. The camera largely settles down at the
hospital corridors and takes a back seat, allowing the conversations do all the
action. I presume that there was a deliberate attempt to underplay the visuals
and let the humour in the dialogues dominate so as to prune down the morbidity
of the place and the situation. Grief has many dimensions and one cannot always
be in the same state of mind – humour is a space that is needed to provide some
relief in dealing with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Did the film miss out on anything? I think it had scope for its
‘Lost in Translation’ moments by juxtaposing the two leads in a place, in a
language alien to them. The absence of familiarity and the contrast between
their cities could have been used as a device to showcase their sense of loss
more acutely. Maybe, if we had more interaction with the people around, instead
of just the two of them, it would help us in understanding them more. What is
it that drives Shiv to keep going back and forth to the hospital for more than
8 months, even when hope keeps sinking? Wouldn’t we want to know the man more
so that we feel his pain more intensely? Both the stories have minor flashbacks
(shown twice) but neither of them gives us any further knowledge about the two couples.
Somehow, I think, in the attempt to focus solely on the chemistry between the
lead pair, the film misses out on telling about them as individuals and their
family stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Rajeev Ravindranathan amiably enacts Girish, the company man who
has the onerous task of taking care of all arrangements and ensuring that Tara
isn’t too troubled while Rajat Kapoor as the exasperated but detached doctor
who has our empathy strikes the right notes. With top notch performances by
Naseeruddin Shah as the philosophical Kochi professor and Kalki Kochelin as the
young temperamental woman from Mumbai, Anu Menon has whipped a warm and
thought-provoking film that deals with its heavy handed theme with dignity and
humour and there is not a dull moment till its open-ended climax. Backed by
Mikey McClearly’s lovely soundtrack (especially the haunting<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="font-weight: inherit; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Zara zara</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="font-weight: inherit; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Tu
hai to main hun</span></em>) and soft visuals, ‘Waiting’ is easily, my
favourite movie of 2016 so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
only thing that puzzled me as I came out of the theatre is how come the film
received an ‘A’ rating? Anu mentioned in a tweet that this was because of the
liberal sprinkling of swear words in the film. This is true but shouldn’t the
Censor Board rate a film on the basis of its impact and not evaluate individual
scenes and base their judgement?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>‘Waiting’
is a beautiful, independent film that needs more audience but the ‘A’ rating
keeps away family audiences and truth be told, it is their loss….</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 15.3333px;"><a href="https://madaboutmoviez.com/2016/05/31/waiting-movie-review-an-anatomy-of-grief/">Waiting Movie Review: An Anatomy of Grief</a></span></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-8731688389595135012014-10-08T07:37:00.004+05:302014-10-08T07:37:58.419+05:30Tamaar Padaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw7kWUhCflc/VDScC-JpiHI/AAAAAAAADRk/EK9aqPwvMxc/s1600/tamaar-padaar-poster-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw7kWUhCflc/VDScC-JpiHI/AAAAAAAADRk/EK9aqPwvMxc/s1600/tamaar-padaar-poster-2.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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Quite a few films
suffer from a mysterious cinematic ailment called ‘<i>Curse of the Second Half</i>’,
which practically means that a movie that floats around steadily with some
promise in the initial phase rapidly nosedives in the second half – apparently,
the director has a story in mind but is at his wit’s end on how to bring it to
a grand finale and eventually, it takes the easy way out and embracing a
conventional ending.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But there are also a
few exceptions here – the ones that carry the rare disease of the ‘<i>Curse of the
First Half</i>’ and ‘Tamaar Padaar’ is one such film. (Reminded me of Padmakumar’s <a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7089/malayalam/shikar/2729/review.htm"><b>Shikaar</b></a> which had a limp 1<sup>st</sup> half but an engaging latter
portion making me wonder whether the two halves of the movie were directed by
two separate men, except ofcourse that TP doesn’t qualify as engaging by any
stretch of imagination!). Essentially, the First Half Curse movies have
just a concept in mind but not the craft or the writing to create a 2 hour long
drama with the script – so they move randomly sometimes aimlessly meandering
(like in Tamaar Padaar) or like in a few others, playing safe and pandering to
audience tastes till eventually the director wakes up and thrusts his vision
(or lack of it) in front of our eyes. It must be told though that TP wakes up
far too late to sustain any interest in its on-going drama.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In terms of a
cinematic structure, the first half is entirely devoted to the shenanigans of
two of its protagonists, Jumper Thambi (Baburaj) and Tubelight Mani (Chemban
Vinod). Thambi is a solo circus performer attempting dare devil feats; he is a
family man but lives a vagabond life and ventures to his family once a while.
Mani is another street performer who is smitten with a prostitute, Valmsamma
(Srinda Ashab) and tries to win her over into his meaningless existence. For
about an hour or so, we are entreated to their story but the audience is left
scratching their heads wondering what the fuss is all about. I wouldn’t be
surprised to hear people walk out after the first half; this was clearly taking
the audience for granted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is there a story
waiting to be told? Are there any twists or turns around the corner? We are
well and truly disappointed. There is absolutely nothing in the 1<sup>st</sup> half
(except maybe a joke about celebrities getting away with animal slaughter) that
keeps you even remotely engaged or tells you that the director has any tricks
up his sleeve. Wasn’t this supposed to be a Prithviraj film or were we conned
into paying to watch a guest appearance by the actor who has lately had a much
more interesting selection of movies (with the exception of the disastrous
<a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12558/malayalam/london-bridge/4545/review.htm"><b>London Bridge</b></a>)? At the intermission, there is a small sigh of relief in the
audience when he makes an appearance and a hope that the proceedings will show
some life and thankfully they do (which of course isn’t really saying much
considering the low benchmark set by the 1<sup>st</sup> half).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Post-interval, there
is a bit more going in for TP, atleast when compared to the insipid first half.
For starters, we know that there is a story waiting to be told and a slightly
decent one too. It turns out that Dileesh Nair (the director) probably has in
mind a black comedy dealing with bumbling cops, government officials, media,
national security, capital punishment and what not instead of a ridiculous
boring meandering caper of two street performers. In every sense of the word,
Prithviraj is the hero of the movie as he literally rescues it and brings some
sense of urgency to the plot or whatever is remaining of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prithviraj is ACP
Pouran who as a kid is inspired by the Suresh Gopi-blockbuster <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioner_(film)"><b>Commissioner</b></a> to
become a cop who will rid the city of evil, except ofcourse Bharath Chandran
lived in another era where policemen ruled the city mercilessly while cynicism
rules the current world. Pouran may be an IPS Officer but he isn’t the smartest
of blokes and his attempts to do something substantial only result in failure.
He goofs up while trying to nab the infamous <a href="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140119/news-current-affairs/article/30-years-%E2%80%98chacko-murder%E2%80%99-still-alive-files"><b>Sukumara Kurup</b></a> in a nice
underplayed scene and paints himself a loser in the hands of the public when he
stops a fleeing thief who apparently is accused of stealing 3 idlis!!! The
disillusioned man makes blunders, including a major one involving Thambi and Mani,
this is the turning point of the movie and he finally gets his redemption by
sorting out the mess smartly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is fair to say
that Pouran’s misadventures are far more entertaining than the lackadaisical
events of Thambi and Mani. But it is far too late in the day to really redeem
the movie that manages to successfully bury itself deep in a hole in the
initial phase. I would have assumed that the movie has nothing to offer after a
tepid beginning but the 2<sup>nd</sup> half progress makes me believe that
the film could have worked a little if its structure were tweaked. Pauran’s
story should have been the foundation of the plot interspersed with flashbacks
of the vagabonds – this would have injected far more cohesion in the movie and
connected the dots much better than crafting 2 halves which do not talk to each
other. Of course, not to suggest that the movie would have emerged a winner by
overhauling its flow but you could then presume that the creators atleast have
the thread of a proper storyline which could be treated better in more capable
hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the norms of
movies that perceive themselves to be quirky is in the names of its characters
and so the first check box is ticked by the script writer. But there isn’t
really anything beyond that the script has to offer when it comes to the lives
lived by Thambi and Mani. The day-to-day events in their existence do not
really have any bearing on either their fate or that of the movie. Their
characters do not really need any development that requires more than 60-75
mins of the screen space spent on that but the director is still more than happy
to waste valuable time on it. Did the budding romance between Valsamma and Mani
(including a song!) or the family life of Thambi mean anything at all to us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Considering that
these folks are hardly even present in the second half, why is there an attempt
to create any emotional space for them? Isn’t it strange that the first half
mainly deals with two persons and they are practically absent in most of the 2<sup>nd</sup> half.
They may have just been two people whom we don’t even see and it would not have
mattered even a bit. I don’t even want to refer to the silly scenes involving
men visiting a temple in Kollam dressed as women or Thambi’s drinking binge or
Mani’s goon friends. I, for one, am not able to figure out even remotely what
was the idea behind the sloppy script and why Prithviraj would ever want to
waste his time in such a movie which does not know what to say?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nevertheless, even
when he has a better grip of the storyline, Dileesh doesn’t appear to be sure
as how to position the movie – as an absurd look at the system or an
understated political satire. Prithviraj still manages to make you smile even
when you feel a sense of disjointedness from the proceedings – like a scene
where he goes to Thambi’s house after his arrest and it is only the way he
handles it that injects some humour in it; something that works on screen but
unlikely to have been funny on paper. For the kind of story that it eventually ends
up being, I suppose it should have been treated as a wild over-the-top comedy
(like <a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12189/malayalam/peruchazhi/4803/review.htm"><b>Peruchazhi</b></a> which should have been a satire instead) and it could have
done better. There is a real lack of focus in what is to be shown and while
there is a sense of relief that a story exists, it doesn’t really mean much –
the cat has already bolted the door…<o:p></o:p></div>
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It does appear that
the writers were trying to pull a con job on the poor audience (and maybe even
Prithviraj) by making this movie and promoting this as a comedy (seriously?).
Since Salt N’Pepper, Dileesh seems to moving rapidly downhill and TP
underscores this in bold letters…</div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: <a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/10/06/tamaar-padaar-movie-review-a-film-that-tries-to-say-a-lot-in-the-wrong-manner/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/10/06/tamaar-padaar-movie-review-a-film-that-tries-to-say-a-lot-in-the-wrong-manner/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-55443174860481426112014-06-05T06:05:00.000+05:302014-06-05T06:05:40.908+05:30Bangalore Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MB5u47iU0cU/U49OIfq0heI/AAAAAAAADJs/UEpoaQYmaHk/s1600/BD1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MB5u47iU0cU/U49OIfq0heI/AAAAAAAADJs/UEpoaQYmaHk/s1600/BD1.jpg" height="400" width="200" /></a></div>
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As the opening lines
of Anjali Menon’s enchanting <b>Bangalore Days</b> tells you,
Bangalore is the utopia every Malayali youngster wishes to escape to in search
of his dreams, away from the sluggish pace of Kerala. Shyamaprasad did appear
to sell a similar idea to us in a rather morbid and clichéd form in <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/6723/malayalam/ritu/2291/review.htm">Rithu</a></b> but
Anjali Menon’s film is far more promising in its portrayal of the so-called
Bangalore crowd, making the characters far more likeable and easy to relate to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Family is a recurrence
in Anjali’s works. In her own words – “Friends are the family we choose is a
theme in the film – in this case they happen to be cousins”. With cousins,
there is a blend of friendship and family bonding and the nostalgia of growing
up together in Kerala but lo behold, as time flies, life takes a much serious
turn because all of a sudden, you have grown up. Yes, I take it that the
intensity of this bond diminishes rapidly later on in life unlike in movies,
where such friendships are perpetually renewed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three youngsters with
a world full of expectations arrive in the city - Krishnan PP urf Kuttan (Nivin
Pauly) who lands a software job in the city, chirpy Divya (Nazriya Nazim) who
bids goodbye to her MBA dreams to settle down with Das (Fahad Fazil) in
Bangalore and the enigmatic wanderer Arjun (Dulquer Salman) who is a graffiti
artist-cum-bike racer and wants to keep his past firmly behind him. Life takes
its own diversions and they find their lives thrown out of gear in contrasting
ways until these detours help them discover their destiny.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love in the city comes
in many forms – For the naive Kuttan, it is an ephemeral emotion through the
seductive charm of an airhostess who breezes her way into his life high up in
the skies only to bring him down crashing with a bleeding nose. That is a nice
little piece of writing involved here when Meenakshi (Isha Talwar) appears in
front of ‘Cute’ Kuttan just the way he wanted his dream girl to appear. He
later on discovers, in his own words drunk in the intoxication of cola (the
cola reference brought back college memories!), that Love is like Santa Claus –
a chimera that people create desperately in hope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the carefree
Arjun, it is in the mysterious form of a paraplegic radio jockey, Sarah,
through whose voice he discovers the true joys of life. This relationship is
captivating and chimes quietly in our hearts as they feel the pulse that brings
light to their lives. At no moment, is there an attempt to underscore her
handicap and when she ambulates in her wheelchair, clutching his hand, you know
there is nothing more to say and that the man now knows what he wants in life
("I don't want to walk behind you, I want to walk beside you"). It is
wonderful to see a confident, young woman whose disability is not thrust on
your face – think again and you realize he needs her emotional support more
than she does. A positive differently-abled protagonist – when did we last see
that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Divya’s case, the
stars never give her an opportunity to fall in love before marriage – it is
something that she has to discover for herself in a marriage with a man who
confesses his inability to forget his past. She is the extrovert girl next door
who is bursting with energy while Das is the dour, workaholic private
individual whose space is extremely sacrosanct – whether it is a room that is
always locked or even his computer password that he doesn’t share. There are
rare glimpses when he drops his stoic guard like when her window painting
brings in the early morning colours but it is a cold relationship and he does
not allow her to enter his private space. In contrast to the freedom that she
enjoys in the company of her cousins, there is an almost claustrophobic feeling
that engulfs her, as she tries to overcome the loneliness created by the vacuum
of Das’ emotional absence in her life. When he asks her cousins what was her
age when she tried to pull a fast one on her mother, it brought a smile to my
face – I liked the way the subtle admonishment is conveyed, without spelling it
out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The title <b>Bangalore
Days</b> is misleading – it does not invoke either the city or urban
life or nostalgia associated with it; place the three folks anywhere else
and you would still have the same impact. The city does not have a presence or
a character of its own say unlike Trivandrum in <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.in/2012/04/ee-adutha-kaalathu.html">Ee Adutha Kalathu</a></b> or
Kozhikode in <b>Ustad Hotel</b> but I suppose the landscape must be
an attempt to break away from the traditional outlook of the past which Kerala
appears to represent and what better than to locate the story in a city that
represents a lot of Malayali aspirations. Unlike Anjali’s <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/10471/malayalam/manjadikuru/3728/review.htm">Manjadikuru</a></b> and <b>Ustad
Hotel</b> which looks at the youngsters as they trace their way back to
their roots, Bangalore Days represents a progression away from their past.
Considering that most movies create a beautiful nostalgic feel of Kerala, such
an image exists here only in the computer images of one of the principal
actors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is an attempt to
crack stereotypes and maybe creating this movie in Bangalore gives the film
maker the freedom not to be bound by the conservativeness of the state. I loved
the way that Anjali allowed Kuttan’s parents to free themselves from bondage.
His parents find their calling in different ways; this part is real hilarious
and delivered in an absolute nonchalant way – a father who wants to breathe
after suffocating for years in marriage and a mother who finally gets an
opportunity to break free from the confines of a tiny village and enjoy the
thrills of living in a city, with television, kitty parties, pranayama and all
the vagaries that urban life can present. This segment could have fallen flat
in its execution but is deftly adapted on screen; especially enjoyed the scene
where Kuttan reads and re-reads his father’s letter – how a perspective can
change lives! This could easily have wound up as a tragic set of events but
thanks to Anjali’s script, this becomes refreshingly funny and manages to break
the parental stereotype in Malayalam in more ways than I had ever imagined.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Essentially, every
youth film revolves around discovering one’s true love or is a coming-of-age
movie. To that extent, Bangalore Days does not deviate from this template. It
is an out-and-out youth film but there are no candy floss moments that litter
many juvenile romantic takes or that BINGO moment, when the hero wakes up to
his responsibilities. Love is in the air but it seeps through gradually without
being over-burdened by the exuberance of the youngsters. While the early 20s
can be fun, as time grows and people go their own ways, the same thrill of
being with friends and maybe even alone is replaced by that pensive feeling of
being burdened by the need to be mature and responsible in life – as Divya and
Arjun gradually realize with their life partners or Kuttan discovers in the
transformation that his parents undergo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With Nivin and Dulquer
getting the best lines in the movie, there isn’t any doubt who the show
stealers are. Nivin has the funniest moments in the film and reminded me of
Saif in <b>Dil Chahta Hai</b>, with his impeccable sense of comic timing.
You positively detest Fahadh in the first half but empathize with him later on
– he is an enigma, always taking on the not-so-liked characters but still
managing to stay with us – the man has a knack of selecting good roles!
Nazriya, possibly in her last film, is the perfect fit for the vivacious Divya
without overdoing it (you know the Kareena-types) but I was pretty impressed by
Parvathi Menon’s mature performance. Despite this humongous star cast, I was
pleasantly surprised by her arresting presence in the film (a future star
alert!).<o:p></o:p></div>
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For all the breezy
nature of the film, I felt that the writing was uneven and inconsistent at
times. The seriousness that was vested in dealing with the relationships of
Arjun and Divya are absent in Kuttan’s case – his illusionary balloon of love
and relationships is burst and presented in a light-hearted way but there is no
real culmination of his feelings. I felt that the writing appeared to juggle
intermittently between a lighter side and serious side, a little unsure at
times where to navigate to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Das’ background story
is significant and the way it is eventually dealt with it is nice but the past
did have a cinematic feel. Maybe, slightly less dramatic and it would still
have worked just as well. Sure, the cousins are close but I am still reluctant
to accept the close proximity (especially physical) between them – that’s the
kind of stuff that I have seen only in movies. Arjun has very little contact
with his parents and no proper source of income but his appearances hardly
reflect this – an almost <b>Wake Up Sid</b> moment that! At 173
minutes duration, this is a fairly long movie but truth be told, this isn't
much of a problem. You could snip a few minutes here and there and the songs,
trim some of the racing moments, but that’s all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a movie that sets
out to be fun and entertaining, there isn't much more that you can ask for and
looking at the audience trooping in large numbers at the theatres, Anjali Menon
has definitely struck gold here…Do we have the Kerala equivalent of <b>Dil
Chahta Hai</b> here finally?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: <a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/06/01/bangalore-days-movie-review-fun-filled-youthful-entertainer/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/06/01/bangalore-days-movie-review-fun-filled-youthful-entertainer/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-10613220127037260622014-05-21T23:08:00.002+05:302014-05-21T23:09:08.560+05:30How Old Are You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sT5SFavkTC4/U3zkK8G-sYI/AAAAAAAADJI/8lwUEvlfrOA/s1600/H4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sT5SFavkTC4/U3zkK8G-sYI/AAAAAAAADJI/8lwUEvlfrOA/s1600/H4.jpg" height="320" width="254" /></a></div>
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Manju Warrier is back and how! Rosshan Andrrews' <b>How
Old Are You</b> brings back Manju to the silver screen after a decade and
half and one of Malayalam cinema’s most-loved actresses makes a spirited return
as a middle-aged woman restoring her identity and finding new direction in
life. This easily is one of the more anticipated movies this year and to that
extent, there is a sense of mild nostalgia, coupled with a sense of
satisfaction that her re-launch vehicle is the perfect one for the occasion.</div>
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<b>How Old Are You</b> (HOAY), follows the ‘boring’
middle-class life of Nirupama Rajeev (Manju Warrier), a 36-year old UD clerk in
the revenue department. Her life comprises a run-of-the-mill government job
which she has been doing for the past 15 years, her family and colleagues,
after she settles down and adjusts herself to the reality of a post-marital
life. Her husband Rajeev (Kunchacko Boban) who works with All India Radio, and
her high school daughter Lakshmi (Amritha Anil), have big dreams in life and
want to migrate to Ireland to carve a new life for them.</div>
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Like most women who have sacrificed a lot of their dreams
for their family, Nirupama has also undergone a transformation. From Susan
(Kaniha), Nirupama’s one-time friend and now a high flying private employee, we
know that she was a fiery young woman during her college days, who invited the
wrath of the college authorities and even police during her protests but never
backed down. Her old teacher recollects that she had expected her to scale new
heights and her college autograph book which she often reads out to her
daughter is testimony to the accolades and expectations of her friends.</div>
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Again, like most women, while she may have sacrificed her
dreams, it isn't something that her husband or daughter really appreciate. It
is treated as a matter-of-fact thing that all women have to do and so she finds
herself reduced to an embarrassment for them, who can be dispensed with– Rajeev
feels that his wife is too intellectually-challenged to contribute or
appreciate his work while Lakshmi doesn't think too highly of her mother’s
caliber either.</div>
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It doesn't help that when situations arise where she can
contribute, she panics and allows herself to be made an object of ridicule. She
collapses when she plays badminton at her daughter’s school due to high BP or
faints when she goes to meet the President of India (Quiz Master
Siddhartha Basu in a cameo), who sends her an invitation to have breakfast
with, after he is impressed with one of questions asked by her daughter in school.</div>
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Bobby-Sanjay’s script hits a lot of right notes in observing
and highlighting Nirupama’s dilemmas, even though they rush it up a bit in
completing the orchestra. Nirupama’s boredom is not conveyed in her words – she
troops in late to office or is untouched when she sends away a pensioner
without getting his work resolved. A stand-out scene is where Nirupama visits
an old woman (Sethulakshmi) whom she meets every day in bus. They don't even
know each other’s names but one day Nirupama turns up at her house when she
knows she is sick. When the old woman talks of her loneliness, she probably
imagines sees herself in that situation years later. Another that comes to the
mind is the sharp exchange between the couple when Rajeev returns to take her
to Ireland because they are unable to manage without her– she tells him to
expect from her only what was given to her and she cannot be a free backup for
a maid.</div>
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What works for <b>HOAY</b> primarily is the fact
that as an audience, we can easily relate to the happenings on the screen.
Nirupama’s travails in life are not just hers but also that of many women who
have given up a lot of their dreams, to build a safe nest for their family. It
is a grossly under-appreciated role that she plays in our lives but which we
take for granted. She may not be the principal bread-winner but hers is a
silent invisible presence that ensures that we can go about in our lives,
without being too concerned of what happens at home. As Nirupama says, the
price of vegetables may be an irrelevant topic of discussion but it is
important to her; if one day, there is extra spice in her husband’s food, the
same innocuous food would become a matter of concern.</div>
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While the first half underscores her issues in life, there
is an entertaining but ambling flow in these trivialities. The entire
Meet-the-President routine is genuinely funny, especially her mother-in-law’s
innocent queries on the nature of the meeting, her attempts to cash-in on her
new-found celebrity status to make others’ jealous, her dazed sojourn into the
Presidential suite and finally her collapse after the President greets her.
