Ever since Lal Jose burst into the scene more than a decade back with "Oru Maravathur Kanavu", the audience has been made witness to a number of entertainers. So it's quite natural that his films has always invited a great deal of anticipation which is replicated for his latest venture "Spanish Masala" as well. Being shot in the picturesque Espaniol with Dileep in the lead, the expectations are understandably sky high. Will Lal Jose be able to kick off the year on a high???
After having picturised many countries, Bollywood trained its cameras on Spain for "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" which set off an unprecedented interest across the country. As part of that wave, Lal Jose decided to make Spain as the location for his latest venture. The film unfolds with Charlie (Dileep), who had come along with a troupe for his mimicry act getting stranded on the streets of Madrid. Just as the popular saying goes regarding Malayalis being omnipresent, he meets up with a fellow Malayali who offers him the job of a chef in his restaurant. In due time, his culinary skills lands him with a plum paycheck in the former Ambassador Philip's mansion. Philip & his daughter, Camilla (Daniela Zacheri) shared a cold relation as she believed that he had masterminded her lover, Rahul's (Chackochan) death. With time, Charlie mends their relation & brings back happiness to their household, which makes Philip contemplate on offering her hand to Charlie. But life threw up a couple of unexpected events in front of Charlie!!!
Lal Jose's skills as the director doesnt require much of a discussion as he is quite a maestro at it. However, it's not all smooth sailing in "Spanish Masala" as the major flaw lies in the script by Benny Nayarambalam. The first half was truly entertaining & had the audience in splits with the humorous dialogues which never resorts to slap stick comedy. But the second half, fails to maintain the tempo as it proceeds aimlessly which culminates in a disappointing predictable climax. Jissen Paul's music was average with nothing to sing praises about while Lokanathan's visuals failed to do justice to the beauty of Spain.
Though the script failed to impress the audience, Dileep has done an excellent job as we adore his character for his laughs & tears. Chackochan has been wasted in a rather poorly etched character while Daniela Zacheri, reminding one of Amy Jackson of "Madrasapattanam" fame; struggles to express herself. Nelson as Pappan was as impressive as Dileep & could be a comedian to look out for in future. Biju Menon was apt in his small yet significant role while Vinaya Prasad was just about average.
Verdict: The film is likely to have a fantastic opening owing to Lal Jose's track record & Dileep's presence. Though the film suffers majorly from the lack of an impressive script, the clean humour & Dileep's performance will keep the audience interested. I still havent figured out as to why it was shot in Spain as neither the script nor the picturisation made use of the locales. Anywaz in short, you will be entertained provided you dont harbour high hopes as it's an average fare at best!!!
Rating: 2.5/5
Regards...Ben
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