Last year's X'mas would surely rank as one of the worst seasons in the recent past for a movie buff as it played host to some pathetic Malayalam releases. Well whatever might be the reason for the neglect of the holiday season by the film-makers, it seems all of that has come to a close as 4 major releases has hit the screens this weekend. Among these, the one that I had wanted to check out first was Fahad Fazil's "Mariyam Mukku", for the simple reason that it was shot at Tangasseri, just a couple of kms from my home. So apart from the familiar locales, will the script also bring a smile to me???
Felix (Fahad Fazil) was the the henchman of Mariyanasan (Manoj K Jayan), the prominent gangster in the coastal village of Mariyam Mukku. After having lost his parents in his childhood, Felix was taken under the wings of Mariyanasan, who had trained him for his selfish means. However, the misdeeds that he committed hardly mattered to Felix after all his boss's wish was his command. But his attitude takes a turns for the better, when he gets smitten by his childhood friend Salomi (Sana Althaf). Naturally, this irks his boss & he comes down hard on Felix. So will Felix be able to stand up for his love for Salomi???
At the turn of the new millennium, there was a fear that there was a steady decline in the quality of scripts that were being churned out. However, the entry of James Albert into the industry with "Classmates" instilled hopes that we need not worry much as long as people like him are around. Unfortunately, his recent exploits with the pen such as "Venicile Vyapari", "Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal" etc., had all bit the dust. It was at this juncture that he decided to try his hand in direction with "Mariyam Mukku". It's definitely a decent effort, but his script yet again fails to convey any sort of uniqueness. It seems that he kinda got confused as to give importance to which aspect of the tale...the romantic part or the drama which unfolds subsequently & in the process he did justice to neither.
Girish Gangadharan has done a fine job with the visuals as the scenic beauty of Tangasseri was exquisitely shot. The music by Vidyasagar was disappointing though I liked the chorus part of "Kavil" rendered by Najim Arshad & Kavalam Sreekumar. None of the other aspects deserves much of a mention. Fahad has done a decent job though it didnt offer him much of a challenge. Sana Althaf was average & I didnt quite see the spark between the lead pairs. Aju Varghese's character could have been a credible one, but he was simply wasted. As for the rest, they did their parts aptly.
Verdict: With a host of releases on offer, the viewers are spoilt for choice; but even then Fahad Fazil's name should attract quite a decent initial. However, there is no doubt that the mediocre script will impact the collections that it would garner. In short, unless the other releases mess up pretty bad, I dont see this making much of a mark!!!
Rating: 1.5/5
Regards...Ben
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