Amidst all these funny moments, there is also the heartburn of realizing
how little respect she commands in the eyes of her father and teenage daughter.</div>
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The second half, however, goes a bit more pedantic and
eventually <b>HOAY</b> becomes a nice feel-good film, with a liberal
dosage of cinematic moments that are not very convincing. The transformation
into a more confident women is fine but the events around her gallop more
briskly than you’d accept and while this ensures that the scripts keeps a fast
pace, it does leave one asking for more credibility in the rapid turn of
events. While she makes a spirited speech for organic vegetables in an
Architects’ conference and the Minister is more than impressed to offer her the
stewardship to run such a campaign across the state, there isn't anything shown
to convey her ability to manage any of this. Also, it isn't as if Kerala
hasn't really heard of either organic vegetables or terrace farming, so the
reaction of the people around her goes rather overboard.</div>
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Manju Warrier easily seeps into the character of
Nirupama who has lost her individuality and self-confidence as
she struggles to juggle between a teenage daughter and a husband who takes
her for granted. Her makeup however is a bit more conspicuous and never for a
moment, do you actually see a freckled or worn-out Nirupama – would appear that
Manju was peeping out of the screen sometimes, instead of Nirupama.</div>
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Manju retains a lot of her impish charm that won over many
hearts in Kerala and she is the heart and soul of the movie. She remains
Malayalam cinema’s favourite actress and the audience is sure to warm up to her
performance as she tugs at our heart strings. Her moments of despair,
her meekness and self-doubt are all experienced by us too but it begs a
question as to whether parts of this film actually mirror her real life! When
Susan asks her where her confident old self has gone, it does appear that this
is a question that is being asked to the real and not reel Manju Warrier.</div>
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It is a pleasant surprise to see Kunchacko Boban appearing
as a proper MCP husband who is over-shadowed entirely by the charming Manju.
There might be a few who might think that Rosshan should have cast someone
who looks a bit more elder to her but that looks like a conditioned response by
the audience (would appear that the dialogue where an elder woman in the bus
asks her if Rajeev is her brother was inserted in anticipation of such an
observation). Eventually, there is a bit of a cop out because while he uses her
at every juncture (when his car meets with an accident or when he emotionally
blackmails her to come to Ireland), there is no scene indicating his final
acceptance or understanding of her position in the family. I would have been
happy to see the writers give enough space where she is able to communicate her
dreams to both her husband and her daughter and they are able to see it.</div>
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Thematically, <b>HOAY</b> bears a strong
resemblance to Sridevi’s <b>English Vinglish</b>, in terms of a woman’s
struggle to assert her identity, amidst a family that under-values her.
But that’s where the similarity ends and this is by no means an ‘inspired’ work
– each woman brings to the fore her own efforts to recognize and make her own
way through her inner conflicts. You could call it a women-centric film but
then the thought pre-supposes that gender rights and equality are topics
relevant only to one gender. Yes, the thrust is on women but the rights of
both partners matter and her final decision to stay back and work is a
courageous decision that is conveyed with brevity. Personally, I think this is
a movie you must go along with your wife and not just alone; there are a
few moments that every family will relate to.</div>
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As a woman, she has never questioned the status-quo and her
position in the family but when faced with a real opportunity to come out of
her cocoon and excel, she fumbles initially but recovers thanks to the support
from multiple quarters and emerges a stronger woman. The question <b>How
Old Are You</b> is no longer relevant now…</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: <a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/05/19/how-old-are-you-movie-review-return-of-a-diva/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/05/19/how-old-are-you-movie-review-return-of-a-diva/</a></o:p><a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/05/19/how-old-are-you-movie-review-return-of-a-diva/"> </a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-6580925918409310652014-05-15T22:57:00.001+05:302014-05-15T22:57:25.805+05:30God's Own Country<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOMNDYSjnMQ/U3Ty6uOq87I/AAAAAAAADI0/0upZOV3e5dg/s1600/g1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iOMNDYSjnMQ/U3Ty6uOq87I/AAAAAAAADI0/0upZOV3e5dg/s1600/g1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The phrase <b>God's
Own Country</b> is probably Kerala’s most successful tagline. Our chests
swell in pride (not the 56’ one) at the successful marketing of the state’s
natural beauty but privately many smirk at how a naturally endowed state has
become a laggard, especially when compared to our immediate hard working
neighbour. As a protagonist remarks in the movie which goes by the same name,
Kerala was not coined as <b>God's Own Country</b> by the Gods but by
fellow humans!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Considering that
hyperlink movies have made a splash in new generation Malayalam cinema,
it isn't surprising that many directors are attracted to this
kind of story- telling. Here the focus is inevitably more on the narrative
devices instead of say the emotional or melodrama moments that drives the plot
in most movies. The obsession for the narrative obfuscates the real plot many a
times but thankfully, Vasudev Sanal’s <b>God's Own Country</b> manages
a fine balance because it has fairly well-defined plot lines that intersect at
times but are very capable of standing as independent credible tales that take
their own routes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fahadh Faasil is
Manu Krishna, a Dubai-based NRI. He lands in Kochi with his baby daughter to
pay the blood money that would rescue his wife Asha (Isha Talwar), who is in a
Dubai prison after a car accident. Manu is supported by his writer-friend
Abhirami (Mythili) to get the deal done but it all goes topsy-turvy when the
money goes missing. The hapless husband with his crying baby and his friend
spend the entire day attempting to recover this money.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sreenivasan is
Public Prosecutor Mathen Tharakan who is in charge of a sensational rape case
of a minor (whose name is used freely in all public utterances despite the
obvious fact this is not allowed in India) that has shaken the conscience of
the State. Nandu as Ettumanoor MLA Vakkachan is one of the prime accused and
Mathen enlists the support of Vakkachan’s wife Serena (Lena) to give crucial
evidence that will nail her husband. It isn’t the easiest of things to do and
the plot focuses on the day when Mathen smartly smuggles Serena out of her
house and take her to court.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lal appears as a
taxi driver Mohammed who desperately needs six lakhs for the operation of his
daughter. The surgery needs to be arranged the same day otherwise the hospital
would discharge her; with no help in hand, he looks at the fastest way to raise
money for the treatment, in this eventful day in all their lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the presence
of multiple threads in GOC, the script does not waver and sticks to its course,
with very few roadblocks. The script is backed by solid performances, extending
to the large supporting cast who have minor but important roles to play,
whether it is the Tamilian lottery seller, the honest auto-driver and his
partner, the gangster duo of Arjun and Zakeer or the cops.<o:p></o:p></div>
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GOC traces its DNA
to <b>Passenger</b> and <b>Traffic</b> in the way the movie
is shot and its attempt to weave a larger social picture to the happenings. At
times, the attempt to provide social commentary is all too evident but
thankfully, it doesn't act as a party pooper on too many occasions
(except like when it brings in the licentious book publisher). Like most
‘social-cinema’, the screenplay has a soft corner for the under-privileged who
comes off with much more credibility than the high and the mighty. The Tamilian
lottery seller is looked down with contempt and suspicion but he turns out to
be the most trustworthy and helpful man in the situation. The prostitute and
auto-driver are traditionally the characters with golden hearts and they are no
exception here but they manage to pull off their parts well, without
necessarily fitting into this stereotype.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not too sure
whether the idea of three protagonists, all of different religions was done
deliberate but maybe it fits along with the overall social image of the film
(Also interesting is that the actors who played these three roles are also of
different religions themselves). Some of the social communication is deftly
conveyed with brevity like the absence of family support for Manu/Asha because
of their inter-religious marriage (<i>Ummachi kuttiye Nair kettiyathu
cinemayil kandappol ellavarum kayiadichu pakshe jeevithathil aayappol..</i>. –
a nod to the presence of Isha Talwar in the movie), spending patterns of the
average Keralite and the growing mistrust towards migrant workers while some
messages are packaged more explicitly (even if less effective) like land
re-settlement issues or the road accident menace in the state.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What unsettled me at
a few points in the movie was the refusal of the director to underplay any of
the scenes in the film. Take Abhirami’s accident scene which in her elaborate
slow-motion tumble appeared rather grotesque – the impact of the scene is a lot
bloodier than I think the director must have wanted to show. Or say when Mathen
talks of the rape of the minor girl; there isn't really a need to
show that the crime was done by focussing on her expressions and the bare
backs of the men repeatedly coming in (though the scene was pretty brief). The
point is that the rape is not the main theme of the movie and showing its
cruelty is not relevant to the movie then the why the need to shoot the scene
in that fashion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, this is a
multi-narrative thriller and so all the links are not clear at the very
beginning but over a period of time, as the story slowly unravels, the dots are
all joined. But the director wants to be doubly sure that the
audience doesn't really miss out on the connections and so there are
deliberate explanations done – almost a kind of baby feeding
that isn't really needed. Like when Mathen escapes by driving the car
along the police station; the next shot of a muddy road behind the station
clearly suggests how they escaped, then why the need for a slow motion
explicitly showing the escape. Similarly, slow motion frames which show how the
bag is stolen from Abhirami’s car or eventually returns to Manu’s hands could
have been avoided.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a film that did
not intend to showcase Fahadh Faasil’s macho-presence on the screen, I was
a little puzzled when the director filmed elaborate action sequences instead of
quick encounters that would have produced the same effect. His fights with the
money carriers and agents walking straight into their den was out of place
while the final sequence with one of the henchmen (with a poor baby in hand)
was way over the top. After all this, when Manu showers currency notes from the
top of the building for the agitators below, I wasn't quite able to
fathom the reason for this action.<o:p></o:p></div>
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GOC has 2-3 songs
which do not distract from the flow, but the BGM disappoints and it is pretty
loud at times. It scores in its well-orchestrated action scenes like Zakir’s
chase scene and subsequent fight with the other goons but the same thing comes
unstuck when it is done by Manu. The ending struck a mild false note, in my
opinion. Considering that their family and friends had abandoned them after the
accident that happened with the friends around after a New Year cocktail party,
the final shot of them celebrating in another party did give a sense
of déjà vu – a quieter gathering would have been more reassuring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In all fairness,
most of this criticism is not a deal breaker but what could have taken the
movie a notch higher. The debutante scriptwriters Arun Gopinath, Anish Francis
and Praveen have succeeded in making the movie a workable, edge of the
seat thriller with the right dosage of social messaging that helps its cause.
It might be overdone slightly at times but at the end of the day if the movie
is trimmed by around say 15 mins, it is a fine effort alright…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Originally published
in MadAboutMoviez:<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/goog_1713734894"> </a><a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/05/13/gods-own-country-movie-review-a-surprisingly-engaging-hyperlink-film/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2014/05/13/gods-own-country-movie-review-a-surprisingly-engaging-hyperlink-film/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-72480706709190824492013-06-25T23:17:00.001+05:302013-07-07T00:37:24.100+05:30Left Right Left<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tE6-akQ5PUE/UcnUemV2gQI/AAAAAAAADGU/qUn_q-l9ikk/s1600/LRL4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tE6-akQ5PUE/UcnUemV2gQI/AAAAAAAADGU/qUn_q-l9ikk/s400/LRL4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Man is part DNA, part unknown and part what he sees and
goes through as a child</i> – this message that rolls out in the opening
credits forms the core philosophy in Arun Kumar Arvind-Murali Gopy’s fabulous
political narrative that sketches the lives of three individuals, with the
backdrop of Kerala’s red landscape. The duo take-off from where they left in <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/ee-adutha-kaalathu-movie-review-of-multiple-characters-and-a-vibrant-city/"><b>Ee
Adutha Kaalathu</b></a> but this is a vastly different film and will
surprise anyone who enters the theatre keeping <b>EAK</b> in mind.</div>
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The movie traces three men who grow up with a sense of loss,
death and bitterness as each of them carves out his own path. One becomes a
fire-brand Marxist leader Kaitheri Sahadevan (Hareesh Peeradi), another becomes
an idealistic true Leftist ‘Che Guevera’ Roy Joseph (Murali Gopy – assuming
true comrades exist outside cinema!) while the last one becomes an unscrupulous
cop ‘Vattu’ Jayan (Indarjith) who cares two hoots about any ideology.
They are bound together by the viciousness of the politics of the land that
swallows them.</div>
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Sahadevan has seen his father and uncle slain by oppressors
and has grown cold-hearted as a fiery leader in the RPM. He is convinced that
the way ahead is not to fight capitalism but embrace it whole-heartedly (<i>Boorshe
jayikkan boorsha aayittu kaaryam illa; boorshayude achan aavanum</i>). He isn't
a villain in the truest of sense – when Jayan visits him to have his job back,
there is no petty vengeance (<i>paavam police puzhua, vittayikku</i>), no insult, no big dialogues, just a matter-of-fact
instruction on what is needed - an apology to the cadres. His
loyalty is towards the party and it is the support of the party and its workers that give him
the legitimacy to become one among its topmost leaders. It is another matter that despite Sahadevan being one among the three man characters in the story, <b>LRL</b> does not give us an opportunity to know him personally - it is as if the man never existed outside his political attire. Unfortunately, it robs him of the empathy that an audience could have felt for a principal character who is this way because of what he has gone through.</div>
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Roy Joseph may have been a ‘Che Guevera’ Roy once but he’s a
much chastened communist ideologue now who still has faith in the communist
cause. He agrees that the RPM has its faults nevertheless; it is the only true
voice of the Left in the State and so he is not willing to shake its roots even
when needed. He is naive enough to think that the party can weed out its
deficiencies and grow but for those in the party, he is merely comrade
Varghese’s son who is out of touch with the ground realities of politics. The
brutal world of campus violence incapacitates him, leaving him with just his
conscience to stand up for. This probably explains why during these later years, he is more inclined to speak a Gandhian language of compromise than a Che Guevera form of resistance against the leadership. It is ironic and symbolic that it is his left side
that is incapacitated in this struggle to stand up for the cause that he
believes in!</div>
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Jayan’s childhood experience when he loses his sister
convinces him that to live in this unjust world, one needs money and has to be
a policeman and he eventually becomes a madcap cop. He is a product of a much later era and has no faith in politics of any
kind and is stupefied that Anitha (Lena) whom he considers has his sister would
marry an incapacitated man like Roy. He is obsessed with a manipulative young
nurse Jennifer (Remya Nambeesan) who is fleeing from an abusive husband. For
all his brutal ways, the closest people in his lives are all women – his
mother, Anitha and Jennifer. The angry young man has a soft confused side that he allows only the audience to see and you root for him, despite his shortfalls.</div>
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<b>LRL</b> is a lament on the fall of the Left from its
presence as the party with a difference and the conscious-keeper of the state.
The party has abandoned its old principles and is willing to bed the same
bourgeoisie that it had loathed at one point of time. It brooks no dissent and
has been reduced to just another political party whose aim is only to secure
power – the end justifies its means. While the movie does not explicitly take sides, it
blames a lot of the violence and bloodshed of the era to differences within
the Left groups of the state itself and by doing that, it kind of absolves the other parties of their role in the polarized world of Kerala politics. For a movie that is so deeply entrenched in politics, I suppose it is difficult for the film-makers to be fence-sitters and be non-partisan. The writing is anti-Communist but am more inclined to look at as an expression of anguish and bitterness of a lost hope rather than critical of the movement perse.</div>
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More than the script what makes the movie memorable is the
presence of real flesh and blood characters who remain in your mind for a long
time. It isn’t just the three lead characters but the supporting cast,
especially the long-suffering women, who carve a niche for themselves in the
film. Whether it is Anita who has sacrificed a more comfortable life to be
Roy’s soul-mate, Jayan’s mother who stands tall and bold despite facing
turbulent situations in life, Jennifer who uses Jayan to escape from an abusive
husband or Deepa (Anushree) who has to bear the brunt of her husband’s decision
to expose Sahadevan, all of them are strong women characters capable of holding
their own. As Anitha says towards the end, these fighting women ‘..<i>are the real communists, We are brave, we are alone</i>’.</div>
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The emotional landscape is harsh and unforgiving but there
is tenderness in the relationships that unfold. For all the recklessness of
Jayan, he shares a warm relationship with his mother – the emotions are not
expressed but deep down you know that there is deep bond that binds them. Roy
and Anitha have a difficult life as an idealistic couple but they carry each
other in all situations, acting as shade to each other’s problems. It is an
atypical political film – it is the individuals that matter, the demagogues are
not archetypal villains but products of their experiences. </div>
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In a movie that draws too many parallels from real life,
there are bound to be questions as to the extent to which it borders reality.
It escapes no one that VS and Pinnarayi are two leaders who are shown in the
movie and neither of them comes across with a clean slate (especially Sahadevan as Pinnarayi is too close to real life). While Sahadevan is
shown as being driven by the urge to secure power at any costs, SR uses the
corruption allegations leveled to merely settle scores with Sahadevan and the
one who suffers are the poor whistle-blowers. The character of Roy is also
possibly inspired by the brave <i><a href="http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/07/23/stories/2006072300130200.htm">Simon Britto</a></i> but with such similarities, is it
ok to fictionalize events and show the Lefties as the villains while being
silent on the role of the other parties?</div>
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One area where <b>LRL</b> succumbs is its
temptation to act as a mirror to too many evils around us. This works at times
like when it exposes the myopic nature of media stories as it stumbles from a
high-profile corruption case to a murder case within a span of a few hours (<i>urumbu
chathal thavala chaavum vare, thavala chathal paambu chavum vare, paambu
chathal parunth chavum vare</i>) but Suraaj Venjaramoodu and his mythology
serials add no value to the proceedings. Roy and Anitha may be ‘<i>yathaartha</i>’
communists but does it have to be at the expense of showing the doctor as a
contrasting character, who earns in crores? Ahmed Sidhique (of KT Mirash fame)
as the travel agent also only serves the purpose of raising laughs.</div>
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If I were to zoom at that one specific scene (s) that hooked
me totally, it has to be the conversation between Sahadevan and Roy near a
remote tea stall on the highway. It is a well-composed sequence which
begins with a long shot of cars moving and a figure of a solitary man trying to
stop the convoy. What follows is a long, drawn out conversation, accentuated by
a throbbing BGM as Sahadevan passionately extols the reason to think beyond
communist ideals in order to survive in this tough world. Haresh Peeradi
sparkles in this tete-a-tete (rather a monologue); he believes in a pragmatic philosophy (<i>Idathu
kaalu kondu panthadikkanamenkil valathu kaalil nilkkanam</i>) where the passive
communist resistance of Roy has no relevance. As a scene, I think it goes beyond what must have been written on paper and makes you feel more intensely involved with it.</div>
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The climax of the film also is filmed unusually as it blacks
out the final assassination that culminates the proceedings. The murder isn't
unexpected but the way it is shot, you are left asking for more. This finale is
presented merely as a political murder, simply eliminating the emotional outage
that the audience could experience with the death of a lead character. Jayan
achieves a sense of redemption and happily traces his path to the gallows
while life goes on for the people who survive the impact of those last few
days. Even as he seeks his redemption, it is worth asking whether the killing really achieves anything concrete or whether even in this salvation, he merely ends being a pawn in the hands of the party cadres who are inimical to the leader!</div>
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<b>LRL</b> is a movie bursting with very powerful acting performances and Indrajith as 'Vattu' Jayan leads the pack with a bristling performance as the audacious cop who's taken for a ride. Hareesh Peeradi is a surprise element as he muscles his way through with minimum effort, even though he has a few scenes only to make a presence felt (the dialogues and BGM also contributed immensely in his performance). Lena continues to shine in new age cinema with the the various roles that she performs but the real surprise performance of the film comes from Sethulakshmi as Jayan’s mother, as she buries her grief and accepts the realities of her distressed life as a strong brave women. Take the scene how spontaneously dead pan she reacts to Jayan’s query after he weeps his tears and emerges from the bathroom.<br />
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Murali Gopy has come a long way from <b>Rasikan</b> and
after <b>EAK</b> and <b>LRL</b>, there isn't an iota of doubt
that Malayalam cinema has found a scriptwriter to reckon with. I found his
performance in <b>EAK</b> a little over the top but he has an assured
and quiet presence here – the actor in him is here to stay while Gopi Sundar
also exploits his singing skills in his rousing rendition of the stunning <i>viplava</i> LRL
anthem, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54IaGmAnxYw"><b>Kaal
Kuzhanju</b></a>. The film would have not had the kind of tremendous impact
that it has now, without Gopi Sundar’s outstanding BGM score (especially loved
the note that accompanies Sahadevan whenever he enters the scene).</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/54IaGmAnxYw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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You may question the intention of the film-maker who does not mince words in his criticism of the Left but then I suppose why should the intention of the director matter anyway? Aren't our perceptions also clouded by our preferences, then why demand neutrality from an auteur? He has put in his perspective and it is definitely works for me. <b>Left Right Left</b> is an intensely political movie and it is impossible to look at the characters without viewing them through their political affiliations. Nevertheless, like the
other famous Red Movie Lal Salaam, <b>LRL</b> deals first and
foremost with individuals and not politics. You can replace the Communist Party
with the Right or the Congress and still tell the same story but there is a
sense of nostalgia and lament that Keralites associate with the Left which no
other party enjoys….<br />
<br />
<i>Tail piece: It appears that there is an unofficial ban on the screening of LRL in parts of Kerala, especially the Malabar region. The movie has been taken off after a couple of weeks in quite a few places in North Kerala despite strong word-of-mouth publicity and critical buzz surrounding it. While there hasn't been any protest of any sort against the film, there are rumours of the possible role of the Left parties in arm-twisting theatre owners into taking the movie out of theatres.</i></div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/06/left-right-left-movie-review/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/06/left-right-left-movie-review/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-31761253973942130192013-05-29T22:44:00.000+05:302013-05-30T00:27:58.433+05:30Neram<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33LYX7WPbMA/UaY1iVu3C8I/AAAAAAAADGA/65DMOdrZ2Yc/s1600/neram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33LYX7WPbMA/UaY1iVu3C8I/AAAAAAAADGA/65DMOdrZ2Yc/s400/neram.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Time is a ubiquitous presence in Alphonse Putharen’s
delightful romantic entertainer <b>Neram</b>. A
sand clock constantly appears on the screen telling you how a young man Mathew
(Nivin Pauly) is in a race against time to save himself from all kinds of disasters,
battling among others a loan shark, a lousy cop and a gluttonous
brother-in-law. It also represents the good and bad times in life as Mathew keeps
sinking into quick sand as the difficulties start mounting.</div>
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It kicks off with the butterfly effect coming into play when
a top boss’ bout of flatulence in US renders Mathew unemployed in a company in
Chennai. Needing to finance his sister’s wedding, Mathew and his friend John
(Wilson Joseph) turn to ‘Vatti’ Raja (Simhaa), a money lender thug. He has four
months to repay the money or face the inevitable. Four months pass by and the
fiscal situation goes from bad to worse, shown nicely in a series of shots that
begins with him travelling in a car to eventually going by bus.</div>
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At the same time, his unemployed status prompts his girl
friend Jeena’s (Nazriya Nazeem) father Johnnykutty Kalathilparambil (Lalu Alex)
to call off their marriage plans. His brother-in-law (Joju George) also demands
the remaining amount of his dowry money to start a new business and so when the
D-day starts, all these problems come to a head – it is the last day of the
loan repayment; Jeena leaves her home to be with Mathew and the cops are after
him and his brother-in-law lands in Chennai to collect his money.</div>
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Romantic comedies, steeped in unemployment, were a favourite
theme in Malayalam cinema in the 80s till they ran out of silly jokes and
superstar movies took over. There is a reference to the best of those movies
when Mathew quips that this was the place Dasan and Vijayan had landed, when
headed for Dubai. But the modern era demands more irreverence and so this is
essentially a Guy Ritchie meets Sathyan Anthikkad set in Chennai, with the new
age sensibilities that have made Tamil cinema so popular and topical in the
last decade. And yes, there is a nod to Taranatino, the poster boy of unconventional
cinema as the opening credits says - <i>I steal from every movie ever made</i>.</div>
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Mathew and Jeena form a cute couple and their strand of
romance forms a very small portion but is enjoyable. They are at school
together but Cupid strikes much later - as Mathew says <i>cherupathil bhangi illatha pembalar valithu aavumbol udakkatha bhangi
aayirikim</i>. Jeena is courageous and independent enough to take her own
decisions unlike Mathew who is the laid-back guy, with no plan in tow. When
she’s about to leave her house, he asks her to think again because it is the
most critical decision in her life and she should not regret it but all she that
says that she will wait for him near the bus stand. </div>
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The film tagline states - <i>yathoru</i> <i>pratyekathayum
illatha malayalathile aadya chitram</i>. This must be a statement of
anticipatory bail from the director but you’d have to admit that for Malayalam,
it is an unusual structure and serves as a perfect time-pass. You have a pretty
couple, a bright supporting cast, peppy-music, great camera work, lots of
humorous scenes and dialogues and a fluid thriller with irreverent jokes –
can’t ask for more from a movie that wants to entertain. Nevertheless, there
are passages when you expect to be funny but nothing happens and you wonder if you
missed out on something.</div>
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It is a short movie but even then it is a little stretched
and after some time, the repeated slow-motion sequences start to get annoying. Repetition
of scenes through multiple viewpoints also looks to be a duplication of efforts
that don’t add any value. Past sequences through flashbacks are repeated far
too often in slow motion and so the impact is not as expected. I left the
theatre thinking that it could have been so much funnier than it eventually
turned out to be. </div>
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In keeping with the trend of new age multi-linear narrations
that have caught the fancy of film makers in the South, <b>Neram</b> pieces across
scenes sporadically even though there is one major story that goes on. The
supporting cast has a more arresting presence in the movie and it helps that
there a lot of newcomers who build a good team. It is inevitable that such
movies have a lot of side characters who have a larger say in the scheme of
things than the main players. Unusual names or nick-names often mask the real
ones and so we have a Vatti Raja, Ukken Tintu, Lighthouse (because he’s tall?),
Kaalan, Ray Ban etc here. </div>
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This large colourful supporting brigade fit into the
narrative well and steals the show from the lead duo. Vatti Raja and his two
henchmen – Karuppu and Vellai – form an odd ball gang with their jokes,
especially the one on touch screen phones being expensive but without any
buttons. The poor fellas also are indebted to their boss and will marry only
after they repay him. Manikkunju, brother of a bigwig Ray Ban (Manoj K Jayan), calls
himself Manik and prefers to converse in English, with mixed results (the
humour here works and does not use the cliché of the ‘Mallu’ English accent). Manoj
K Jayan plays a cameo at the end and steals the show his overbearing
personality insisting on singing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT8GNDEDKps">Harimuraleeravam</a> as a lullaby for his brother in the hospital; his
conversation with Mathew on his academic qualifications and his company name also
raises laughs.</div>
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Shammi Thilakan is SI Ukken Tintu, a sub-inspector fond of
Carnatic music and his dialogues are interspersed with references to it. He is
a cop alright but his name lets him down and he is stuck in a dilapidated
police station which is being painted for a few days now, leaving very little
space for him to run the station. His encounter with Johnykutty as he comes to
the Mandaiveli police station or when he rounds up the suspects in the
area has to be mentioned. Mathew’s brother-in-law has no role so as to say and
his presence does not actually make a difference except add a couple more funny
scenes like the one when Mathew and John cough up whatever pennies they have to
pay up the hotel bill.</div>
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There is a certain eye to detail and an attempt at symbolism
too though some of it might act as a distraction. Take for instance, the
repeated shot of buffalos when an auto bangs into one of the characters and he
dies; was there an intention to forewarn us hinting at Yama’s vehicle? I reckon
Johnykutty’s irritation at finding the police station name wrong was to show a
man with less patience and he adds on to it by repeatedly calling up SI Tintu
on his mobile, asking about his daughter’s whereabouts. It must be apt that even
in the midst of this humdrum, you have a world-cinema instructor in this midst talking
about <i><b>Citizen Kane</b></i> and <b><i>Seven Samurai</i></b> – must be the first time that you had such
a profession being shown in a mainstream movie!</div>
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Special mention of Rajesh Murugesan’s music and Anand
Chandran’s cinematography in the movie; the hugely successful boisterous <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs5ej1_VB6A">Pistha</a> song that went viral is
used to good effect in the action and chase sequences and the background music
creates the mood well. BGM wasn’t one of our strengths but new generation
cinema has incorporated this aspect nicely in movies. </div>
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I hesitate to call <b>Neram </b>a romantic thriller because there
isn’t sufficient tension, especially towards the end to justify this tag. The
finale has far too many co-incidences and is not gripping enough and the
irreverence quotient removes the thriller portion of it. Not to suggest that
the director chickens out but the attempt at humour drowns out whatever tension
that could have existed in the movie. This would have been fine if the jokes
had sufficient meat to stand on their own but they don’t always, so there is a
missing factor there. But at the end of the say, it sets out to be an entertainer and it definitely scores on that front and yes, these are good
times to be a Malayali film viewer too…</div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/neram-movie-review/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/neram-movie-review/</a> </div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-68539313564445533662013-05-22T21:47:00.000+05:302013-05-24T23:14:28.176+05:30Chapters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVTgOdewEr0/UZRVVqWOEeI/AAAAAAAADFw/3yAJmUNKZi8/s1600/C1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVTgOdewEr0/UZRVVqWOEeI/AAAAAAAADFw/3yAJmUNKZi8/s400/C1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After the success of Rajesh Pillai’s <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7383/malayalam/traffic/2895/review.htm">Traffic</a></b>, there have
been a host of movies that have tried to replicate the success of multiple
narratives but very few have been able to strike a proper balance, an exception
like <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2012/04/ee-adutha-kaalathu.html">Ee Adutha Kaalathu</a></b> notwithstanding. So, it is with discernible
apprehension that I approached debutante director Sunil Ibrahim’s <b>Chapters</b> only
to be surprised by a taut well-structured movie that holds your attention.</div>
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The film is structured in the form of four chapters telling
different stories but interlinked through a few characters. The narrative is
spread over a period of two days and a night when these multiple characters
cross each other’s paths, in seemingly unrelated ways. While these are stories
that intersect at different points in the movie, it does not entirely follow
the standard patterns of hyperlink cinema like going back and forth in time or
jumping between the beginning and end. To a certain extent, there is a linear
progression in the story, so it is devoid of many standard gimmicks (or
techniques whichever way you see them) that you see in these movies.</div>
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The first chapter talks about four unemployed friends,
Krishna Kumar (Nivin Pauly), Anwar (Hemanth Menon), Joby (Vijeesh) and Kannan
(Dhananjay), who are struggling to get a decent break in life. There is anxiety
in Krishna Kumar’s family where the son is unemployed, daughter is unmarried
and the father (Sadiq) is a Gulf-returnee who has not been able to save enough
with his overseas job. None of the friends are in a position to help and are
just as desperate. Frustration is in the air and quick money is the need.</div>
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Finally, they arrive at an exotic plan to make money for
Krishna Kumar’s sister’s wedding and it goes along smoothly till the very end
when the plan goes all awry. It is an air tight plan; everything is checked and
finalized but the man who holds the key to its execution, Chandrappan (Pattambi
Manikandan) disappears at the critical moment leaving them high and dry. The
promised dream evaporates in thin air and there are left holding only lost
aspirations that count for nothing and as if that was not good enough, it ends
in an O Henry-like finale which defeats the entire purpose of the plan. It must
have been a better idea if the group were hunting for something less exotic
than a Naga-Manikyam to make the entire search more believable. The very
mention of such a stone and it being located so easily makes you believe that
there is more to it than meets the eye.</div>
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Chapter Two shifts to Sethu (Sreenivasan), an employee at a
travel agency, who is waiting for the last bus to town. Clearly, not in the
best of spirits, he is joined by an old lady (KPAC Lalitha) and they strike up
a conversation during the journey. Both are <strike>beseeched</strike> besieged (as pointed out by <a href="http://anuradhawarrier.blogspot.com/">Anu</a> in the comments) by parental woes – she
reveals that she is headed to the town to meet her son who is in jail while he
is carrying cash to go to the hospital, where his son awaits a surgery.</div>
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There is a palpable sense of suspicion in their minds and
you are not entirely sure as to whether they are both telling the truth.
Neither seems entirely convincing and the camera and quiet BGM adds to the
suspicion. Sethu’s face darkens when he sees a set of cops enter the bus but he
meekly explains it as a fear of them questioning about his money. Along with
the late night crowd, there are also a couple of mysterious characters whose
body language suggests that there is something amiss. This is the most
ambiguous section in the movie and it plays on in our mind with our attention
wavering on the various characters who board the bus. The quieter narrative
also keeps you wondering if there is something that will spring into the frame
from somewhere.</div>
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Chapter Three focuses on six youngsters – Arun (Vineeth
Kumar), Vinod (Shine), Kaanu (Aju Varghese), Jincy (Riya Saira), Shyam (Rejith
Menon) and Priya (Gauthami Nair). They are headed to a hill station to register
the marriage of Shyam and Priya, who have eloped. Vinod is Arun’s friend and is
rechristened by Arun as Choonda and introduced to the group as a criminal in
parole. His looks and criminal past is meant to ensure that the plan goes
smoothly without any hindrance.</div>
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Choonda’s rugged and uncouth looks ensures that he plays his
part well in taking care of the obstacles that they face during the journey. In
the midst of all the reverie surrounding the trip, they take a break to catch
fresh air, only to return and find a body in the car. In the ensuing melee
surrounding the attempts to dispose the body, the group is separated.</div>
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In the fourth and final chapter, we see an anxious Annie
(Lena) by her son’s bedside in the hospital awaiting her husband’s
(Sreenivasan) arrival. Their marriage is an inter-religious one and the couple
is struggling with his meager income and no family support, while trying to
handle their son’s illness. She is surprised when he arrives with the money
needed for the surgery but convinces her husband that the money that he has brought
is best returned.</div>
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As the final chapter comes to a close, the truth is
revealed. Nothing very dramatic has happened and things, to an extent, return
to a sense of status quo as at the beginning of the movie. But in the interim
two hours, their lives have all changed profoundly in some way or the other.
Families have re-united and friendship remains intact while a couple starts a
new journey.</div>
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Multiple narratives face the challenge of dealing with a
large number of characters across myriad locations and these need to be
connected some way or the other. Sometimes, the stories are far too many to
give it a proper coherent workable structure, like Lijin Jose’s <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/10486/malayalam/friday/3854/review.htm">Friday</a></b>. Or the
script is unable to do justice to a stellar star cast and gets bogged down by
its needs like in Salam Bappu’s <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/11547/malayalam/red-wine/4165/review.htm">Red Wine</a></b>.</div>
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‘Chapters’ succeeds primarily because three stories (not
four) come together seamlessly, without any forced attempts to join them. The
structure of the plot is interesting – chapters 1 and 3 are deeply intertwined
at one end and 2 and 4 at the other end. These two main plots are
intermittently linked by a couple of characters and small devices in the plot –
like when Jincy says that she’s booked rooms for the trip, a little later Sethu
mentions four rooms being booked. Or KPAC walks out of the bus and hands over a
bagful of money to the people in the same car that had come to meet the boys in
the first chapter.</div>
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It may be a multi-linear narrative but each of the chapters
can stand independently except to a certain extent the last one which primarily
serves to join the dots. While all the principal characters are actively
involved in the drama, KPAC’s character who has a pivotal role in the second
story stands out as an odd presence as she does not figure in the overall scheme
of things. There are also a couple of scenes which do not totally jell in the
script like when there is an apparent attempt to mislead the audience in
thinking that the parents are embarrassed by their son’s actions at the end of
the first story or when the group of youngsters get into a tussle with another
group and Choonda comes to the rescue, as if to explicitly explain to us why he
was needed in the story.</div>
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While there is no over-riding theme that connects the
stories, there is an underlying presence of parental trepidation that comes
across in all the stories. A father who hopes that his son will take up
responsibilities in life, a mother who yearns to meet her son and give him a
life, parental shock at seeing one of their children eloping quietly and another
frantically trying to raise money for their son’s treatment (after in turn
marrying against parental wishes).</div>
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What stands out other than the obvious screenplay of Sunil
Ibrahim that serves to link these four episodes is the music by Mejo Joseph. It
has a quiet moving effect and brings a certain leisurely pace to the screen,
especially in the second story featuring Sethu and the old lady. The 2 songs
could have been avoided and add no value to the movie, though.</div>
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It is nice to see a set of young men and women come together
and put up such a convincing show. This isn’t restricted to the acting
department alone and the entire conceptualization was brought about by a young
team. <b>Chapters</b> has been produced by Shafeer Sait in conjunction with <b><a href="http://campusoaks.in/">CampusOaks</a></b> which is an entertainment company, driven by students of the 1995 batch of
NSS Engineering College, Palakkad. Watch out for Sunil Ibrahim and Campus Oaks’
ventures in future – there is another talent in the horizon….</div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez: <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/chapters-movie-review/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/chapters-movie-review/</a></div>
</div>
E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-14890712865993612912013-05-08T08:12:00.001+05:302013-05-08T08:33:20.579+05:30Mumbai Police<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_t8lGUpnkg/UYfz6X9zeCI/AAAAAAAADEs/6Hd5oIu9XDw/s1600/MP3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_t8lGUpnkg/UYfz6X9zeCI/AAAAAAAADEs/6Hd5oIu9XDw/s400/MP3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A crime is committed; you have identified the culprit and
are about to reveal the mystery and then boom! There’s an accident and
everything is wiped out of your memory and you have to start on a fresh slate,
with your RAM totally clean and no one else aware of your condition, except for
a couple of people. You see faces and are told who they are but you
have no idea what these people mean to you – the culprit is probably sitting
next to you but you haven’t the foggiest notion about it. People are out to
kill you and you realize that you aren't the most popular guy around
but you are powerless. Antony Moses has to figure out why, what and how it
happened and no, this isn't based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourne_(film_series)"><b>Bourne series</b></a>!</div>
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The basic premise of Rosshan Andrrews’ <b>Mumbai Police</b> isn't entirely
novel and amnesia is an age-old trick in the book of filmmakers but you’d have
to admit that the movie is absolutely gripping and keeps you glued to your seat
for a greater part of the journey. Yes, social networks have all focused on the
movie’s climax and created polarized opinions on the movie, based on that. But
such a line of thinking does no justice to a movie that has so much going right
for it and I dare say, it is arguably one of the most satisfying police dramas
that I have seen in Malayalam.</div>
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<b>Mumbai Police</b> has nothing to with the movie
per se; it is just a name that the media uses to refer to three policemen –
Antony, Aaryan and Farhan – who had at some point of time in their past worked
in the Mumbai police force and are now stationed in Ernakulam. It is a bond of
friendship that ties the three men – two of them are incidentally
brothers-in-law but this is rarely spoken about and all relationships are just
kept at the surface throughout the movie.</div>
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ACP Antony Moses (Prithiviraj) is entrusted the task of
tracking down the high-profile murder of his close friend ACP Aaryan Jacob John
(Jayasurya). Aaryan is shot dead in a felicitation ceremony and there is high
pressure on the cops to get through to the bottom of the case. Antony is about
to inform Police Commissioner Farhan Aman (Rahman) about the killer but at that
critical moment, he meets with an accident and the case reaches a dead-end.
Farhan insists that the memory loss be kept a secret and asks Antony to
continue since he had already cracked the case and so the investigation starts
all over again…</div>
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There are awkward moments that Antony faces as he slowly
confronts the truth of his past. As the story moves in flashbacks
intermittently, we realize that Antony is not exactly a man of scruples and is
capable of extreme violence. He is nicknamed ‘Rascal’ Moses by the media but
he’s a man who can produce results – a cop who can get things done,
albeit ignoring the ethical dimensions of the job. He may be a rascal but is
willing to give his friend the credit of an encounter (the thought did strike
me fleetingly towards the end if this was a genuine gesture or a need to lie
low to avoid being probed by the media, keeping the climax in mind).</div>
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The furious dare-devil cop Antony Moses A is in contrast
with the brooding and silent Antony Moses B – he isn't even very sure
which of this is his real self and so his emotions are all mangled up. In his
own words, he is a man with no past or future and has to unravel the case to
understand his true existence. The Dirty Cop turns over a Good Cop but it’s a
transformation that he is unsure of and only when he identifies the killer of
Aaryan, he is able to get a clearer picture of the past. (On a different note,
if a memory loss can actually change the character of a man, it is interesting
to see how one’s actions and deeds are driven by what one experiences in life
and not where one is born into).</div>
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There are scenes that stand out in the narrative that moves
back and forth between his two personalities. Take for instance, Antony meeting
his sister in a restaurant where she wants to discuss about her husband. He’s
partly shaken, unable to relate to her emotions and even when she touches his
hand, he takes it back not knowing how to react. Yes, the world says that she’s
his sister but is she really his sister? Take the scene when a man enters his
cabin and invites him to his daughter’s invitation – there is awkwardness in
their interaction and only later, he realizes that the stranger was the SP! The
action sequences are well-orchestrated and Antony surprises himself when he
fights off his attackers in the early scenes – his memory has been blanked out
but not his inner police instincts.</div>
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A typical cop movie comes laced with a lot of bravado in its
dialogues, political interference, corrupt cops and so many other lazy
stereotypes but Mumbai Police avoids all these cliches. The cops even resort to
hiring the services of local port workers in order to defend themselves against
an expectant mob of unruly mob of navy fellas!</div>
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The clash between the police and the navy is a small but
interesting segment in the movie; shows how the ego-clashes between Govt
security agencies make them enemies of each other. The scene where senior
assistant sub-inspector Sudhakaran (Kunjan) explains as to why he was drunk
when on duty, after years of unblemished service is a rare out of place
theatrical scene in an otherwise taut drama that doesn't waste screen
space.</div>
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The thrills of the first half makes way to a more sober 2<sup>nd</sup> half,
as Antony finally sets out to crack the puzzle in a way that defines his new
personality. It is debatable if in a case with intense media scrutiny, Farhan
can wait for Antony to return and take the gamble to put him on the task again,
considering the situation he is in. Nevertheless, there is a greater eye to detail here, including a interesting perspective of a sharp shooter which brings Antony closer to the killer.</div>
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Prithviraj stands out in an outstanding performance as
Antony Moses A and B – as he transforms himself from a fiery cop to a subdued
one. From an aggressive gait, he develops a less assertive walk and finds
himself unable to comprehend his emotions with the situation around him. The
new man is willing to pay for his cigarette, greet people with a smile and
exchange his alcohol with coffee – a change that Prithvi incorporates easily,
but haltingly.</div>
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It is courageous for him to take up a role that any
mainstream actor in Kerala would hesitate to do (there were rumours earlier
that Mammootty would do this role but it’s really hard to imagine that). The
past one year has seen him in different kinds of roles in <a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2013/03/molly-aunty-rocks.html">Molly Aunty Rocks</a>, <a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2012/11/ayalum-njanum-thammil.html">Ayalum Njanum Thammil</a>, <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/03/celluloid-movie-review-tribute-movie-special-kind/">Celluloid</a> and
now this and still we have wannabe critics who have a problem with him, for the
simple reason that he questions the superstars!</div>
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Jayasurya is at ease in a more light-hearted role as a
reluctant cop Aaryan, whose friends are his biggest asset in life. The ever
youthful Rahman (dubbed by Shammi Thilakan) supports ably and needs to be
utilized more by film-makers. Backed by Gopi Sundar's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSGltIZHnx0"><b>excellent BGM</b></a> (except at
a couple of places like a bike chase) and Diwakar's intense, brooding lens,
Mumbai Police is a must watch.</div>
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And finally, coming to the most-talked about climax of the
film that forms the backbone of the story and bares it all. It isn't easy
to review Mumbai Police without talking about the climax and also avoiding any
spoilers. Yes, it shocks and it is arguable whether or not the director is able
to pull it off convincingly. The biggest stumbling block in the finale is the
manner in which one of the individuals in question is depicted in a wimpish
stereotypical manner that ensures that the audience does not care for the
character.</div>
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Secondly, does the director seek to explain the killer’s
Alpha-male tendencies exhibited by giving him such an attribute or is it only
Aaryan who interprets his behavior in that manner? It appears disturbing that
the director insinuates that the killer’s behaviour is largely driven by this
and makes it a guilty secret. Wish they had pepped up this segment a bit more and not reduced it this kind of stereotyping. Is the reason for the crime entirely reasonable?
That’s a tough call to make – there does seem to be a justification for the
killing , if you put yourself in his shoes and the impact of the expose but
then would Aaryan ever reveal such a secret? It looks unlikely and so the
motive for the killing looks weak, to that extent. But then truth is stranger
than fiction in many ways, it is upto us whether we can accept it or not.</div>
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After an abysmally expensive turkey called <a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7976/malayalam/casanova/3534/review.htm">Casanovva</a>, the
trio of Bobby-Sanjay and Rosshan Andrrews definitely restore their lost
credibility with an intense drama like <b>Mumbai Police.</b> It isn't the
easiest of movies to make and comments on social networks tell you how difficult
it is easy for people to digest when movies take the road not taken and shake
the ground of morality that we have managed to keep in balance.</div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/mumbai-police/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/05/mumbai-police/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-8148889900050963362013-03-14T00:42:00.000+05:302013-03-14T00:43:53.054+05:30Molly Aunty Rocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Benjamin Franklin had once said famously -<i> In this world
nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes</i>. What does an
ordinary man or woman do when faced with the wrath of the Income Tax Department
that comes out to hound you? As somebody who was puzzlingly served an IT notice
a year back, I can relate to the scare that Income Tax can create in one’s
life.</div>
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Molly Mammen (Revathy) is an unlikely protagonist – a
slightly elderly woman settled in US with her family, who comes back after a long leave
to continue working in her small little job in a public sector bank in Nemmara
in Palakkad (presumably only for the pension). She is a committed hardworking employee who can brook no nonsense
and is willing to fight her way out of any situation, if she believes she is
right about it. She manages to sell her husband’s ancestral property, take a voluntary
retirement from her job and is about return to her family in the US when she
runs into the iron hands of the Income Tax department and the battle begins to
prove her innocence!</div>
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You first see Molly as she comes late for a religious family
function and bangs her car onto the priest’s scooter, knocking it down (a symbolic
rejection of conventions?). Family gossip marks her out as being unwelcome to
the family and her sleeveless dress does not help matters. As the daughter of a
Communist leader, rebellion is in her genes and she isn't someone who can be
knocked around that easily. She is liberal-minded but fairly adamant and you’d
have to admit that diplomacy is not her forte.</div>
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Molly isn't a firebrand woman out to change the world making
fiery speeches or a staunch feminist but somebody who is willing to make the
best of her situation and stand up for what she thinks is right. As her husband
Benny (<b>Lalu Alex</b>) says, there is a Molly in all our families, in some form of
the other who makes everyone around her insecure. There is no point in being
upset about it and one has to adjust to the way she is. </div>
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As she struggles with many of her small-time problems in
life, it acts as a mirror to many of the issues that we face in day-to-day
life. How many of us have struggled in government offices waiting for
hours, without any help at all. Even the slightest of help comes with a
suggestion of short-cuts that we are forced to accept because there is no way
out of the mess. Reminds me of my trip to the IT dept office last year where we
spent more than a couple of hours just waiting for the man who sent us the
notices to turn up but no one ever bothered to ask what we wanted when we
landed in a placid Govt office.</div>
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Molly’s struggles are not always driven out of her
conviction but also due to the simple necessity of doing things independently
when alone. She is married to a large family headed by her matriarch
mother-in-law <b>KPAC Lalitha</b> but finds no support when in trouble, except from
her mother-in-law and a benign neighbour. It doesn't help that she has brought
no dowry after her marriage and is an independent lady who has come down all
the way from the US of A to this small lazy town, where her outgoing nature is
a source of genuine bewilderment. Like Molly, haven't many of us Non-Residential
Keralites seen our relatives think that we have minted money outside and that
we are stingy for not spending money - the effort and toil just does not show!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a single woman who tries to live independently in a small
town in Kerala, she struggles with house owners, head load workers, nosey
people, co-employees who are happy to keep away from work at the slightest of
pretexts and of course, the ever roving eye of men who are keen to ‘help’ her
whenever there is an opportunity. It isn't a world that Molly is unaware of
having brought up there; she, however, does not go about bad mouthing the place
and unlike many others, she is not willing to simple live with her problems. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The women around her are more or less satisfied with the
kind of lives that they live, living in a frog-in-the-wall kind of existence and
being happy about it. Her neighbour Usha (<b>Lakshmi Priya</b>) lives a contended life
of a teacher and is more obsessed with the progress of her TV serials than the
world around her; she leaves it to her husband, Ravi (<b>Krishna Kumar</b>) the
dentist, to handle things outside her house. Molly’s mother-in-law may be her
only support in the family when in Kerala but there is a generation gap that
cannot be bridged. Yes, they get along well and enjoy a rare sense of
camaraderie but it happens with a sense of acceptance that exists between their
worlds – a world where cooking and taking care of the house is a woman’s job
and a world where women can stand up on their own and take the battle to men.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a subtle social commentary on the world around her
in the small town in the form of bandhs, busy government offices and names that
tell us a lot of the times we live in. New Generation lower caste names like
Fleming Raj (with mother as Mulla Devi) which try to move away from the roots to a
starry-eyed auto rickshaw driver with cine ambitions going by the name Gunesh
Kuttan and an auditor called Paraman who is busier with making arrangements for
the local festival than providing tax advice. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is a mark of the changing times where the young priest
Father Joby Matthews (<b>Sharath</b>) is a divorcee and is called in to settle a tax
dispute between his parishioners! When Molly suffers a small fall on the road,
the onlookers are keener to capture the scene with their mobiles than actually
give her a helping hand. The bank manager is impressed by her abilities at work
and is more than willing to be persuaded that the American system is wonderful;
in an absolutely hilarious moment when she is down with an accident, he even
wishes her a <b>Happy Rest in Peace</b>!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is courageous of Ranjith to cast a young <b>Prithviraj</b> with
a much-older <b>Revathy</b> as the central protagonists of this drama. Yes, it is
evident that the plot demands such a casting but how many directors would be
willing to take such a (perceived) risk? Also, kudos to <b>Prithviraj</b> for taking
up this role which sees him play second fiddle to the central woman character. <b>Mamukkoya</b>
excels in an unexpected cameo as Salim Mechery, Molly’s lawyer, who also
dabbles in cartoons and plays (suspect that had <b>Jagathy</b> been around, he would
have been a natural choice to play the character). It is Revathy’s movie
throughout and I don’t think that for a minute that you’d think that she could
be any different from the character that she plays – we need such strong female
protagonists...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prithvi as Pranav Roy is the haughty Assistant Tax
Commissioner who goes strictly by the rule book and cares two hoots for the
discomfort faced by the tax payer. He is honest and not driven by personal
interests but knows that he has the power to make people bend and is willing to
use his powers even if the situation does not demand it. It is a commentary of
the sad state of affairs that bright officers are competent and intelligent but
totally devoid of any sense of customer service. In a conversation with Salim
Mechery, Pranav remarks that the money that should reach the poor is being
siphoned away by NRIs like Molly only to be brought down to earth by Salim who
reminds him that this money does not reach the poor but only the coffers of
politicians.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But with all due regards to the director, I have misgivings
over the way the movie peters out in a direction of morality that I find it
difficult to digest. Call me a cynic but I have a problem with a moral angle
being thrust in suddenly for no better reason than giving a sermon to us poor
plebeians – something similar that I felt in the <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2012/07/ustad-hotel.html">Ustad Hotel</a></b> ending too. Yes, we know that Molly cannot be dishonest
and to expect a twist in the plot may go against her character and even
Ranjith’s convictions as a director. But I’m sure there are better ways of
taking an honourable exit, without cleaving in the morality clause.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adv Salim finds glaring gaps in Pranav’s father’s tax
returns and this could in itself have been used as a bargaining tool simply to
drive home the point that even the best of men can be taken to task if somebody
tries to really screw their lives (somebody like a <b><a href="http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/outlier">Subramanian Swamy</a></b>!). Molly’s
defence of the expenses hidden from the Govt also do not cut any ice – when
Pranav asks ludicrously as to why this could not have been shown in her tax
statement, my mind was simply echoing his sentiments. What one presents in
one’s tax returns is not in the public domain so her talk about shying away
from publicity seemed far-fetched. And while she means well when she says that
the taxes paid by her do not reflect into action by the Govt, it still does not
explain her actions.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you keep aside the contrived morality that seeps in
during the end and a couple of scenes that appear out of place (like Salim’s
entry into Molly’s house and the cringe-worthy spectacle of a tennis match), it
is a warm movie that definitely gladdens your heart and reiterates Ranjith
Sankar’s role as a director who thinks as the common man. His canvas for the film is not as large as in <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2009/07/passenger-review.html">Passenger</a></b> or <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2011/01/arjunan-sakshi.html">Arjunan Sakshi</a></b> but the situation is universally appealing; it avoids New Gen cliches and has a more traditional style akin to the old Sathyan Anthikkad cinema. His template of film
making draws on the ability of ordinary citizens who rise to the situation when
confounded with larger problems in life- what they do is not heroic but simple
things that matter..<br />
<br />
Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/03/molly-aunty-rocks/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/03/molly-aunty-rocks/</a> </div>
</div>
E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-78657127738633400682013-01-07T23:25:00.000+05:302013-01-07T23:25:23.555+05:30Arike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZVURYt7mM/UOnKDnVF4WI/AAAAAAAADCw/2W0qUwAoO8k/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZVURYt7mM/UOnKDnVF4WI/AAAAAAAADCw/2W0qUwAoO8k/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
You step into a Shyamaprasad movie, thinking here’s another
angst-ridden story that you are going to experience. There are signs that your
fears may be true – there is a lonely woman with a tragic past who has no
expectations in life and is confronted by various men in her life, you are
prepared for the worst but you are pleasantly mistaken. An almost breezy,
under-played romance lights up your screen and while its culmination is a
deviation from its initial path, the subject is not so heavy to make you squirm
or twitch – it simply makes you reflect on what love could mean.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arike, based on a Bengali short story by Sunil Gangopadhyay
is a Basu Chatterjee-meets-Woody Allen romance that moves slowly peeling the
layers of love that exist till it abruptly reveals that love isn't as
simple an emotion as it looks like. A couple is in love and a melancholic
friend facilitates their romance by playing the dove but when it collapses
suddenly, you are struck by the same question that Shantanu (Dileep) asks
Anuradha (Mamta Mohandas) – did Kalpana (Samvrutha Sunil) ever love him or was
it just a passing fantasy? Honestly, the answer is not quite evident and it is
upto the viewers to figure out where the fissures developed in their
relationship.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kalpana is a rich, brahmin girl who falls in love with a
more modest Shantanu, a researcher in linguistics. Her parents do not approve
of the non-brahmin man in her life while Anuradha, her best friend, helps in
playing Cupid so that the two can spend time together. But eventually, there is
a small twist in the tale and the pyramid is turned upside down (a bit too drastically
to my taste). The two women are the central protagonists in the movie while the
man plays a more ancillary part in the proceedings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anuradha has had a sour relationship in the past when her
own cousin cheats her. It is a wound that has never healed; she yearns for love
but no longer believes that it exists. She wants to be loved but is unable to
commit herself to the thought. She resents the presence of the men in her life
– whether it is a silent neighbour whose wife is ailing, a teenager who makes passes
at her or the various men who keep looking at her as single and available and
willing to be taken. She is resigned to her fate and there are moments of
loneliness that are slowly eating her. For her, Kalpana/Shantanu manifest true
love (<i>ee lokathil avasaanathe kamuki-kamukanmaaru</i>) and she thinks that
she must help them be together.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kalpana comes across as the practical, loud playful lady who
knows what she wants and is determined to ensure that she gets it. So, it does
come as a surprise when she walks out of a relationship at its peak – but then
we know so less about love that maybe it should never surprise us. She has had
her share of romances that have died away with time and does not carry any
baggage of the past, unlike Anuradha. She’s strong-willed and is not about to
accede to her parents’ wishes that easily, despite their apparent emotional
blackmail but after all that bravado, she just as simply turns around and
embraces a new life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t really know Shantanu, except that he is in love with
Kalpana but he’s not entirely sure whether she really loves him. Maybe it is
their economic disparities or his feeling of being overwhelmed by the first
love that comes across in his life – there is an uncertainty and an almost
sense of disbelief that he has and maybe, just maybe that explains his
somewhat-rational response to his loss at the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a difference in the way we see Kalpana and Anuradha
– well-lit open spaces in contrast to darker and more congested interiors of
her house. There are very few-closeups and most of it is taken in long shot
with soft visuals and a retro background music that plays when the couple meet.
The close-ups exist only of Anuradha and we see what she wants to see – the
romance between the couple, the leering men and dark world outside her life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But did love really exist between the two? Did they invest
in each other emotionally enough to take it to the next stage? We can only
guess that neither believed that the final step would eventually happen and so
the occasional delays in their marriage registration date. The greater the
love, the greater the tragedy when it's over but when it eventually peters out
and the outpouring of emotions is so subdued, you realize maybe that the
tragedy is not so depressing after all, maybe the absence of love was not so
apparent after all. Was there an element of sacrifice involved, in the sense,
does Kalpana think that post-the accident, she is no longer the same woman that
Shantanu loved? Does she think that he no longer needs her or even vice-versa?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shantanu and Anuradha spend much more time together than he
spends with Kalpana. Even Kalpana’s letters to Shantanu are written by Anuradha
– the letters that make him feel closer to Kalpana than he is. When he falls
sick and meets them after a few days, Anuradha notices it but Kalpana is blissfully
unaware about it. Shantanu repeatedly wonders if he’s the right one for her and
there is an indication that he may just be drawn to Anuradha but this is
treated by the director with a degree of ambiguity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dialogues are not the high point in the movie but a brief
conversation between Guruji (Madampu Kunjukuttan) and Kalpana's parents
sparkles as he makes them understand the futility of their attempts to get her
married off to someone of their choice. He wonders whether a celibate Guruji
like him is an appropriate person to advise their daughter on her marriage
choices! His arrival in the scene marks a change in tempo in the film and it
picks up a few rough edges in the form of a building quarrel, an arrest and a
game-changer accident – all signs of bad omen, keeping in mind the tone of the
movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Shantanu eventually interprets his feelings, we are not
sure what it means for Anuradha. Has her quest for love been achieved or does
it reiterate her position that true love does not exist in this world. After
all, can love simply be transferred from one person to another, just so easily,
the way Shantanu expresses himself? Can a man who is so much in love with her
friend suddenly fall in love with her? She realizes that she had created a
mirage of true love which eventually comes tumbling down but it ironically
leaves with her with somebody who probably loves her.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all the display of affection that you see on
screen, the ending can be perplexing, for the simple reason that no explanation
is given. Maybe the movie moves largely from Anuradha’s perspective and so you
see only the bright side of the relationship and so when it sours, you are left
scratching your head to think of a rational explanation to it. Shyamaprasad
leaves it to us to infer why Kalpana walks out of a sure-shot loving
relationship but doesn't give us enough clues to wonder where it went
all wrong.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mamta Mohandas is clearly the star of the show, with her
absolute restraint and melancholic brooding self, towering over all others in
the movie and also the song <i>Iravil viriyum poo pole</i>, sung
beautifully by her. But I must admit that her Malayalam accent does not jell
entirely with the notion of a small town girl from Kerala. While Dileep does
look the role of an unsure academician who is in love, I felt the performance
was a bit strained and he was putting in an extra effort to appear that part
(The difficulty of fighting against the image created by the likes of Mr
Marumakan and Mayamohini!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Critics would have admonished a lesser director for an
abrupt twist in the last 10 minutes but we are generally more generous towards
the classier ones. Was the last scene just an attempt to bind the loose threads
of two young minds who have lost their faith in love? <b><i>Arike</i></b> which
means so close has multiple definitions for everyone in the story - a couple is
so close to getting married but they don't, friends who are so close to each
other but still unable to understand each other, two persons so close to each
other but don't realize that they love each other. Whatever it may be, the
movie drives home the notion of love being an abstract emotion that defies all
logic, just as Anuradha and Shantanu discover eventually....<br />
<br />
Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/01/arike-movie-review-in-quest-of-love/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2013/01/arike-movie-review-in-quest-of-love/</a></div>
</div>
E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-41405245151509063662012-11-25T23:21:00.000+05:302012-11-25T23:21:41.621+05:30Ayalum Njanum Thammil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Some professions are more equal than the others and medicine
is one such field where a doctor is revered and expected to go beyond his line
of duty. He stands as a messenger of God and in many cases, his word is the
clincher that gives that extra breath to a dying man or pushes a healthier man
to the brink. As Dr Samuel (Pratap Pothen) reminds his junior doctors Dr Ravi
Tharakan (Prithviraj) and Dr Supriya (Remya Nambeesan), while God is the
final decider, sometimes even doctors can do that role and HE speaks through
them in those moments.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/10/ayalum-njanum-thammil-movie-review-nostalgic-ride-memory-lane/"><b>Ayalum
Njanum Thammil</b></a>(ANT henceforth) chronicles the coming of age of Dr Ravi
Tharakan, a care-free medical student who goes on to become a renowned cardiac
surgeon. The story moves back and forth in multiple narratives between his casual
life filled with fun and frolic on campus and his present life as he fights for
survival in a world where ethics comes at a premium. He passes out of medical
college in flying colours but is all at sea when it comes to actually putting
his education to practical work. He lands himself a compulsory 2-year stint at
a remote rural hospital in scenic Munnar, manned by Dr Samuel who gives up a
well-paid corporate job to take up medical practice in a small but scenic
village, devoid of urban pleasures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a scene in ANT where Dr Samuel says that the
difficulty in being a doctor is not in doing a diagnosis or a surgery but the
ability to take decisions when it matters.Taking decisions is not something
that Ravi Tharakan is used to and he has no aim in life until he meets Dr
Samuel and learns a few harsh lessons in life. This journey is not a simple one
and with every pitfall, he learns the meaning of life and discovers the doctor
or rather the true human being within himself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wondered whether there will be a lesson on medical ethics
that the movie seeks to impart consciously but thankfully, it does not allow
itself to be too pedantic (the Aamir Khan way). Melodrama is muted which is not
always a good thing and even when it makes a fleeting appearance, it fails to
register (more on that later). While ANT makes the right noises about
corruption in the medical profession in the form of usage of sub-standard drugs
or medical equipment’s in the hospital, it faithfully clings to Dr
Tharakan’s metamorphosis, without delving into the larger issues perse. Now,
this is not a failing in the movie but these feelers needed to be expanded a
bit more; the initial campus scenes could have been truncated to explore the
medical side.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What works for the movie is that has its heart in the right
place. It appeals emotionally as we feel Dr Tharakan’s loss when he loses his
sweetheart Sainu (Samvrutha Sunil) to her parental coercion or when he faces a
medical inquiry for refusing to treat a patient on account of a personal grudge.
While the inquiry proceedings and its subsequent result act as the point of
inflexion in the film, this is not a one-off moment. The transformation takes
place gradually over a period of time and finally converges at the point of
time when Tharakan realises how meaningful his life can be. There are no
<b>Lakshya</b> like moments and what we witness is a more silent change which is at
once believable, when the ultimate moment arrives.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are scenes that worked for me even though I don’t
think the sum total of the scenes add to the whole. <i>Azhalinte
Aazhangalil</i> sung by Nikhil Mathew beautifully captures Tharakan’s
anguish and Jomon T John’s charming visuals captures that emotional scar that
cleaves his heart; the loss of a lonely heart has a raw appeal. When Tharakan
gives chocolates and touches the feet of the little girl that he had refused to
treat earlier, you can sense the guilt that he goes through. When it is
revealed that Dr Samuel has had a failed marital life and his son is in wayward
company, there is an acknowledgment that the even his mentor is lonely and has
his own troubles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Among the highlights of the movie (it’s not the script) are
performances by the lead cast and Jomon’s splendid cinematography. Pratap
Pothen fills in the space with a gentle performance that is at once warm and is
devoid of any chest-thumping self-righteousness or irrational exuberance that
is exhibited in such characters; whether ANT or <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9786/malayalam/22-female-kottayam/3664/review.htm">22FK</a></b>, new age Malayalam cinema
has resurrected this actor from wilderness. When he deals with his wayward
son’s outbursts or tries to understand Tharakan’s love life, the man carries on
with the role with an element of dignity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prithviraj as Dr Tharakan finally emerges from his shadows
and delivers a performance that silences his critics (and there are many of
them, esp those who cannot digest his attack on superstar-driven cinema).
Whether it is the scene where he faces his father after the inquiry or even
when he confronts the wayward SI or his silent anguish at being deprived of his
love (despite it being so underplayed), the machismo is balanced with his sense
of emotional turmoil. Jomon’s cinematography is a silent and gentle meditation
that helps in accentuating the emotions that the cast goes through. Yes, Munnar
is beautiful but the visuals never hide the undercurrents that happen but
manage to create the shades of gloom and despair that accompanies many of the
moments.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, for me, ANT was a potential classic where Lal Jose
eventually chickened out allowing himself to be dictated by more conventional
norms. The latter part of the 2nd half works in a predictable fashion and
scenes are written to allow for co-incidences to happen and that is kind of
disappointing because of the way the movie positioned itself for a greater part
of its duration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Tharakan is committed and can go to any extent to save
a patient’s life including do a free surgery even without taking consent from
the patient’s family, he does not seem to have done anything about the supply
of expired drugs/instruments, other than complaining to the Chairman about it.
He is no whistle-blower and remains part of the system that has its hands in
deep shit. By no means is the fraud being perpetuated a minor one and the shock
that Diya feels when she sees a kid who loses his legs thanks to an expired
valve, is shared by us. Wouldn’t pursuing his stand against this also
be a part of the doctor’s ethics? Of course, you can argue that this incident
is narrated to us through Diya’s perspective, so we do not know the entire
truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe it was not deliberate but in showcasing the dedicated
doctors as members of the bearded gentry and the rest of the doctors as
well-dressed or normal, wasn’t there a conscious attempt to stereotype their
appearances and play to a gallery so that there is a neat compartmentalization
between good and bad? A dedicated doctor like Dr Devi Shetty (of Narayana
Hrudayalaya) who carries out free and low care treatment to patients but still
is a such a charming personality can also be a prototype. Even when Diya (Rima
Kallingal), the private secretary to the Chairman’s hospital, quits the
hospital and joins ranks with the good boys, her appearance suddenly undergoes
a transformation.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As mentioned earlier, there are no discourses on the
Hippocrates’s oath except during the inquiry and the melodrama is muted even in
the confrontational scenes with SI Purushothaman. There is just that once scene
that has a tinge of melodrama but did not work for me. Dr Samuel slapping
Tharakan in public for abdicating his responsibility wins brownie points from
the audience but it left me wondering whether the situation could not have been
handled more amicably. Maybe the doctor is a man of few words
but wouldn't he even ask Tharakan to explain his behaviour, instead
of going on the offensive? Even his exoneration of the doctor during the
inquiry comes as a surprise (not to the audience) to Tharakan but
again, wouldn't there have been a communication between the two
before the inquiry? Mind you, he is not a good-for-nothing irresponsible doctor
but somebody who in an earlier scene is shown as a man who goes beyond his
duty, by working till early in the morning to treat a patient, even on the day
he needs to travel to Ernakulam for his marriage on priority. Somewhere, these
scenes have been played to the gallery instead of settling for subtler
resolution of conflicts.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In medical circles, there has been a lot of debate on the
merit of forcing medical doctors to work in rural areas with sparse
infrastructure. From the look of it, work in Redemption Hospital in Munnar may
not look like a bed of flowers but it is a far cry from the realities of
difficult life in remote areas. Maybe if the writers had taken a peep into the
difficulties faced by young doctors who have to spend two long years here and
the lack of support they receive during this period, they would have been able
to inject further reality into the surroundings. For somebody who has lived all
his life comfortably, there is nothing to suggest his inability to cope with
life in such pastoral surroundings.</div>
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But yes, none of these observations take away from the fact
that the movie has an overwhelming emotional pull that largely works. It is
well-intentioned and believes deep inside in what it wants to convey.For the
writers Bobby-Sanjay, the epic blunder called Casanova can now be
conveniently forgotten, after the success of ANT and for Lal Jose, ANT, his
third movie this year definitely falls short of a <a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2012/05/diamond-necklace.html"><b>Diamond Necklace</b></a> but is miles ahead of a pedestrian <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/01/spanish-masala-sneak-peek/"><b>Spanish
Masala</b></a>…</div>
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez -</span><a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/11/ayalum-njanum-thammil-lal-joses-emotional-saga/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/11/ayalum-njanum-thammil-lal-joses-emotional-saga/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-78059243597670695102012-10-16T22:44:00.000+05:302012-10-16T22:44:17.025+05:30Trivandrum Lodge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4eAFiKBBETo/UH2UOAaIYrI/AAAAAAAACw0/WpGQwDZiJE8/s1600/trivandrum-lodge-movie-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4eAFiKBBETo/UH2UOAaIYrI/AAAAAAAACw0/WpGQwDZiJE8/s400/trivandrum-lodge-movie-posters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With every movie,
Anoop Menon pushes the envelope a little higher (or the sheets a little lower)
in dealing with immorality in the Malayali’s social life. Kerala is a state
with a large independent woman class but revels curiously in its suppressed
sexual desires – Malayalam <i>sahityam</i> must have broken many of its taboos long
time back but its cinema is still circumspect when dealing with sex (a
sensibility that did not exist once upon a time, mind you).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Trivandrum Lodge</i></b> is
a non-descript sea-facing lodge in Kochi whose inmates’ humdrums forms the core
of the movie. It has its share of oddball characters like Abdu (Jayasuriya), a
sex-starved tramp who does small time jobs for survival, Kora (P Balachandran,
the director of <b><i><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/8336/malayalam/ivan-megharoopan/3817/review.htm" target="_blank">Ivan Megharoopan</a></i></b>), a retired clerk whose sexual exploits are
supposedly just one short of reaching the four digit mark, Shibu Vellayani
(Saiju Kurup), a small time cinema reporter who has a weakness for women and
Dhwani Nambiar (Honey Rose), whose lusty presence awakens the sexual mood in
the lodge. The lodge is owned by Ravisankar (Anoop Menon), a rich real estate
developer; he is a widower who lives with his son Arjun. The movie largely
probes their lives, from an angle of their sexual desires and lust which
sometimes becomes not so-subtle and cringe-worthy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What works for
<b><i>Trivandrum Lodge</i></b> is that it is largely uncompromising in what it wants to say
and make you feel. It sets out to create an adult comi-drama and succeeds to
quite an extent; it is unabashedly immoral and celebrates voyeurism, without a
hint of guilt. Just as you’d agree that brain is the main organ of sexual
activity, it is the writing that drives the intent of the characters, not the
visuals which are fairly more conventional. The camera does not try to
tantalizingly linger on the female anatomy at any time but has a more relaxed
focus, with more attention on the lodge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thankfully, for a
movie that is steeped in suppressed desires, the camera does not try to
titillate but leaves it to the characters to express their feelings in the form
of crass talk, <i>kochu pustakangal</i> and sexual exploits of its characters. When
the entire lodge is waiting to see what happens within closed doors as one of
them massages the naked nape of an imminently desirable woman, it focusses on
the crowd outside it as they prance about in anticipation. The audience becomes
just another voyeuristic player in the drama who gorges down the fantasies of
the lead cast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Abdu is honest about
what he feels (he likes Dhwani’s <i>kundi</i> the most as he tells her without batting
an eyelid) and craves for sex but there is an element of innocence in him
unlike the others. He does not have the sophistication of Dhwani’s husband or
the smartness of Shibu or the loquaciousness of Kora but he is honest enough
for her to spend time with him. He tries to bargain with a prostitute, even
offering to pay for her services in installments but backs out when he sees her
husband in a pitiable state. It is a fine directorial touch where the
protagonist’s lust evaporates suddenly, with minimum usage of space.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a chemistry
that exists between the <i>mandan</i> Abdu and Dhwani and while this constitutes a
bright speck in a movie that treats relationships with butter hands, it is not
exploited enough to make us want to see the two together. Dhwani is a newly
divorced woman who wants to breathe her independence by <i>fornicating with
abandon</i> (<i>mootha kazahappu</i> as her friend says) and live life devoid of rules.
She knows she is the object of raw desire in the lodge but is still more than
willing to play up her assets just to enjoy it – her encounters with Kora
offering herself as his 1000th conquest and with Shibu when he makes his
indecent proposal play out entertainingly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Devi Ajith has a
small but interesting role in the form of Zarina, Dhwani’s friend in Kochi.
She’s a St. Stephens product who is happily married to a local <i>panachakku</i> whom
she refers to as a <i>mandan mappilla</i> – the kind who has money but no class and is
happy to act subservient to his more educated wife. It looks like a rather
skewed relationship but then the secrets of a successful marriage are far too
many for anyone to hazard a guess! Zarina is spot on when she remarks that in a
big city like Kochi, you can get away with any level of immorality but if you
are a Malayali woman, the moral police will come after you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anoop Menon as
Ravisankar plays the only white character in the movie – he is a one-woman man
who only loves his wife. His wife Malavika (Bhavana) dies in an accident but
he’s still happy to stay single in her memory, even though the world offers him
enough opportunities to go astray or seek new love. Trivandrum Lodge is just an
old unpolished piece of antiquity but it has a special place for him in his
heart because he’s promised Malavika that he will take care of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tesni Khan plays Kanyaka
(her same name as in <b><i>Beautiful</i></b>), a smart prostitute and gets the cockiest lines
in the movie – whether it is her complaining of the difficulty in doing
business in high-fi places or her wondering on why the act should generate a
lot of noise! There is just a glimpse of her husband’s bed-ridden state but
that’s skipped immediately because the director doesn’t want us to sympathize
with anyone – it is all in free will. There are no half-hearted justifications
or apologies for what is seen and what you see is what you get and the old man
scene is the nearest that VKP gets to offer some sort of an explanation for the
behaviour of any of the characters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But it is the same
writing that lets the movie down when it tries too hard deliberately to tell
the audience that this is a different movie and we are trying to be bold. A lot
of the dialogues is on the face and the corniness with a capital C makes it a
contrived attempt to make it cool and seemingly open-minded (though not as
extreme as the offensive <b><i><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9971/malayalam/bachelor-party/3765/review.htm" target="_blank">Bachelor Party</a></i></b>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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The dialogues seem
largely driven by the attempt to go along with the atmosphere of the movie than
driven by any real need to do so, as demanded by the characters. The plot is
over-sexed and everyone in it is on a high driven by the sex hormone than
anything else. To that extent, the movie plays out like a fantasy in the
libidinous mind of the makers instead of a realistic snap of immoral life in
such circles. It could have raised more questions on the newer definitions of
morality as modern Kerala changes hesitatingly but it is too self-obsessed to
look at a larger picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Take the father-son
conversation between Ravisankar and his father (singer P. Jayachandran in a
small cameo) as they discuss Ravi’s mother’s wayward life. Yes, much water has flown
down the bridge and life has moved on but is it so simple to dissect one’s own
mother’s life in such unflattering ways – the brilliance of a ‘vaishya’ or
female Cassanova whose husband could not satisfy her, possibly in bed? I
confess to be intrigued when Ravi asks his father <i>Nammal nammude budhiyum
kazhivum vilkkarille, pinne shariram vilkunnathil entha thettu</i> but the
conversation seems to be abjectly devoid of any emotional content as if the
lady in question was a character in a novel and not one’s own mother.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ravi as the faithful
husband is an oasis in a sea of voyeurism but without enough emotional
investment in him, it is difficult for us to appreciate his character. He looks
less a business tycoon and more an artist with a relaxed life. I wish the
character had been fleshed out more (actually, no character is given enough
space to grow, except maybe Kanyaka and Abdu to a certain extent) so that his
love, his feelings appear more concrete and we get a peek into this man, whom
Dhwani is attracted to for the simple reason that she believes that no man can
love a woman so much that he can stay single, even after her death. Even as a
father, he treats the incident of the porn book in his son’s bag far too
lightly for my comfort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ravi’s son Arjun’s
romance is more out of a Karan Johar production than VKPs and greatly overdone
and could have been avoided. Kid romances may be cute but is jarring in a movie
whose style is below the belt variety. There are a couple of scenes at the
beauty parlour which also have no connection with the movie and are more there
only to make it sound horny – scenes that are reminiscent of any Bhandarkar
movie. The plot does meander a bit wondering how to treat its wide assortment
of characters (didn't Janardhanan look a bit lost) but it manages to trace an
honourable exit route for itself, without creating too much fuss.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Trivandrum Lodge</i></b> is
a bold, unconventional experiment and celebrates voyeurism without guilt. It is
funny and blatantly immoral and Anoop Menon enjoys cocking a snook at our
hypocritical ways but I think that he just tries too hard to make it a
different New Age cinema and so it comes off as partly pretentious and
deliberate, unlike the natural flow of <b><i><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2011/12/beautiful.html" target="_blank">Beautiful</a></i></b>. Nevertheless, it succeeds in
putting across a tacky subject in its own uncompromising way and this in itself
is a reason to watch the movie….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The film pays
obeisance to Padmarajan’s immortal <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2009/07/revisiting-classic-thoovanathumbikal.html" target="_blank">Thoovanathumbikal</a></b> by getting Babu Namboodri
to reprise his role of Thangal, as the famous strains of the movie’s background
music plays out when he enters the frame. Even in the last scene, you see
Kanyaka in a second hand Maruti-800 with him; remember Jayakrishnan talking
about Maruti-800 being the best vehicle for such girls!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/10/trivandrum-lodge-movie-review-sex-air/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/10/trivandrum-lodge-movie-review-sex-air/</a></div>
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E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-10542211762646464052012-07-24T23:31:00.001+05:302012-07-25T23:07:26.133+05:30Ustad Hotel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIlFeqjGoNk/UA7hX0-sz6I/AAAAAAAACwk/oldjpVTwLoc/s1600/UH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pIlFeqjGoNk/UA7hX0-sz6I/AAAAAAAACwk/oldjpVTwLoc/s400/UH.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Surprise, surprise, is this an Anwar Rasheed film? So,
Bridge in Kerala Cafe is not a fluke after all – the man can make cinema that
is both entertaining and artistic, without making too many compromises. With
</span><b style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://anjalimenon.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Anjali Menon</a></b><span style="background-color: white;"> wielding the pen here, Anwar creates an engaging, though at times
uneven (especially in the second half) tale of a young man who discovers his
passion and love in life, as he stumbles from the peaks of a cosy life in
Europe to a more grounded life in Kozhikode.</span><br />
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Ustad Hotel takes our olfactory nerve to a delicious fusion
of Western and Kerala cuisine as it tells the story of young Feyzee (Dulquer
Salman) who becomes a chef, much against the wishes of his ambitious father
Razzaq (Siddique). Circumstances force
him to reach out to his grandfather Karim (Thilakan) who runs a small but
renowned restaurant called Ustad Hotel along Kozhikode beach. Under the
tutelage of the old man, the grandson and grandfather form a bond that teaches
him valuable lessons in life. Just like the waves lashing along the beach, the
movie has a fluidity that keeps you engrossed to its narrative as it sets about
to give a meaning to young Feyzee’s life. It is a three-generational story and
as it happens, the first and third generation find a stronger bond between
themselves than the in-between one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Feyzee is a bright, young man who is not sure where his
heart lies. Being brought up with no elderly guidance around him, except his
four elder sisters (fondly referred to as Ithatha Company), he is confused and
takes steps hesitatingly in life, without being sure of what the future holds
for him. The presence of Karim in his life at a critical time helps him to take
stock of what he needs in his life and what are his true valuables. He is a
chef who has graduated from Lausanne but he has to learn the basics that go
into the business and profession before he can enter the kitchen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cinematically, Feyzee learns the trade from his grandpa but
I suppose even outside the canvas of the film, young Dulquer will find himself
in the same situation when in the company of an acting powerhouse like
Thilakan. <i>Didn’t Thilakan also act like
a godfather to Prithviraj in Indian Rupee?</i> And the camaraderie between the two
generations, when they talk about his grandpa’s love story and the failed
father-son relationship,is very appealing. Keep in mind that it does not go
overboard; when Karim is admitted to hospital, the first thing that strikes
Feyzee is whether his grandpa will emotionally blackmail him to stay back!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as in <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.in/2011/07/salt-n-pepper.html" target="_blank">Salt N’Pepper</a></b>, food has a special relevance in
the movie but here it goes beyond being just a metaphor and makes its presence
practically everywhere – to that extent, it must be truly called India’s finest
food film. It is omnipresent – In the Five Star Hotel which buys the Ustad
Hotel Biryani at 35 Rs and sells it at Rs 350, the sulaimani whose secret
ingredient is Mohabbat, the Fusion Food Festival where Feyzee makes a mark but
is also insulted by a haughty customer, the parothas that are intricately
shaped in Ustad Hotel, the biryani served at a Hellen Keller Institute in
Madurai, a rock band named <i>Kallumakayi</i> (inspired by <i><b><a href="http://www.avial.in/" target="_blank">Avial</a></b></i>?) – it is a film that
has its eyes firmly fixed on one’s taste buds. Anjali Menon, in a recent
interview, mentioned that most of the story was written when she was pregnant
and the conspicuous presence of food in the movie maybe partly due to that!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anwar is at ease when he takes a dig at the orthodox Muslim
families in vadakkan Kerala, referring to their dressing, large family size and
polygamy but it is all in good taste. Two scenes stand out here – a glimpse of
the family photograph with Razaq and his burkha-clad wife (in contrast to a
similar shot of his grandparents) and another a long shot which shows the fours
sisters fully clad in burkha standing on the beach while everyone else around
there else is present in beach attire! There are no stereotypes here in the movie's representation of Muslim characters; it eschews any such nonsense and
becomes a rare instance, where the religious identity of the Muslim community
is never brought to the forefront. Anjali and Anwar are on home turf and know
Kozhikode and their cuisine well; when did a Malayalam film associate a city
other than Kochi with rock music and a night life and create a foot-tapping rock number like
<i>Appangal Embadum Ottakku Chuttamayi</i>?
Here, a girl like Shahana can be part of a rock band outside, travel
with a stranger at night but be mostly burkha-clad and agree to an arranged
marriage in keeping with the family conventions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/SE_NJ0P8OL4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SE_NJ0P8OL4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SE_NJ0P8OL4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Both <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2012/05/diamond-necklace.html" target="_blank">Diamond Necklace</a></b> and Ustad Hotel struck me as movies
which have a more literary feel, with the movies like screen adaptations of
books. Possibly because they drew larger canvases around them and are
structured very well in an unhurried, uncomplicated manner. But where Ustad
Hotel wavers a bit is in its attempt to draw a finale or closing loose ends in
a very convenient but not so satisfying manner – like the father-son strained
relationship, the repayment of the bank loan, the seemingly scheming Big Hotel
guys vs the poor restaurant folks, Fayzee’s foreign girlfriend’s character or
Shahana’s (Nithya Menon) fiancée – some of these aspects seemed written only to
close specific chapters in the plot. You don’t need to make one character bad
only so that the main character emerges as the sympathetic one or audience
favourite, right? Maybe it is an odd observation but a story penned by a lady
does not have sufficiently strong lady characters!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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It has everything going for it in the first half and as much
as I wished that this growing of age film of a young man becomes a classic, the
sudden pedantic shift to a convenient ending and the Swades touch, (including
scenes that remind you of Ashutosh Gowarikar’s film) was a tad disappointing.
It is like the director suddenly realized that there are loose ends to be tied
and so opts for an easy out but I am not entirely convinced by that sudden
diversion. It has been widely reported that the Madurai episode was inspired by
<b><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/01/cnnheroes.krishnan.hunger/" target="_blank">Narayanan Krishnan</a></b> who runs Akshaya Trust but while that makes it very
heartening, I’m not entirely at ease with its absolute relevance in the plot.
Did his trip to Madurai make him change his mind not to leave – I don’t buy
that point entirely, though it did get a few moist eyes in the audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I must say that it is a very well-made film and that is
where it soars beyond Anjali’s script alone. Lokanathan’s camera gives the
Kozhikode beach a surrealistic feel and makes you feel a part of that silent
ambience that pervades its environs as Sufi Dervishes whirl in meditation. Gopi
Sundar adds to that aura, capturing the vibrations of the city and the aroma of
the various dishes that permeate at many intervals in the movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Specially glad that Mammootty’s son has avoided big-bash
superstar movies and both his forays have so far been attempts at intelligent
cinema. He brings a certain earnestness to the character and is believable as a
foreign-educated confused young man who traces his roots (inadvertently,
ofcourse) with the eminently-likeable Nithya Menon for company while the
colossus Thilakan effortlessly brings home the convictions of an old man who
sticks by his principles and lives without any regrets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is significant that for a movie that deals almost
entirely with Muslim characters, religion hardly makes a presence here (the
presence of a moderate Sufi-stance may explain this). This by itself itself may
not be an achievement but it is pretty rare for a movie to divorce the script
from religion, especially when it deals with a Muslim milieu. Anjali and Anwar,
coming together to craft a movie is indeed a rather unusual combination,
especially if you look at their career graphs but then maybe, we have been
underestimating Anwar and if Bridge and Ustad Hotel is any evidence to go by,
we Malayalees can smile as more and more directors join the bandwagon of good
cinema. What makes it more heartening is the tremendous response that the movie
has received amongst audience, making it an overwhelming success. Serious cine-goers may also want to keep an
eye on producer Listin Stephen – with a track record like Traffic, Chaappa
Kurish and now Ustad Hotel, you know he’s a name to be followed…</div>
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/07/ustad-hotel-tale-relationships-and-gastronimic-journey/" style="background-color: white;">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/07/ustad-hotel-tale-relationships-and-gastronimic-journey/</a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-11060350705364519182012-05-21T22:19:00.000+05:302012-05-22T08:51:19.573+05:30Diamond Necklace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Watching the trailer
of <b>Diamond Necklace</b>, I was worried that this would be Lal Jose’s
Dubai Masala, embellished with crowning diamonds from Joy Alukkas. As the
credits begun rolling and actor Fahad Fazil and friends break into a fast paced
number with a sizzling Dubai and babes around him, this impression was further
strengthened. A few minutes into the movie as Dr Arun and Nurse Lakshmi indulge
in cute-talk, I decided maybe it was a rom-com. Finally, two and half hours
later, it emerges as an illuminating treatise on love and relationships.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dr Arun (Fahad
Fazil) is a young oncologist in Dubai who is out to enjoy life to the fullest,
even if it means emptying his pockets to pay over-eager banks in order to
finance a lavish trendy lifestyle. He shares an apartment with his friend in
Burj Khalifa, regularly changes his cars and lives on the numerous credit cards
that adorn his wallet. But he is a positive infectious personality who has a
way with women and three different women tag along with him in different stages
of his life as they explore the meaning of love. While all three women fall in
love with him, they represent the lover, the friend and wife relationships at
close range.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The lover Lakshmi
(Gautami Nair seen earlier in <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9452/malayalam/second-show/3544/review.htm">Second
Show</a></b>) is a charming coquettish personality who gets the best lines in
the movie that make you laugh, whether it is her Tamil puzzles (<i><b>Urumbu
Vaayuvida sinnatha athu yennathu? Athu Thinnathu!</b></i>) or her proclamation of
love as she says discerningly in her Tamil accent <b><i>Dubai is just a
desert without you, my playboy</i></b>. Their screen time together is relatively
brief but they make for a lovely couple as they joke and prance about with gay
abandon. When she finally leaves, there is a sense of loss but no spite in her
mind, instead a quiet acceptance of the situation – she’s a small town girl
who’s seen disappointments (<b style="font-style: italic;">Lakshmikum Saraswatikum tally aavathu </b>referrring to her becoming a nurse instead of a doctor) and
takes it in her stride.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The friend Maya
(Samvrutha Sunil) is the mature woman who gets to speak the more philosophic
lines about loneliness and isolation. Just as her name suggests, her life is an
illusion – beneath the smile is the grief of a loner. Maya and Arun share a
camaraderie that does not qualify as love but is a warm bonding that gives
her-a cancer survivor – the courage to overcome her misery. She’s always shown
decked in designer wear and fine jewellery and lives in a large spacious
apartment that accentuates her sense of solitude. She has all the money in the
world that her parents have bestowed her with but lacks a companion with whom
she can share her life. She finally embraces Arun’s philosophy – <i><b>I do
not regret my past, I have no anxieties about my future and I live only in the
present</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The wife
‘Kalamandalam’ Rajashree (debutante Anusree who was the winner of a reality
show on Surya TV called Vivel Active Fair Big Break) is the <i>antham
kuntham illatha paavam penkutti</i>. Born in a traditional tharavadu in
Palakkad, her life does not exist beyond her multitude of Ammais and Ammavans
who are all well-off in life but want to get her married-off so that they can
sell off the tharavadu. She tries to make a place for herself in their Dubai
house but is a misfit as she struggles to match his personality in an arranged marriage that has purely 'economic' value. They share very few tender moments but at the end, in a single (too flamboyant for my liking) gesture, she wins him over. It is a choice that she makes but if Arun finds himself in such a situation, would he done the same thing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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While we cheer and
laugh with Lakshmi, empathize and admire Maya, Rajashree is given a
raw deal by Lal Jose. All three ladies go through suffering but it’s hard to
feel for the wife whose every action or word is subject to ridicule. <i>Is it a
man’s perspective of how he sees his wife?</i> There are a few genuine moments like
when he apologies for screaming at her or is sorry for disappearing for a day
without telling her, but these are insufficient for us to be touched by the
helplessness of her character, who has been married off by her family to a
stranger who has no interest in her. Wish Lal Jose had put more spunk in Rajashree's character and forced Arun to re-assess his marriage than putting it down to a default choice that they accept - a <i>nadan penkutti</i> can think independently also, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Diamond Necklace</b> is about love but also about loss of
trust and betrayal by a man, driven by helplessness. He is a pawn to his past
indiscretions and slides into a quagmire that he cannot extricate himself in.
He cannot justify his actions but is unwilling to accept the fact that his life
is built on a false sense of security, constructed on a mounting pile of debts
that need to be paid. His carelessness towards wealth is akin to the way he
handles his emotions in life – when he spends the night with Maya or gets
married to Rajashree, he plays to his emotions which he has no control on. When
Dr Savitri finds him in Maya’s house and asks why he’s not told Maya that he’s
married, he says that she never asked him!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fahad Fazil is an
intelligent actor who has associated himself with central grey roles in all his
recent movies. Even though he is a man who self-destructs, he is imminently
likeable in the movie (watch his <i>chammal</i> as he realizes what
his <i>stree dhanam</i> is worth or his instant yes to live in Maya’s house or his
interaction with Lakshmi) and it helps that his character is written as a man
who is basically good-natured but whose indiscretions cost him a great deal.
It’s not that we suddenly discover shades of grey in Arun or he turns over a
new leaf in a instant; there is an ambivalence in his character as his mind
oscillates between his temptations and the fear of the consequence of his
actions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are times when
you think Lal Jose may sound pedantic in his approach especially when focusing
on the patient George who’s a cancer patient or showcasing the lives of people
like Venu Ettan (Sreenivasan) who have been suffering for years in labour camps
to take care of their families back home but he does not push the sympathy
button hard enough for us to complain. The contrast between the house at Burj
Khalifa and the labour camp, his rich friends vis-à-vis that of the poor
workers are deliberate but these are minor issues. There was a temptation to
inject a twist in the tail (like a sudden cancer when Arun vomits after
drinking or getting Maya killed in the hospital) or come up with simple
solutions to problems the way Lal did in <b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/3838/malayalam/arabikatha/1225/review.htm" target="_blank">Arabikkatha</a></b> but there are no short-cuts
here. Life needs to be lived as and how it happens to us and the director
pushes us forward to accept the reality of the situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You must thank
writer Dr Iqbal Kuttipuram for keeping a sense of humour throughout the movie as
Arun juggles his misfortunes with his actions that compound his problems. There
is an almost <b><a href="http://www.hindu.com/lr/2004/04/04/stories/2004040400290400.htm">VKN</a></b> sense
of humour as he makes fun of the Palakkad household with its plethora of
uncles (<i>bandhu balam</i>), Mutashi’s idle talk and the <i>stree dhanam</i> scene which takes the cake.
His acute embarrassment at being sold a turkey is evident but he he has ti hide his disappointment. Even when he is sarcastic (<i><b>stree dhanam kondu
kappalandi kazhikkan</b></i> or <i><b>Dubaiyil car padikkan cycle balance
mathi</b></i>), Rajashree is unable to comprehend it. The friendly Tamil banter
with Lakshmi is refreshingly funny and sets up the initial tempo of a gentle
rom-com (though her mother’s scenes can be done away with).<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a lot of
scope for melodrama but the direct eschews loud moments in favour of more sober
moments of reflection. Recollect the scene when Arun realises that Maya was
sporting a wig; she laughs it off while he remarks that philosophy is only
between a doctor a patient. Or when Lakshmi comes to know that her lover is
married – there is a silence as the camera takes a long distressed shot of the
two facing each other only to be suddenly disturbed by the call for an
emergency in the hospital to attend to Maya. Or finally, when there is a good bye scene, there is no rancour just a nod of sadness and an acceptance of fate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Structurally, the
movie starts off on a simple note but as it progresses, multiple threads
intertwine and the final product is a satisfying experience. While many may
baulk towards the end when the director tries to clearly spell out the
directions that each of his characters takes, I think the director
conceptualized the final three scenes in a beautiful way bringing together the
various elements in the universe – air, earth and water – to close the final
shot. The first frame takes us to an airport as one of the protagonists bids adieu, the camera then moves to high up in the mountains in search of redemption and finally culminates with the sea as the backdrop witnessing the characters accepting each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is most
satisfying is that after a few duds, Lal Jose is back with what he does best –
tell us a story first. <b>Diamond Necklace</b> is a compelling human drama that
brings a smile to your face as you go through Arun’s roller-coaster of emotion
and financial troubles. As the closing credits rolled in PVR Goregaon,
there was a spontaneous applause from the audience – what more can a director
ask from his audience?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The movie gives
credit to Bengali Director Indranil Roychowdhury’s short film </i><b>Tapan Babu</b><i> (a story in the 2005 movie </i><b>Ek Mutho Chobi</b><i>) as one of the inspirations of the film –
story-wise, it is a small portion that has been inspired but it is good to see
this acknowledgement.</i><br />
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Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/05/diamond-necklace-movie-review-diamonds-relationships/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/05/diamond-necklace-movie-review-diamonds-relationships/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-72929963713370987952012-05-08T22:26:00.002+05:302012-05-08T22:35:50.888+05:30Grandmaster<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With a filmography
that boasts of forgettable stuff like <i>Pramani</i>, <i>Madambi</i> and <i>The Thriller</i>, it is difficult
to approach B Unnikrishnan’s <b>Grandmaster</b>, with a sense of expectation, despite
its impressive trailer. But then these are better times that mainstream
Malayalam cinema finds itself in and so you are unexpectedly served an engaging
investigation drama, without the usual humdrum and noise that comes associated
with these movies. UTV’s maiden Malayalam venture is a slick non-melodramatic
thriller that will gladden the hearts of Mohanlal’s genuine fans who have been
cheated by his superstar persona movies in these last few years.<br />
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Chandrasekhar
(Mohanlal) is a washed out senior cop who after years of honorary postings in
the department is made the head of Metro Crime Stopper Cell in Kochi, a cell
created so that the public can alert the police if they sense the possibility
of a crime happening. Once a highly regarded cop, he is now listless as he
takes part in office proceedings wallowing in the separation from his wife, a
criminal lawyer, Deepthi (Priyamani), supposedly due to professional rivalry
and an ego clash. His only ray of hope is their daughter Dakshayini whom he
meets twice in a month while the rest of the days are spent in solitude.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You know he is a
loner – the camera follows him as he cooks and eats alone or sits alone in the
dark looking blankly at the rain. At work, when a crime is reported by an
eye-witness, he’s glad to push the case to the Commissioner’s office than work
on it himself and is more concerned that he is not able to find a maid to take
care of his house. Eventually, he’s forced to shed his indifference and
investigate a serial murder mystery that is closely linked to his life. Even
then, Chandrasekhar is initially more than happy to opt out of the game and let
the antagonist backtrack from the conflict but there is no alternative and he
has to tackle the situation head-on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Grandmaster follows
a more traditional narrative by eschewing technical gimmickry and sticking to
essential police investigation. There are no hi-fi gadgets, DNA, fingerprints
or any scientific jargon thrown to us and is pure old-fashioned analytical
investigation at work. This suits the feel of the movie which is rolled out to
the viewers in the form of an intense chess game, where the action is all in
the mind, with minimal action. There is no verbal or physical bravado involved
as the cops go about their job clinically. The momentum builds up slowly till
the end game is reached and a final Gambit is needed to seal the match fair and
square.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It would be safe to
assume that Unnikrishnan may have been inspired by English movies in the way
Lal’s character is written and the central theme is explored but they don’t
look out of place even in a more lethargic Kerala setting. <b>Grandmaster</b> is a
quiet thriller in which the cops try to link all the threads together to
unravel a bizarre murderer and it shows them on equal footing with
Chandrasekhar as the team leader. It is largely a team effort and Lal’s character
does not overwhelm the script with any over the top moments of brilliance. The
presence of an ungainly lady Commissioner and her antics make for a few weak
moments but the director does not allow their conflict to boil over and keeps
the professional rivalry dignified.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Several ideas are
explored as part of the investigation – a killer psychopath on the prowl driven
by religious ideas, a stalker of women or personal vendettas playing themselves
out but none of the ideas are monopolized by an ultra-smart Chandrasekhar. Most
of the action happens in the police control rooms as they try to figure out
what the supposedly <i>Alphabetic Murderer</i> has in his mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For a murder drama,
I think that the director may have missed a trick or two in making it an edgy,
dark thriller and that is what stops the movie from achieving a higher
pedigree. The proceedings have a slightly laid-back feel to it, thereby
reducing the overall impact of a taut script but maybe this was a deliberate
attempt to go along with the mood of the characters. I am a little perplexed by the rather frequent usage of English in many of the dialogues - was it a suggestion of bring cool and trendy because I think that it looked out of place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While <b>Grandmaster</b> is
primarily a crime thriller, it does not distance itself from the relationship
dynamics of the central characters. Chandrasekhar and his wife have a not so
amicable split but there is a hint of underlying affection between them. When
Dakshayini plans to refuse the money given by her mother for her drama
training, he stops her from doing so, so that her mother’s feelings are not
hurt. He remains in the background trying to protect his family without
informing them; when the time comes to confront Deepthi to know more about the
background story of the crime, they co-operate with each other with no hint of
any rancour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deepthi takes pride
in their daughter’s abilities inherited from her father and refuses Dr Jacob’s
marriage proposal stating her inability to justify the marital discord. There
is a palpable tension between the two men in her life but they do not allow the
discomfort to mar their interactions. When the eventual inevitable patch up happens, there are no scenes of regret; just a continuation of life. The father-daughter relationship is warm
and brings out the only time that Chandrasekhar is in his elements as he jokes
and spends time with her. Being an endearing father and a distant husband adds layers to the man in uniform. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mohanlal was always
expected to get the top billing for the role and he carries himself with utmost
dignity, coupled with a dashing look (yes, surprisingly) in the movie. He is a
thinking cop who is interested in books and chess and likes to play the waiting
game patiently. You know that his physique and age does not suggest that he can
bash up villains but even when he takes on a kidnapper initially, it lends
itself to be believable. There is no put on accent or makeup or an exaggerated swagger with an <i>I-know-it-all</i> look but he still demands your attention. It begs belief why directors hesitate to give him roles that go along with his age, when he looks absolutely untroubled in his current form. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While the character is
rather restrained and not gifted with a <b><i><a href="http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2006/08/27/review-vettaiyaadu-vilaiyaadu/" target="_blank">Raghavan instinct</a></i></b>, Unnikrishnan still
drops a couple of hints of the ‘superstar’ actor when Chandrasekhar remarks
that only he can do properly what he does or when he asks his daughter to ask
her dramatics teacher to ask him in case of any doubts. Lot of superstar movies
have very little space for the remaining actors, especially the female leads,
but Priyamani, Narain and Jagathy have concrete presences in the plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Directors of mystery
movies are obsessed with the idea of spreading their net of suspicion far and
wide in the plot and then suddenly pulling the rug from our feet and casting an
unexpected character as the villain. When there is a deliberate attempt to
plant the seed of suspicion randomly on characters, it becomes a contrived and
dishonest attempt to mislead the audience and such an approach fails if the
final twist is pretty incongruous, which is fortunately not the case here, even
though the climax scene gets stretched a little more than needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In <b>Grandmaster</b>,
there is a hint of doubt that is cast on Kishore’s (Narain) girl friend Bindiya
(Mithra Kurian), the psycho Victor (Babu Antony), the Police Commissioner and
even the psychiatrist Dr Jacob Varghese (Anoop Menon) but the fears are not
exaggerated. We know that Victor is just a ruse for a more shady character
lurking in the background but it still does not make his character redundant.
The logic may have been a little over the top and unexplainable on certain
occasions (recollect the scene regarding the change of lyrics in Beena’s song
and its linking to <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>) but it is mostly well grounded.
However, I strongly think that directors must avoid scenes when the hero or for
that matter, the villain explains the entire sequence of events in the form of
soliloquy with the rest of the crew and the audience watching – these look too
dramatic in any movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In recent times,
young urban film makers have been successful in creating a new cinematic
grammar in Malayalam but the evidence has been fairly limited. However, the
fact that second rung directors like Johnny Antony (in <b><i><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9211/malayalam/masters/3647/review.htm" target="_blank">Masters</a></i></b>) and
Unnikrishnan are also re-modelling their style in a trickle-down effect of the
changes at the top is a welcome sign. Masters showed a bit of promise but
faltered big time mid-way; <b>Grandmaster</b> may not be a classic but it delivers more than expected and
is arguably among the better investigative thrillers that Malayalam
has seen.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/05/grandmaster-movie-review-thriller-that-surprises/">http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/05/grandmaster-movie-review-thriller-that-surprises/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-20650707506946847452012-04-10T23:59:00.000+05:302012-04-13T09:00:48.819+05:30Sadayam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The condemned cell is a small enclosed isolated space in jail where the lights never go off and the sentry does not go to sleep. It is a place where even hardened criminals breakdown as they wait for the eventual black warrant to be issued which will sentence them to the gallows forever. The slow wait for Death’s embrace is more painful than the actual swift action that leads to the final emancipation.<br />
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A sturdy man in his early 30s, who betrays no sign of his impending fate, walks into this condemned cell calmly with no sense of fear. Can a man be so devoid of conscience that even after committing multiple murders and standing on the threshold of the Hangman’s noose, he smiles to himself in a self-serving sense of martyrdom?<br />
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Sathyanathan (Mohan Lal) is condemned to death for brutally murdering four persons – two adults and two young girls – and is awaiting his final call. He shows no remorse and is just as cheerful as a man who knows he has done no wrong. The prison doctor Dr Nambiar’s (Thilakan) son Vijayan is one of Sathyan’s victims; he wants to sign his death certificate and see the fear in his eyes as he is led up the gallows but the doctor is just as puzzled as to why the crime was committed.<br />
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There are appeals in lower courts and petitions for pardons by the cops as a matter of routine but Sathyan has no great interest in living. Eventually, when he wishes to start life again on a fresh slate because he now wants to live, in an O Henry-sque moment, he’s denied a pardon and on Sept 29th, 1991, two years after he is originally convicted of the multiple murders, he is hanged to death. In a series of flashbacks, the story unfolds focussing on Sathyan’s past and recreates the chilling crime scene, explaining his actions.<br />
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Sathyan is a ‘bastard’ who is bullied and abused in his childhood by the people around him until he is rescued by a priest (Nedumudi Venu) who realises that the kid is a talented artist. Under the aegis of Father, Sathyan becomes a painter who makes a living by painting sign boards and hoardings. As part of one of his assignments, he takes a rented house in Kozhikode next to a house of ill-virtue where Jaya (Mathu) and her two young sisters live with their aunts. They have no future to look forward to and it is only a matter of time when the aunts get them to carry out the <i>kutumba thozhil</i>.<br />
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He helps the kids in their education and gets Jaya a job in the company in which he’s working. Sathyan likes Jaya and wishes to marry her but destiny has other ideas; circumstances force her to end up as a prostitute and there are signs that her sisters will sink in the same quagmire later. In a moment of extreme paranoia, Sathyan kills the two girls in a bid to save them from prostitution and eventually both the guys responsible for her state.<br />
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As a product of a broken household, Sathyan is immensely disturbed when he sees the girls headed into a bottomless pit where there is no escape. There is a sense of extreme helplessness and resignation of the fact that despite his efforts to rescue Jaya, he is unable to do so. He seeks his redemption through an act which represents an angst against society for its attitudes towards human trafficking. He does not regret his actions but later on as the movie progresses to a juncture when there are moments of contemplation and solitude, he is unsure of his act.<br />
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The multiple-murder scene is a slightly elaborate but extremely chilling piece that shakes you. You know that it will culminate in a murder but the thought still does not prepare you for what you see. It is largely shot in close-up and seeks to transform his character into a wild demonic one, as indicated in his painting. The atmosphere is built gradually with tense background music and the usage of dim lights with a red tinge, magnifying the impact of the gruesomeness of the scene. When Minikutty comes running to him escaping from the broker Chandran, it is a moment of déjà vu for Sathyan. He believes that his actions can only delay the inevitable and there is no escape for the kids and that one day or the other, they will be forced into the flesh trade.<br />
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It is not a planned murder but is also not something that happens in the heat of the moment. Eliminating just the perpetrators will not help, he reckons, because in some form of the other, they will eventually make their appearance and destroy the lives of the hitherto innocent kids; the society will never allow them to survive with dignity. A sense of moral uprightness coupled with desperation and extreme paranoia drives him to stab them to death.<br />
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<i>Pedikka entha niram? Chuvappo atho karuppo? Krithyam niram illa – niram maari kondu irikkum. Pedi kore kazhiyumbol thamasha aavum, thamasha pinne pottichiri, pinne paatu, pinne karchil….</i><br />
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Is a normal human being capable of such an extreme act of violence? There are a couple of scenes that depict Sathyan’s sudden sense of unexplained anger and a scene where Father warns him to stay out of trouble, especially physically – these were possibly written to make us accept such extreme violence from an otherwise soft-spoken man like Sathyan who normally does not wear his emotions on his sleeve. A part of the tragedy is that we also accept that there is no way out of this repulsive future and go along with his actions.<br />
<br />
Most of the film is shot in Kannur Central Jail and there is a general bleakness to the proceedings and MT redeems the atmosphere by bringing a dark sense of humour to the proceedings. There is a detailed discussion on the setup used for the final act, including a demonstration of how it is done – it may have been funny if not for the cruel irony behind it. Recollect the scenes where the cops talk about the quality of rope used for hanging and mentions that it is supplied by a Government company now unlike earlier (nationalisation of the Rope of Death!) or when he says that the lever for hanging needs further oiling to facilitate the hanging smoothly or the police superintendent’s suggestion to take bath in hot water on the day before the hanging because it’s cold early in the morning.<br />
<br />
During his last days, the warders ask him to exercise so that he can be in proper shape before the hanging, the jail barber tends to his needs and he is offered proper food and Sathyan remarks how a goat is fattened before it is finally executed. Thankfully, it shies away from creating any unnecessary villainous characters in the jail but we are privy to their state of mind as they ponder on the eventual fate that awaits Sathyan on the fateful day. The prisoner scenes with TG Ravi and Sreenivasan tend to border on a sense of pushing the audience towards empathy but that’s just a minor blip.<br />
<br />
On another level, the movie also raises questions on the appropriateness of capital punishment and also asks if there is a better way to carry it out (however academic this thought maybe). Waiting everyday with the sword of Damocles hanging around one's neck is a painful way to live. It is quite apt in a country like ours where Governments and courts sit for years on judgements and increase the agony of everyone involved in the case.<br />
<br />
Sibi Malayil made a name for himself as a director primarily in combination with scenarist <i><b><a href="http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/lohithadas.html">A K Lohithadas</a></b></i> but Sadayam is penned by <b><i><a href="http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/mtvasu.html">MT Vasudevan Nair</a></i></b>, who won the National Award for Best Screenplay in 1993 for the movie. It’s a pity that the two worked together only once just as MT and Bharathan had come together for the magnificent <b><i><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2011/06/revisiting-classic-thazhvaram.html">Thazhvaram</a></i></b>. MTs script is a disturbing exploration of human angst which we experience along with Sathyan and he is ably supported by Johnson’s edgy background music but what elevates the movie to a higher cinematic experience is Mohan Lal's magnificent emotionally charged intense performance.<br />
<br />
For the first few minutes of the movie, he speaks very little but the eyes and body language speak a thousand words. Does his smile capture the quiet delight of a man who has committed such a heinous act or is there a repentance of having committed a crime? He largely stays stoic to the events around him and smiles away all attempts by Murali to save him but gradually, there is a desire to live and the first time he betrays his expression is when he breaks down crying hearing of a stay order against his execution.<br />
<br />
The anger and frustration that he experiences as he realizes the fate of the girls erupts itself in a horrifying multiple murder scene. It is a 10 minute sequence and it showcases a man whose mental faculties have broken down and is in a sense of insane outrage. As the stabs pierce through the children, there is a wry smile followed by an intense laughter at having saved the kids. He repaints his canvas with the knife smeared with their blood and achieves his redemption – was it for his inability to stop the inevitability or against the society for allowing it to happen? It is a performance that has a stomach churning effect which leaves you shell-shocked and disturbingly accept that this was the only way out….<br />
<br />
Sadayam isn’t a movie that you can forget quickly. It has a haunting and almost depressing quality that keeps coming back at you again and again…<br />
<br />
Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - <a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/04/09/sadayam-the-magical-combination-of-sibi-malayil-m-t-vasudevan-nair-mohanlal/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/04/09/sadayam-the-magical-combination-of-sibi-malayil-m-t-vasudevan-nair-mohanlal/</a></div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-10155418338257077042012-04-01T13:40:00.000+05:302012-04-01T13:49:21.150+05:30Ee Adutha Kaalathu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Arun
Kumar Aravind was successful in remaking Pierce Brosnan starrer <b><i><a href="http://www.cinemaniacreviews.com/post/944612040/review-butterfly-on-a-wheel-2007">Butterfly on a Wheel</a></i></b> into a stimulating <b><i><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7785/malayalam/cocktail/2780/review.htm">Cocktail</a></i></b> but it carried the tag of an ‘inspired’ uncredited
movie. Murali Gopy, journalist and thespian Bharath Gopi’s son who was last
seen in Bharamaram, had earlier penned Dileep’s <b><i><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/1877/malayalam/rasikan/367/review.htm">Rasikan</a></i></b> but there are not too
many people who can recall the movie. In a sort of redemption movie, the two
come together in <b>Ee Adutha Kaalathu</b>, a movie that gives Trivandrum an identity
beyond its lingua franca, made infamous by Suraj Venjaramoodu.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Ee Adutha
Kaalathu does not make Trivandrum a full-fledged character in itself like
Kahaani or <b><i><a href="http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/bullet-point-report-shor-in-the-city/">Shor in the City</a></i></b> but it gives the city its due by imparting its
precincts with a life of its own, whether it is the wastage grounds of <b><i><a href="http://sv1.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=118136">Thopilashala</a></i></b>
where protestors demand a stop to the dumping of garbage (but ironically dump
their waste in the same pandal), the town side where people survive doing odd
jobs or the urban centres where marital discords and sensational stories are
not easily hidden from the eyes of yellow journalistic papers like Thee. It
starts with the wastage of Thopilashala and eventually comes to a close at the
same place (<i>You were made from the dust and into the dust, you shall return</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Ee Adutha
Kaalathu</b> (<b>EAK</b> henceforth) is a fascinating hyperlink movie (movie with multiple
narratives and storylines) brought together by an extremely clever screenplay
and engaging set of characters which keeps you to the edge of your seat till
the very end. It is not a conventional thriller – a major crime goes on at the
background with very little notice while a minor crime sets off a wild chain of
events that changes the lives of the people involved. It is almost impossible
to discuss this movie without spending a lot of the time talking how the script
evolves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In most
hyperlink movies, there are a set of characters who go about their lives till
one incident brings all of them together but in <b>EAK</b>, there is no one major
point of inflexion. There is a reason for the scenes to exist in a manner that
they come across and eventually, each of them has a link to a larger context in
the movie. Murali Gopy’s script is the hero of the story and I have not come
across a more seamless and effortless flow of scenes and characters in a
Malayalam movie in recent times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In the
heart of the city, Ajay and Madhuri Kurien (Murali Gopy and Tanushree Ghosh)
are in a marriage that is under siege due to Ajay’s weird and abusive behaviour
and the only saving grace is the presence of their cricket-crazed son Ayush. At
the other end, in an Agraharam, are Vishnu and Ramani (Indrajith and Mythili)
who are deep in debt but survive on the odd jobs that they manage to find in
the city. Ramani is a rag picker wile Vishnu creates objects from the waste
(the one who does the actual job of recycling here as the voiceover says) and
sells them to make a living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Tom
Cherian (Anoop Menon) is an IPS police officer who has returned from a brief
training at Scotland Yard but is clearly out of depth in the hard-nosed job of
police investigation and is looking for short cuts to achieve success on his
job. Roopa Vasudevan (Lena), Madhuri’s friend, is an investigative journalist
and feminist who eventually falls for Tom, in a convenient law-meets-media
marriage. Rustam (Nishan) is a North Indian construction worker who makes money
by making porn videos and is out to entice an extremely frustrated Madhuri.
Somewhere in the background, there also lurks a serial killer who hacks old
people to death and flees with their valuables and cash. An attempted heist
goes wrong one day and then….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There are
no black-and-white characters (even the city is tarnished by its overflowing
garbage dumping ground) and each has a background that lowers their sheen. Ajay
Kurien’s past holds a key to his absurd sexual behaviour now, Madhuri has had a
not so memorable life behind the arc lights, Tom Cherian’s training at Scotland
Yard makes him a butt of jokes, Roopa Vasudevan’s promiscuous and ‘liberal’
views serve as a mask for her insecurity that Thee paper exposes and even
Vishnu has a past filled with misadventures and failed attempts to make a
secure life for himself in the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Life is
full of surprises that cannot be explained but care has been taken to get the
script to go beyond these co-incidences and crank visuals into the plot that
explain a lot of what happens in the future – it’s almost like there is no
co-incidence and every scene exists for some specific reason. Even before the
Laughing Buddha creates havoc, we get a glimpse of it standing unsteadily on
top of the shelf. We see the broken kitchen handle in an earlier scene to
justify the house break-in, Vishnu’s arrival in Doctor’s Colony is preceded by
his role as a sub-broker for a house deal there, Ajay’s aversion towards Hindi
and his long sight by itself is trivial but they have a relevance towards the
end of the movie when Ajay almost discovers Madhuri’s secret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In terms
of its form, EAK uses visual echoes to set the mood and tone of the movie at
regular intervals. The reading on the parish wall, the presence of the Lord and
the Father and even the RSS fleetingly suggests a helping hand from the top
(literally you’d realize when you watch the movie), life’s complexities (and
maybe the director’s!) as symbolized by the Rubik’s cube which Ayush finally
solves at the end, the car accident that begins and closes the movie, the
mirror which hides more than it reveals is used many times and the hacking of
the neck finds its resonance on more than one occasion (including Vishnu’s name
as Vettu ‘Vishnu’).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>EAK</b>
starts on a bit of a sluggish note with and takes quite some time to establish
the basic fault lines in the plot. It finally takes off with full ignition
almost 90 mins into the 1st half when Vishnu realises that something needs to
be done fast to get his life back on track. On a minor quibbling note, the
scriptwriter Murali Gopy does not full justice to his own story. He is sexually
frustrated due to some untoward incidents in his life and takes it out on his
wife but when Bonakkad Ramachandran (Jagathy) threatens to expose him and is
warned by Roopa, he makes a retreat. But does it affect his relationship with
his wife? Wonder why this side of the story was not taken to a more logical
conclusion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It also
makes an attempt to stay away from stereotypes and so there are no permanent
heroes and villains in the piece. The only person who ends with a more redeemed
character at the end is the man with the lowest moral angle in the beginning.
Roopa and Madhuri share a close friendship but even when Madhuri says she knows
that Roopa will die but not reveal her secret, there is a veiled threat behind
it or when Madhuri talks about her disastrous fling, the first thing that Roopa
asks is <i>Did you have sex</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As the
title suggests, <b>EAK</b> is a very contemporary movie peppered with a lot of
references to real life incidents but except for a couple of instances, the
rest of them form a part of the narrative. So, you have Padmanabha Swamy Temple's overwhelming presence at the background, problems with the Nano car’s performance,
concerns on the rising North Indian population among workers, sanitation
problems in the city, changing attitudes to sex, yellow gossip journalism and
tax raids on the two superstars (the only reference that is at once forced into
the narrative).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Indrajith
plays with aplomb the central role linking most of the narratives and his
choice of characters have ensured that he always has a few interesting movies
up his sleeve. Anoop Menon is a personal favourite now (had a hearty laugh when
he says I suspect a terror link at the scene of the murder or gives a detailed
ppt sketch of the suspected killer) while Jagathy continues to make cameos
count big with his stellar show (it's a tragedy that we may not see him for quite some time now; hope he bounces back <b><a href="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/mollywood/jagathy-sreekumar-long-road-recovery-943">after his accident</a></b>).
Tanushree Ghosh as Madhuri suffers a wee bit with the dubbing at times but
makes her presence felt otherwise. But the biggest stars in the movie have to be Murali Gopy, Arun and
Gopi Sundar in their roles as the scenarist, editor and music director.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">All so
casually, many of us talk about fantastic scripts but you must watch <b>EAK</b> to
understand how the writing literally drives the plot. Every small bend or curve
is negotiated with finesse and is well-oiled; the dialogues are smart and funny
and for most part, fit in with the natural scheme of things without forced
humour (witness the police questioning when they stop Madhuri’s car or
Duckworth-Lewis method in Ayush’s match or Tom’s serious observations on the
crime). It is easy to get carried away by the premise of talking of too many
things at the same time or going too glitzy and snappy while executing the
movie (the <b><i><a href="http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/review-kaminey-life-partner/">Kaminey</a></i></b> types) but <b>EAK</b> does not get carried away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">With a
movie that works like a Rubik’s cube, the editor has a critical role in playing
it just at the right pace so that all the clues and links fit in smoothly,
without any hurdles and the editor-director translates the directorial vision
into clear cinematic space. Gopi Sundar’s brilliant BGM acts as a glue in
fusing all these aspects together (of course, I was told later that the main
theme music is <b><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2AgNQgYUk">rip-off from the soundtrack</a></i></b> of a 1998 English movie <b><i><a href="http://www.reelviews.net/movies/n/next.html">Next StopWonderland</a></i></b>) and you have a winner in your hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Multi-starrers
remind me of a strategy that Brad Pitt explains in <b><i><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/nov/27/moneyball-review-brad-pitt-baseball">Moneyball</a></i></b> – if you can’t
replace a top player with another with the resources in one’s hand, get an
equivalent number of players who can create the same impact. It makes imminent
sense in Malayalam where resources are scarce but expectations continue to be
high (see how we react every time the National Awards are announced). I’d like
to think that the success of <b><i>Traffic</i></b> has put the spotlight on low and
mid-budget movies, starring multiple actors ‘decent’ screenplays and innovative trailers and <b>EAK</b> is an off-spring of this new development…<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><i>P.S Wonder why this movie has not been released outside Kerala? EAK has completed more than a 30 day run in Palakkad, so should be considered as doing pretty well but very few people I know seem to have seen it...Surprisingly!!!</i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - </span><a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/30/ee-adutha-kaalathu-movie-review-of-multiple-characters-and-a-vibrant-city/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/30/ee-adutha-kaalathu-movie-review-of-multiple-characters-and-a-vibrant-city/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-56292716874088503112012-03-14T00:27:00.001+05:302012-03-14T00:34:31.680+05:30Nidra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Let me
start with a confession – I walked out of the theatre in quite
an ambivalent state of mind after watching Siddharth Bharathan’s <b>Nidra</b>. I suppose I was
kind of upset and angry but still unclear whether the anger was with the movie
or with what the movie told me. Some movies talk to you consciously – they tell
you things on the face and make you react instantly while some others work at a
sub-conscious level – you don’t necessarily know what the movie meant to you,
atleast initially. Probably Nidra has such an impact…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I haven’t
watched Bharathan’s original <b>Nidra</b>; in fact, not even heard of the movie, so
there are no comparisons that I can make. On second thoughts, it is not even
needed – every movie has to talk for itself and not for it is supposed to stand
for. Nidra is about a man’s descent into a world of insanity, watched
helplessly by his wife and the society as it looks at him half in jest and half
in bewilderment at a condition that they don’t understand or even don’t want to
understand. It isn't an exploration of what drives him into this quagmire but
an observation of how he sinks continuously into it with no support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In the
initial scenes, we are told that Raju (Siddharth) has had a past where he
suffered from a mental illness after the death of his mother. The doctor Vijay
Menon (who played Raju in Bharathan’s original movie) explains it as a feeling
of extreme paranoia where the character is extremely fearful of everything
around him and cannot trust anyone. He sees his brother and friends as
aggressors who interfere in his activities and don’t allow him to live life the
way he wants to. He is intelligent and talented but there is no one who
understands or appreciates him; his scholarship abroad or money spent on
projects are only to ensure that he does not go berserk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Aswathy
(Rima Kallingal) enters into this world - maybe as a substitute for his mother
– and is at once sucked into the vortex of this issue. Now, I did wish that the
movie explored the mother-son relationship more so that we can try to
understand his anxieties more but it leaves that idea to our imagination. Raju
needs love to protect him from the outside world that his mother may have
provided for earlier and now his wife hoped to do but she’s alone in shielding
him from emotional taunts of the society. They share a passionate and sensuous
relationship and her support helps him to sail in the boat of normalcy for some
time. She throws in a cloak of protection on a couple of occasions and hopes
against hope that things would change, but they go worse till it hits rock
bottom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">She
realizes that Raju lives in a different world in the bed of Nature, away from
the human population. Raju’s idyllic land is an allegory for a place where Man
and animals live together and there is no fear of each other (even a snake is
seen as harmless in his eyes) unlike the real world where he faces being
hounded by hundreds of eyes all gunning from him. It’s probably true that there
is more to be afraid of the human world with all its avarice and terror than
the rest of the universe which goes about its life obeying the laws of Nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Raju is
ultra-sensitive, which is a disqualification in a world that puts a premium on
being tough and street smart (<i>killer instinct</i> as we take pride in saying).
Every glance or remark is interpreted by his muddled mind as an attempt to
chain him down and push him further into a state of madness. But there is a
thin line between sanity and insanity and at times, it is difficult to separate
the two and then the mind asks the question who is truly insane – someone who seeks
to destroy the tranquility of Nature forest or somebody who protects it and
finds peace within it. In one of the scenes, when his anger reaches a
crescendo, he is even willing to kill but even then a part of his sub-conscious
mind prevents him from doing so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The movie
largely operates from his view point and so everything is mostly seen as a violation
of his freedom. His piece of land which is decorated with books and his
inventions is far away from human existence and the only place where he can
find his peace of mind. Through Sameer Thahir’s lens and Prashant Pillai's BGM,
Chalakudy is exotic but there is a deliberate attempt to shoot Raju’s world in
all its romantic colours to magnify the rift between his house and the world
that he seeks refuge in and also raise a concern towards environmental
degradation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There are
two worlds in the movie and in Raju’s mind – his sane secure free world and the
insane greedy world inhabited by the rest of the populace. There is a stretch
of water that separates the two worlds and the twain can never meet;
eventually, when his place is being ripped apart, the dam of emotions breaks
loose and it comes to a point of no return. There is bound to be an element of
ambiguity and lack of clarity when a movie deals with a subject that it cannot totally
explain and I'm willing to give benefit of doubt to Siddharth when we find
ourselves lost at times in the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Siddharth
looks and plays his part as the mentally-disturbed Raju but I think he has the
makings of a better director than an actor and the audience may connect to the
character with a better performer. He is raw and angry inside but I was
searching for a sense of fear and insecurity that I did not find in him. I
wanted to empathize with Raju but could not get myself to do that – the
repeated bouts of insanity and our necessity to rationalize every act makes it
difficult to take that extra leap of faith, I suppose. Rima shakes off her
normal urban sophistication and gets down to playing an anxious wife, unable to
handle her husband’s frequent outbursts. She pleads, cajoles and compels him to
listen to her and make him understand his follies but the panacea is not so simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Even
though the film plays out through Raju’s viewpoint largely, it does not isolate
the rest of the cast as negative. His brother and relatives do not get along
with him well but there is a concern that is shown between them and we are not
looking at a black-and-white divide between a man and his greedy family. They
try to help him out at times and are tolerant of his unusual behaviour but are
equally weary about it. The family is helpless and after a point of time
desperate to turn its back towards him but this is also due to their inability
to handle the situation – after all, it is not just the patient who struggles
but also his near and dear ones in these circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Mental
illness is a theme that people are not very uncomfortable talking about – maybe
if you paint it as a melodramatic piece as Blessy's <i><b><a href="http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/2510/malayalam/thanmatra/594/review.htm">Thanmatra</a></b></i> did, they find it
easier to handle. If you can manipulate the audience and get them to sympathize
with the character and get a good actor to play the part, most of the work is
done. But if it is raw, disturbing and inexplicable, we don’t want to face it;
we want to rationalize it but putting on a logical cap in a world where logic
has no role to play makes it difficult to appreciate the problem. <i>No one really
knows for sure what causes mental illness, and why it happens or what is its
cure. Is it genetic, social, circumstantial, sheer grit or something else?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">From an
audience perspective, the deal breaker is their lack of emotional investment in
Raju's character. In <b><i>Thanmatra</i></b>, we are exposed to Ramesan Nair's aspirations
and are involved at multiple levels with his family, his work and his attempts
to get his son to fulfill his dreams. In Sibi Malayil's gut wrenching
<i><b>Thaniyavarthanam</b></i>, we relate to Balan Mash's victimization as he is pushed to
the edge of his sane self (remember the poignant scene where the students are
scared of him in the school) and we root for him in all his suffering.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
Or think of Lohithadas' brilliant debut <b><i>Bhoothakannadi</i></b> where Vidyadharan's mind, within the<br />
<span lang="EN-US">claustrophobic walls of the prison, is unable to differentiate between the real world and an external fantasy. We know his fears are exaggerated and irrational but the tragedy plays in our minds too as we sense the wilderness of his mind. There
are defining moments in these movies that we hold close to our heart, enabling
us to transcend their state of mind. But to many of us watching Raju's agony,
he comes across as a remote figure with little sense of his emotional upheaval
and the trials and tribulations in his mind - maybe it is deliberately done but
I think you can only empathize with the character when you know him
sufficiently enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">As
someone who has seen mental illness from a very close range, it is difficult
for me to look at the issue in its entire sense of objectivity. There are
memories that play back to and froth and it is difficult to express that
anguish on the wider lens and it is understandable why people find it difficult
to sit through a movie like <b>Nidra</b>. There is no redeeming factor and no
prescription for the issue and you could argue that it is pointless to indulge
in self-flagellation. It’s difficult to say what I felt about the movie even
now – maybe it was disturbing is a good enough thought - and I don't expect too
many people to warm themselves to it….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">PS: Also
sharing a <i><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.in/2008/04/that-thing-called-mental-illness.html"><b>few thoughts here on mental illness</b></a></i> that I had written a few years
back as I observed it from close quarters….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez - </span><a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/13/nidra-2012-movie-review-through-the-eyes-of-raju/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/13/nidra-2012-movie-review-through-the-eyes-of-raju/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-33210590891089921862012-03-06T22:11:00.000+05:302012-03-06T22:11:00.416+05:30Kaiyoppu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSXJ-fZrbPc/T1IUGxmntNI/AAAAAAAAChc/qkFeX1UPiP0/s1600/K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSXJ-fZrbPc/T1IUGxmntNI/AAAAAAAAChc/qkFeX1UPiP0/s400/K.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Ranjith
was a name synonymous with larger than life super star personas and macho
characters until a low budget film named <b>Kaiyoppu</b> came by. Yes, <b><a href="http://anuradhawarrier.blogspot.in/2011/11/nandanam.html">Nandhanam</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_593467069"></span>Mizhi
Randilum<span id="goog_593467070"></span></a></b> were soft romantic movies which went against the audience perception
of the man but these were largely conventional works rooted in a familiar
Kerala cinema milieu. It was <b>Kaiyoppu</b> that broke away from the Ranjith school of film
making and made him a director whose craft begged to be taken seriously. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>Kaiyoppu</b> positions
itself primarily as a creative struggle engulfing the protagonist Balachandran’s
life as he overcomes his writer’s block. He is on the threshold of completing a
novel that is expected to change the face of Malayalam literature but his mind goes
blank and he is unable to complete the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">As his
mind wavers in a sense of restlessness and frustration, he meets Sivadasan
(Mukesh), a struggling publisher who is in search of a novel that can help his company
to stay afloat. His book house <i>Kilippattu Books</i> survives primarily on school
children guide books, cookery and environment books but his love for literature
leads him to Balan. Sivadasan realizes the potential of the novel and nudges him to complete it with the help of Balan’s erstwhile lover, Padma (Khushboo).
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The
writer’s block serves as a stumbling block for the emotions that are embedded
deep inside him; the words that have deserted him slowly return to his grasp as
the tender relationship between two very lonely individuals, connected by the
world of books, warms up. Padma, his college sweetheart, has gone through a
divorce after an unhappy marriage but philosophically accepts the failure
(<i>Manassu ozhinju veedu pole shantham</i> she says after the divorce) while Balan
has never got around to get married in his struggle for livelihood. This is in
sharp contrast to the <i>viplava dampathi kilikal</i> Sivadasan and Lalitha (Neena
Kurup) who elope and get married and start a publishing house with the gold
that Lalitha steals from her home while running away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Balan is
a loner who owns neither a mobile nor a clock and lives in a sense of
timelessness with only his books for company. He lives in a small lodge surrounding
himself with the sweet smell of books but works as an accountant in a
fertilizer factory amidst the stench of heaps of filth and garbage. He has no
great notions about his literary ability; in a nice little scene, Sivadasan
wakes him up late at night to praise him for his brilliant work but realizes that
Balan has scarcely registered the approbation and has gone to sleep again. Even when writer CP Vasudevan gushes about his work, he is reluctant to bask under the accolades.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">When Balan and
Padma bond again after many years through a series of phone conversations, they realise that the fires of the past may have been
extinguished but the smoke that emanates from it has not yet died. A romance that
was quietly shelved away due to class differences about two decades back
remains just as fresh, without a hint of remorse from the past. As they open up to each other, the initial doubts vanish (Balachandran becomes Balettan within minutes) and they realize that they have a second chance to fill their moments of solitude with love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The
romance is delicate and mature befitting the age of the protagonists and the
soft music that plays whenever they converse tugs at our heart strings gently.
The silent, introvert Balan jokes and laughs in her presence while she
opens herself to him about her failed marriage without a trace of uneasiness; no great words are exchanged but the glow on their faces says it all. In a delightfully
composed song sequence, Ranjith pays a tribute to Talat Mehmood's haunting melody <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p830G-Z1ayk"><i>Jalte Hain Jiske Liye</i></a></b> by </span>getting Padma to sing the same song on phone
just as Sunil Dutt had sung the original song to Nutan in Sujata; the voice that
sings has aged but so have the ears that hear the song.<br />
<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OMgLOzNNwjQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
Towards the end when he plays a Good Samaritan and sells his land to fund a poor Muslim girl’s operation, Balan refers
to this act as a proclamation of his new-found independence. He has found his Muse and is no longer constrained by geographical boundaries because his mind is now free. He has Padma by
his side and the world looks differently through this perspective. It is to
Ranjith’s credit that he re-discovers Khushboo who has a quiet elegance and
dignity that ensures that both the characters are evenly matched.
(I can only think of Urvashi and Khushboo who can still hold their own against the 'aging' superstars and appear convincing for that age.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">While the
writer’s block forms the crux of the movie, <b>Kaiyoppu</b> also strives to be a gentle
critique on Kerala society and the social and culture norms that have made us
what we are. Without being preachy, the movie sets an ambitious social agenda
for itself, hinting quietly at the Malayali’s attitudes towards literature,
marriage, roots and the terror around him. It takes potshots at the Kerala
society with its skimming observations on politics, suicide and alcoholism. We
have given up our literary moorings and embraced technology (<i>Mobile phone
illatha Malayali parayunna pole rare aayi pustakam vayikkuna Malayali</i>) and have
no time to indulge in the world of books. All that matters is money and even if
sleaze makes money, then we are glad to embrace it (<i>Aminnu paal kondu paysam
vere undakki vilkunna bheekara Malayaliyude specimen</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Ranjith’s
scenarist roots are the foundations of his work and so <b>Kaiyoppu</b> is largely a
literary film with the writing leaning on to the world of literature for support, which is probably the reason why the movie is not scripted by him but by a writer like </span><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambikasuthan_Mangad">Ambikasuthan Mangad</a></b> (in fact this is the only movie which he has directed but not
scripted). 'Writer's block' is a term bandied about frequently but it must have been a challenge for a writer to sense of vacuum that he finds himself in. It is very easy for a movie that is set in a literary atmosphere to walk into a trap of self-importance and masquerade as serious cinema where characters start speaking in a verbose and complicated manner, filled with 'meaningless' pauses.The initial scenes involving CP and Balan discussing Pamuk or people in a road stall discussing Israel-US relations makes you wonder whether the movie is trying too hard take itself very seriously, but thankfully Ranjith is aware that he has a story to tell us.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the essence of literature remains in the dialogues; sample the scene when Balan tells Padma that his dedication to her is not a <b>A Hundred Years of
Solitude</b> or when Sivadasan compares their destiny to Shelley's or when even the caretaker Babu talks about <b><i><a href="http://www.tehelka.com/story_main13.asp?filename=hub073005the_life_of.asp">Jameela’s autobiography</a></i></b> –
the references are not forced but flow along with the overall theme. But I find
it curious that most of the literary references are to foreign writers only and
the Malayalam sahitya world is given a miss. Maybe the idea was not restrict
the concept to a local milieu but give it a more universal feel.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The movie
falters in the last 15 or so minutes when it tries to cleave in a terror angle
into the plot. On paper, the twist in the plot is possibly appealing but when
translated onto the big screen, it finds itself on a slippery ground. The tone
of the movie changes abruptly to a harsher one but I don’t think that the
transition comes through as smoothly on screen. Wasn't there an attempt to thrust in a moral in a plot that did not need one?</span><br />
<br />
Mammooty is impressive as the struggling writer but looks out of place and almost unsure on how to pull off this
last moment twist by Ranjith and it spoils the texture of a
carefully crafted movie that was walking unhurriedly towards its destination. When Balan is manhandled by the cops and he breaks into some sort of a soliloquy, it looks like a contrived attempt to reach out to the audience and gain their sympathy. For
somebody who’s written a novel that Sivadasan describes as <i>karutha
haasyathinte itihaasam</i> (a nod to O V Vijayan’s <b><a href="http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/india/vijayan2.htm">Dharmapuranam</a></b>?), Balan comes
across as a rather naive character who’s not at ease with the ways of the
world, especially in the final scenes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">These are
probably minor quibbles in a movie which was a landmark movie for Ranjith and
his first step in his journey to re-invent himself. When Balan quotes Pamuk and
says <b><i>I read a book one day and my whole life was changed</i></b>, was it Ranjith
speaking to us explaining what prompted him to alter his cinematic style?</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Originally published in MadAboutMoviez- </span><a href="http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/05/kaiyoppu-writer-director-ranjiths-turnaround-film/">http://madaboutmoviez.com/2012/03/05/kaiyoppu-writer-director-ranjiths-turnaround-film/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-70114745468771729402012-02-19T19:38:00.002+05:302012-02-20T23:02:03.027+05:30Notes from a Workshop on Film Criticism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkV211KhtmU/T0D2eDBH7jI/AAAAAAAACfg/dd96LrhH3Go/s1600/hell-film-critics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkV211KhtmU/T0D2eDBH7jI/AAAAAAAACfg/dd96LrhH3Go/s400/hell-film-critics.png" width="385" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Being alone in Maximum City gives you
sometimes the time to indulge in passions that you may not do so otherwise. Last weekend, I found myself enrolled in a 2
day <a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.in/2012/01/how-to-write-about-films-workshop.html"><b>Workshop on Film Criticism</b></a>, conducted by popular literary and film
blogger Jai Arjun Singh, organized as part of the annual Kala Ghoda Art
Festival. So, I have attempted to jot down a few of the ideas that we academically
debated (yes, cinema and academics!). Some of the thoughts have just been left hanging without taking them into any conclusion...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What is the role of a film reviewer? If you
think that people are going to watch or atleast judge movies simply based on
what you write, you are taking a trip down the ego lane. There are hundreds of
opinions floating around in social networks, even before you have got down to
the basic task of watching the movie. Beyond the courtesy of providing a plot
summary and casting arbitrary iron clad judgments on the movie, the reader needs
to be offered something more substantial. What you experience, at a normal and
subliminal level, in those few hours when you see the movie and decide to put
it on paper is a valued perspective that can be communicated by you and you
alone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There is no absolute movie review – the
same movie that cast a spell on you earlier may leave you embarrassed when seen
a few years later. Many movies fare poorly in theatres but become classics
later on through the DVD circuit like The <b><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991017/REVIEWS08/910170301/1023">Shawshank Redemption</a></b> and <b><a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com/2005/06/hotel-rwanda-review.html">Hotel Rwanda</a></b>
while many others lose their sheen over a period of time (<b><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990924/REVIEWS/909240301/1023">American Beauty</a></b>?). An
experiment like Psycho was largely ignored by critics initially but became a
cult-movie primarily because of the positive buzz it generated among the New
Wave French Directors of the 60s. Expecting reviewers to know all is a fallacy;
the system of star ratings is primarily for customer consumption and cannot be an
indicator of the artistic merits of a movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Reviews will always be subjective but at
the end of the day, good writing is fundamental to it. When a motion picture
shakes the fluids in your cerebrum, can you capture that zigzag movement of the
brain cells and translate that into words that people can relate to or better
still, visualize? Does a particular shot remind you or tell you of something
that you’d want to communicate with the reader? On many an occasion, you want
the movie to tell you what you wish to hear instead of trying to interpret what
the director wants to tell us (sub-textual interpretation as Jai put it),
forgetting that you are not its creator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But it goes beyond the choice of right
words; it requires the ability to empathize with the subject. When a reviewer
of Khalid Mohammad’s stature goes <b><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Reviews/Review-No-Smoking/Article1-254292.aspx">berserk and vitriolic in his review</a> - </b>actually<b> </b>tirade - against Anurag Kashyap’s <b>No Smoking</b>, it defeats the very purpose of the exercise.
His review talks so little about the movie and is extremely caustic and vindictive
about the film maker, with no apparent interest in the movie. It’s just so easy
to trash a movie, ridicule it and you’d easily find people cheering from the
sidelines if you find the right words to tickle the reader’s funny bone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">How many times do you hear reviewers talk
blandly about a mediocre script or a poor performance without actually
qualifying their comments with any observations? Cinema being an egalitarian
medium attracts all kinds of people who want to offer their wisdom for whatever
it is worth. Since we rarely discuss cinema on the basis of its craft unless
you are a serious drab academician, a lot of the criticism is purely focused on
the story and dialogues and very less on the story-telling technique. Is it
possible that a certain story can never be made into a good movie? People will
tell you that there are just 7-8 basic plots in the world and every story is
fabricated from these and if you agree with this cliché, it leaves the auteur very
less space to manoeuvre with the plot. However, Shakespeare dramas have been
adopted in celluloid by directors as diverse as Kurusawa, Vishal Bharadwaj, Polanski and <b><i><a href="http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2006/aug/01slid1.htm">Jayaraj</a></i></b> and each has brought a different sensibility to the same basic story. If a film cannot tell you anything new that its source has already done, then why make the movie at all?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In that context, look at <b><a href="http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2000/feature-articles/psycho-2/">Gus Van Sant’s Psycho</a></b> which is the closest shot-by-shot remake of the original but it was
panned by critics. Roger Ebert writes ‘<i>..it demonstrates that a shot-by-shot
remake is pointless; genius apparently resides between or beneath the shots, or
in chemistry that cannot be timed or counted</i>.’ Even Van Sant admitted that it
was an experiment that proved that no one can really copy a film exactly the
same way as the original but his attempt must be seen as a creative rather than a commercial endeavour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Typical reviews organize a review into
basic elements like acting, cinematography, script etc and discuss these as stand-alone
threads. However, they act in unison and
need to be understood as the sum total of the impact created rather than as
islands of performance. A movie like <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2011/04/urumi.html">Urumi</a></b> with Santosh Sivan at its helm
sparkles through his lens but it is so narcissistic that it forgets that it has
a story to tell. A more positive example that Jai referred to was George C
Scott’s performance in Stanley Kubrick’s <b><a href="http://jaiarjun.blogspot.in/2007/08/film-classics-dr-strangelove.html">Dr Strangelove</a></b>; Kubrick and editor
Anthony Harvey while picturising scenes on George C. Scott who acts as General
Buck, snipped his scenes just before he completed each of his shots making the
performance abrupt and creating a more cartoonish character than was intended in
the performance. The famous shower murder scene in Psycho was pictured as 70-90
separate shots and stitched together on the editing board to give the scene a
gory feel which does not exist when the same scene is seen in slow-motion. Would
Scott’s performance or the shower scene have had the same impact without the editor’s
scissors at work?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Cinema is essentially a visual medium (<i>pure
cinema</i> as Hitchcock called it) and what you see or even sometimes don’t see on
the screen plays on the senses of the viewer in a subliminal fashion. Hitchcock
uses visual echoes in Psycho (as Jai mentioned) to draw a parallel to the two
main characters –similar gestures or scenes playing out at different intervals that evoke
a déjà vu. <i>The repeated stabbing of Marion vis-a-vis the movement of the windshields in her car, the camera zooming into Bates’ eyes
as he peers into her room and zooming out of her eye as her cold body lies in
the shower and similarity of their gestures like their palm movements</i>. It is
arguable whether the director ever meant to provide such an interpretation and
if there is any significance in this interpretation. Well, art, at a basic level, can be
reduced to a mathematical theorem but the beauty of it is not just in the logic
but in the aesthetics surrounding it. A film is more than a story told at a superficial level - its ideas are ingrained in the way it is composed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Form and content cannot be split and
discussed separately – the content is the base template and the form comprises the
layers that are put on it to give it a feel that is needed. Take for instance, Christopher
Nolan’s <b><i><a href="http://dinamico2.unibg.it/fa/fa_mem01.html">Memento</a></i></b> whose talking point was the way the entire movie plays
backwards. The treatment of the movie leaves the viewer confounded and unsure of
what to expect next but this puts him at a similar wavelength with the
character who is supposed to suffer from short term memory loss in the film. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95">Dogma style</a></b>, followed by certain auteurs in Denmark, which
aimed at <i>purifying film making</i> by refusing expensive and spectacular special
effects, post-production modifications and other technical gimmicks and
concentrating on the story and the actors' performances. This is in stark
contrast to the world of Goddard or <b><a href="http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/aravindan_df1.html">Aravindan</a></b> where the audience is confounded as to what the director means. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Critics are generally kinder towards
subjects that tackle real life stories but it is a moot point whether realism
is class specific and only consists of cinema that tells stories reeking of
poverty and small town crimes. If a <i><a href="http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/review-wake-up-sid-do-knot-disturb/"><b>Wake Up Sid</b></a></i> or <b><a href="http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/review-aisha/"><i>Aisha</i></a></b> shed a few of its props,
would we be kind enough to also refer to it as realistic? Yes, a movie bred in
a real location or a real story speaks to viewers easily but a critic should
view a film from a prism of its existence and not what he views as logical
reality. A Lord of the Rings cannot be dismissed just because it is a science
fiction movie and not grounded in our definitions of reality. But then is there
even a need to judge a movie based on whether it is realistic or not? If literature
is not bound by these invisible norms, why strangle cinema with these chains?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Should a reviewer judge a movie by the
merits of the movie alone or consider even the intent of the film maker? The
German movie <b><i><a href="http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/filmnotes/fns07n6.html">Triumph of the Will</a></i></b> (1935) is a Nazi propaganda movie made by Leni
Riefenstahl. Her innovative techniques earned the movie immense
acclaim but the movie poses a classic question of the contest between art and
morality: Is there such a thing as pure art, or does all art make a statement? After viewing the controversial film <b><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/mar/31/kick-ass-review-film">Kick-Ass</a></b> which was lauded by several critics, </span>Roger Ebert says - <i>Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool?</i> <i>When kids in the age range of this movie's home video audience are shooting one another everyday in America, that kind of stops being funny</i>. At a much lower level, the same criticism can also be applied to the Godfather series
which unabashedly celebrates the gangster cult (those were my impressions when
I saw the movie as a kid). I suppose a reviewer must analyze a movie for its craft but at the same time, make his stand clear on what he thinks of the intent of the movie too - they cannot be divorced from each other.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Finally, before sitting on judgment on
others, it is imperative to love cinema. Restricting yourself to a certain type
of cinema probably narrows your vision of what constitutes good cinema,
assuming that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ movies exist separately as if in the classic
definition of Yin and Yang. We have sub-consciously classified cinema that
talks about poverty, suffering, conflicts and other ‘larger’ serious issues as good
cinema and movies that tickle our funny and action bones and talk about
‘lesser’ emotions like love as poor cousins who receive our love
but not respect. I have never got around to this philosophy of watching all
kinds of movies and been partial to a certain genre, unlike another <b><a href="http://anuradhawarrier.blogspot.com/">friend and fellow blogger</a></b> who is game for all brands of cinema. The first step to appreciate
the world of cinema possibly is to be open about it -From Fellini to Ray to Manmohan Desai to Sathyan Anthikad!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Image courtesy: </span><a href="http://rickgershman.com/2011/03/20/red-riding-hood-freedom-of-speech-and-curious-interpretations-thereof/">http://rickgershman.com/2011/03/20/red-riding-hood-freedom-of-speech-and-curious-interpretations-thereof/</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-77731454091709106162012-01-22T12:09:00.000+05:302012-01-31T08:23:58.818+05:30Soup Boys Down Under<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nyzHE5wfb_A/TxumfIRcu-I/AAAAAAAACfY/XxkgqF72TVY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nyzHE5wfb_A/TxumfIRcu-I/AAAAAAAACfY/XxkgqF72TVY/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
With the
Indian cricket fan screaming from the rooftops of social networks and baying for the blood of the humbled
Indian cricketer, the UPA Government finally caved in and formed an expert committee to probe into the pathetic performance
of the Men in Blue in Australia. Disrupting the monthly aestivation period of
the MPs, an emergency session of the Parliament was called despite threats from Agent Fog and Agent Snow, and it was unanimously agreed through a voice vote that while cricket
will take its own course, the Parliament must do what it is expected to do –
setup committees.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">A four member
working group was setup in due haste with Rahul Gandhi as the Chairperson and self-nominated
loud mouths <b><a href="http://girishshahane.blogspot.com/2009/11/suhel-seth-and-m-j-akbar.html">Suhel Seth</a></b>, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asaduddin_Owaisi">Asaduddin Owaisi</a></b> and <b><a href="http://caravanmagazine.in/Story/717/Sweet-Smell-of-Success.html">Arindam Chaudhari</a></b> as its members. Suhel’s
ability to mumble incessantly, when placed in front of a TV camera or a
microphone, on sensitive topics like the mating habits of ostriches or the folk
dances of Andaman was considered a plus point. Owaisi’s standing as a modern rabid fanatic Muslim who swears by his beard and is inspired by the gentle Taliban provided the secular perspective that Governmental committees needed while Arindam's reputation which soared after the success of his classic <b>Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch</b> (described by The New Yorker as a work of <i><b>post-modern surrealistic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche">pastiche</a> existential angst</b></i>) gave the committee the intellectual celebrity quotient that it needed to make it acceptable to gossip hungry audience, who
swore by the Mumbai Mirror. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In response to critics questioning Rahul Gandhi’s cricketing acumen to head this panel, Congress spokeswoman
Renuka Chowdary, in her animated petite coquettish style, bloviated that
Rahul was a natural leader and had captained the Toddlers United when it toured Guinea-Bissau as part of
his granny’s efforts to promote democracy in the mid-70s. Unfortunately, since no
statistics were available in Cricinfo to prove this claim, this could not be
verified prompting Arun Jaitley to remark that Rahul Gs chequered career as a
batsman was only limited to ducking Opposition bouncers and he was as clueless
about the sport as Katrina Kaif was about acting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Nevertheless,
acting with an exaggerated sense of responsibility, the committee (christened Kingfisher <b>India Against Cricket</b> or IAC in short) made a trip to Napier immediately
after the Perth debacle. An ocean facing villa was taken on rent with a facility
to travel daily to Australia to carry out the investigation; critics who
pointed out they were too far away to do any meaningful work were scoffed at by
angry Mumbaikars who said that it takes more time to travel from Virar to
Churchgate and such an opinion was an insult to the famed resilience of the Marathi
Manus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The month
long secret assignment by the IAC was covered extensively by the local news
channels and India’s biggest entertainment channel Times Now. Videos of the
panel members in various strip bars and pubs were widely circulated on YouTube,
demonstrating the serious nature of the trip. The committee went around the
length and breadth of Australia, spoke to the Twitterati, fans and the cricketers
themselves and finally returned home to a grand welcome. Fearing the ire of the
ever vigilant Election Commission, they were immediately frisked away by Home Ministry
officials at the Delhi Airport to ensure that no information was leaked to the
public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Nevertheless, <strike>uninformed sources</strike> Wikileaks revealed that a copy of the slim 700 page
report had found its way mysteriously into the lap of Arnab Goswami, the barking powerhouse conscience of the Indian media. We managed to bribe Arnab Sir and get a copy of the glossy looking report titled <b>Soup
Boys Down Under</b> with a cover page photo of Dhoni's boys regaling themselves in a drunken stupor (<b><a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090603/REVIEWS/906039989">The Hangover</a>?) </b>and</span> Clarke pulling the strings (of his guitar) to the tune of <b style="font-style: italic;">Why this Kolaveri, Mite </b>(sic)?</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Tendulkar’s
perennial wait for his 100<sup>th</sup> ton received wide coverage in the
report. The IAC analyzed hundreds of videos of SRT, probed through all the
widely trending discussions on Twitter, spoke to Aussie fans high on beer and
finally concluded that there was an international conspiracy behind this (specifically not an Italian hand). As a one
man entertainment industry who still caused dedicated office goers like 'Kodali' Dasan and 'Kattapurathu' Vilasini to bunk work and watch Test Cricket, there was wide
spread fear that the moment, the ton-ton was reached, he would retire, people
would switch off TV sets and start living normal lives and even be misled by the senile St. Anna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The
report suggested a cartel comprising democratic governments and media channels
had paid off cricket boards across countries to prevent this catastrophe from
happening in the cricket world. The IAC, however, recommended that SRT must be
given an honorary ton, his name changed to Ton-dulkar and gifted a Bharat Ratna
so that he can ride to the sunset gracefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It
branded the seniors of the team as the <b>Axis of Discontent</b> who were determined
not to contribute in Australia due to jealousy in the team over the share of brand
endorsements that the captain had captured which was totally disproportionate to
his abject dismal performances. Plotting a
bewildering assortment of graphs and curves that would put even Vidya 'Entertainment' Balan to
shame, the report showed how the seniors spent more time planning their post-retirement
financial strategy than the actual playing strategy. The IAC also lambasted the
selectors for modeling the team on a <i>Brahmin Bania</i> party like the BJP with minimum
minority representation and suggested that they follow the England model which
had a global all inclusive multi-racial line up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The IAC
absolved the team of its inability to face the rising ball, saying that that
if the Finance Minister had no clue on how to handle rising interest rates, how could
you single out the Indian team for a similar folly? The report attributed the lethargy shown by the team on the field to poor dietary practices and suggested that the solution to this may lie in Arindam Chaudhari's forthcoming book <b>Count Your Wickets Before They Fall. </b>The book advocates an Arindam diet comprising Beef and Toad Legs Soup, concocted with aphrodisiacs from China (can't just ignore those bu****s) and sprinkled with cow urine to help cricketers to rise to the occasion and deliver; this delicacy is reportedly being served in IIPM canteens (except in <b><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mp-law-7-yrs-in-jail-for-eating-beef-cops-can-raid-on-mere-suspicion/895107/">Madhya Pradesh</a></b>) to encourage students to dream beyond the IIMs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The
report also underlined the importance of following the stars in the sky than in
the team while deciding on cricket schedules. Quoting renowned astrologer
<b><a href="http://www.attukalradhakrishnan.com/">Attukal Radhakrishnan</a></b>, it said that the tour had been played when the Saturn
was in retrograde in the<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> 7th </span>House – an inauspicious time to travel abroad. It
recommended that a full time astrologer should be part of the Board so that
such mistakes do not happen again. Additionally, it was pointed out that
playing an important Test Series in the midst of the World <b><a href="http://cricketnext.in.com/news/team-india-indulges-in-gokarting/62926-13.html">Go Karting</a></b>
Championship was a blunder (especially with some of the cricketers having
stakes in it) and the Board had not done its homework properly while preparing the
itinerary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To
improve the team morale, the IAC report made several other recommendations
including banning all Indian cricket jokes in the social space, doing away with
post-match press conferences when the team loses, inclusion of the cricket team
under the Janlokpal to ensure accountability (to placate the real <b><a href="http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/index1.html">IAC</a></b> members miffed at not being nominated to the panel), increasing the team
strength to include a PR Manager, an investment adviser and a fashion
consultant to take care of the interests of the players and present them in
proper light, cross-culture training for youngsters like Kohli and Ishant
Sharma (they had assumed that the <b><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-australia/top-stories/Annoyed-Virat-Kohli-shows-middle-finger-to-the-SCG-crowd/articleshow/11368114.cms">middle finger salute</a></b> was a way to cheer crowds in this part of the world) and very
importantly, recalling <b><a href="http://epradeep98.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-pursuit-of-poonam-pandey.html">Poonam Pandey</a></b> as the Brand Ambassador of the team (Fans
may recall her inspiring presence in the World Cup but since it is widely
believed that she only exists virtually, this may not be possible to
implement). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">An
additional point was added in fine print at the bottom of the report
recommending that the IAC be made a Constitutional body and allowed to tag
along with the team in all future foreign junkets. Rumours suggest that this may be the
only recommendation that will be accepted when the report is tabled in the
House since Constitutional bodies are widely accepted as the only <b><a href="http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110827/main2.htm">Game Changers</a></b>
in this country. <o:p></o:p></span>Also, the general opinion is that after plummeting to such depths, we can only go up now, as Virat Kohli had indicated so gracefully to the Sydney crowd.<i> </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>The report contents are too damaging to reveal and so only selective
portions of the report have been leaked here; readers may keep in mind that
care is also being taken not to hurt the sentiments of the Loyal Indian Cricket
Fan –a species that is rap(b)idly going extinct. Since most of the report talks about either Owaisi defending Salman Rushdie's right to offend the Prophet or Suhel Seth’s discovery of the
promiscuous nature of Australian women or Arindam Chaudhari’s management quotes, we used our discretion and decided to publish only the
cricketing facts and be loyal to the oldest profession in the world………. journalism. </i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Image Courtesy -<i> </i></span><a href="http://www.cartoonistsandeep.com/post_detail.php.php?id=MAYAY1303381443MAYA4db005c3cfce9">http://www.cartoonistsandeep.com/post_detail.php.php?id=MAYAY1303381443MAYA4db005c3cfce9</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383704.post-49458600137188407792012-01-08T23:48:00.001+05:302012-01-12T21:39:47.370+05:30A Question of Food Security<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reSjUcM3jFY/TwnUfNtsjOI/AAAAAAAACfQ/ceVB3FtS6Wg/s1600/FSB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reSjUcM3jFY/TwnUfNtsjOI/AAAAAAAACfQ/ceVB3FtS6Wg/s400/FSB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Amidst all the
brouhaha of the Lokpal Bill, the UPA Govt has introduced arguably an ultra-ambitious
food security programme that strives to put food into the thalis of lakhs of
famished Indians. The Bill was introduced in the Parliament and referred to the
Standing Committee immediately. It has far reaching implications but has not
attracted sufficient national attention or media eye balls, like the Lokpal,
maybe because it deals with hunger – a theme that has lesser TRPs.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So what does the National
Food Security Bill provide for? The present draft of the Bill seeks to provide
legal entitlement of food grain to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the
urban population. Eligible households
will be divided into two categories – priority and general – wherein the
priority group will consist of atleast 46 percent of the rural population and
28 percent of the urban population. BPL (priority) families will be entitled to
a monthly provision of 7 kg food grain per person and APL (general) families
will be eligible to 3 kg per person, at half the Minimum Support Price. The 7 kg
will comprise rice for Rs 3 /kg, wheat for Rs 2/kg and coarse grains for Re
1/kg. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to this,
the bill envisages maternity benefit of 1000 Rs per month for 6 months for
pregnant women and lactating mothers, free or affordable meals to destitute,
homeless and disaster-affected persons and nutritional meals for children upto
14 years. In effect, this would translate subsidies worth almost Rs 1 lakh
crore for close to 75% of our population (an additional cost of 40,000 crore
over the existing food subsidy Bill of 60,000 crore, making it 1.25% of the GDP.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Bill in its
current form looks like a Utopian drug that doctors would like to administer
to a dying patient so that he is up the next day. The moral imperative behind such a law is
agreed to by everyone; a country with 45% malnourished children and a lowly
ranking of 66 among 88 countries on the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_State_Hunger_Index">World Hunger Index</a></b>, below even sub-Saharan
countries is a pretty damning statistic! The problem of hunger is a national
shame and so while we must be careful of the fiscal implications of such a
solution, a decision cannot be driven by economics alone – what is the price
that we can pay for a human who dies of hunger?<br />
<br />
To quote Sainath -<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The corporate giveaway in the current
Indian budget is 18-19 billion dollars in direct income tax and if you add
other corporate concessions under excise and customs, it crosses over a hundred
billion US dollars. According to UNDP, that’s the amount you require every year
to solve all the basic problems of the human race. But the same Indian budget
cuts 4,500 million rupees from food security. Last year the same amount, nearly
10,000 million rupees had disappeared in 24 months from food subsidies in a country
which has the largest number of hungry people in the world.</i></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The primary concern of the Bill deals with identification of the target groups to whom the scheme is to be
directed at. Umpteen committees like the Tendulkar Committee, NC Saxena
Committee, the Planning Commission (remember the <b><a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/india/30183983_1_urban-areas-poverty-line-norms">32 Rs starvation line</a></b>) and
other smaller groups have come up with figures which quote different
definitions of what it means to be poor in this country. The Bill has left it to
the wisdom of the Govt and the Parliament to sort this out but the experience
of the Lokpal does not indicate that the Parliament has any Solomons to provide
solutions. Until we really know the quantum of people to whom the scheme is
targeted, the real cost and strategy required to handle this cannot be
estimated.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Nandan Nilekani’s UID
Project (which still has no Parliamentary law to back it) has run into rough
weather and the Standing Committee on Finance has <b><a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-12-16/news/30525319_1_aadhaar-uid-scheme-data-protection">come down heavily on it</a></b> for being
a badly designed scheme with no clear objectives. The Home Minister is not
comfortable with its working and the socio-economic and caste census to
determine eligibility is well behind schedule. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One way out of this
target based conundrum suggested by most experts is in looking at the success story of the <b><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article562922.ece">Universal PDS popularized by Tamil Nadu</a></b>. Here, population segregation for distribution of grains has been done away with and every
family in the state, BPL or not, has a colour-coded card that entitles it to
draw rice under PDS with a provision that those under the ‘needy’ category get
a larger amount than the others. <span lang="EN-US">The task of minimizing
diversion and reaching rice to about 2 crore cardholders across 31,439 outlets
in 32 districts is being carried out using technological interventions, drawing up innovative
fool-proof delivery mechanisms, proper policing, surprise checks and constant
reviews, </span>efficient supply chain
management system including a GPS tracking of trucks carrying food grains to
tackle pilferage <span lang="EN-US">and fixing responsibility at each.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The FSB requires large
scale foodgrain procurement, storage planning and construction, creation of a
distribution system from scratch and strengthening the existing PDS. Currently,
the Government procures close to 52 million tonnes of food grains every year
and the new entitlement would lead to an enhanced requirement of close to 25
million tonnes. Such a massive exercise of procurement and distribution will be
handled by the Food Corporation of India but does it have the capacity and
logistics to handle such large volumes? When food grains go rotting every year due to storage problems, where will this additional procurement go?This is assuming that every grain of
food procured is actually distributed to the stakeholders - RBI data shows
close to 50% leakage in the PDS and corruption estimates of around 20,000 crore
every year! Reforming the existing leaking PDS structure is probably a better
thing to do than rather than increasing its size beyond controllable limits.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Govt data about a
decade back estimates the cost of procuring wheat at 134 Rs/quintal and
transportation of the same at 289 Rs – a massive expenditure involved merely in
the to and fro movement of food among states! Does the Centre have to be
involved in such an activity? Each State must decide the best way to carry out
such programmes locally and even here, a decentralized design where the Grama
Panchayats can act as the agent to carry out these activities will ensure a
lower cost and proper delivery to people. Schemes like free kitchens run by villagers and mid-day meal have done more than any Central driven scheme in handling the issue. States like <b><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article881869.ece">Chhattisgarh</a></b> and Gujarat have devised working mechanisms like door step delivery and computerised PDS which can be emulated in the rest of the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Alternate solutions in
the form of food coupons or cash transfers directly to the needy have also been
discussed. Bihar uses a <b><a href="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20120113282710100.htm">system of food coupons</a></b> which unfortunately has very
little to show because of the corruption nexus between dealers and Govt
officers while the cash transfer scheme is largely untested in India. Access to
banks and markets is still pretty low in rural India and so the cash transfer
is possibly too early an option but it makes sense to run pilots based on these
schemes in various regions so that empirical data is present while making a
final decision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is also a larger
question of whether hunger and poverty can be eradicated by legally ensuring
dole outs in this manner. The adage of ‘<i>teaching a man to fish rather than
giving him fish</i>’ is equally relevant; state interventions which put grains or
cash in the hands of struggling individuals can only ensure that they can
survive but in the long run, they are dependent
on the State to bail them out. Dipali Rastogi, Commissioner – Food Supplies
(M.P.) <b><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/patronising-the-poor-in-perpetuity/891034/0">writing in the Indian Express</a></b> refers to South Korea’s <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Community_Movement">Saemaeul movement</a></b>
where the Govt strived to eliminate absolute poverty through harnessing the
labour of the poor to carry out development and infrastructure projects –
something on the lines of NREGS but in the form of incentive-based programmes
to fund high capital concrete development of villages instead of beneficiary
based entitlements that provide no incentive to tackle the real problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a danger that
any discussion on this Bill will degenerate into a fight between the rich and
the poor. It is imperative that we put aside the political background of the
Bill and judge it purely what it is trying to implement – right or wrong can be
debated even without judging the affiliations of the people who have drafted
it. Most of us agree with the fact that it is a well-intentioned bill but then
as they say ‘<i>The road to hell is paved with good intentions</i>’ and it needs all the debate it can to make it effective..<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no readymade consensus strategy to combat this alarming situation – the Left talks about Govt
subsidizing food similar to wages for labour in NREGS while the Right talks
about growth being the only natural panacea to deal with the problem (actually, looking at the way FDI in Retail and the Pension Bill have gone, the current polity looks too confused to decide on whether they are on the right or left side of the debate). The
solution has to lie somewhere in between, similar to all other solutions that
India needs to tackle its gargantuan problems.</div>
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Image Courtesy - <a href="http://www.cartoonistsandeep.com/post_detail.php.php?id=MAYAR1324784812MAYA4ef69cac848fc">http://www.cartoonistsandeep.com/post_detail.php.php?id=MAYAR1324784812MAYA4ef69cac848fc</a></div>
</div>E Pradeephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00416470793598316855noreply@blogger.com0