The backlog of movies due to the pandemic resulted in quite a few engaging courtroom dramas being released in recent months. The latest to join the bandwagon is Abrid Shine's "Mahaveeryar", though the manner in which it was packaged seemed to suggest otherwise, pretty much like the strategy that was employed for "Action Hero Biju". Just like many others, even I had loved the promos & was eagerly looking forward to watch this on the big screen. It was definitely quite unlike what most would have expected as it turned out to be a political satire on the social justice system & how it bends insensitively (even subconsciously) to appease the autocrats in the belief that it is for the benefit of the larger good.
The movie unfolds in the land of Manomaya ruled by Mahaveera Ugrasena (Lal), who suffered from chronic hiccups which hampered his ability to carry out his royal responsibilities (though his libido seemed unaffected). Despite the efforts of the best physicians, the condition remained resolved & that's when he ordered his trusted lieutenant Veerabhadran (Asif Ali) to get him the most beautiful female in the kingdom in the belief that it would be the solution to his problem. In another sequence that is reminiscent of our present day, Swami Apoornananthan (Nivin Pauly) is brought to court after he was accused to have stolen the statue of the deity from the temple where he was found to be immersed in meditation. At this juncture, the two tracks merge in an inexplicable and mystical manner which confounds the people both on screen & off screen.
This is Abrid Shine's third collaboration with Nivin Pauly & they have come up with a movie that is unique just like the others. Based on M Mukundan's short story, it is a blend of magical realism and surrealism that would require us to flow with it rather than look for logical explanations that pans out on screen. Well this is where I felt Abrid Shine's efforts might not reach out to many as it would come across as absurd & wacky. At the same time, the subject he tried to convey was praise worthy as it talks about how the centre of power is considered supreme to the extent that even the judiciary gets confused that the rights of the subject is secondary to that of the State. The irony remains in the fact that even though the monarchy has ceased to exist, the mindset of the people in power hasn't changed much which is pampered by the servility of the various institutions. This aspect is reflected in the attitude of the people who has 'Veeryar' mentioned in their names.
On the technical side, kudos to Chandru Selvaraj's visuals which captured the mystical feel pretty well, Ishaan Chhabra's BGM and the art and costume department. Coming to performances, almost all of them did justice to their roles though the pick among them was Siddique, Lalu Alex & Lal. All three veterans were spot on with their eccentricities while Asif Ali & Nivin Pauly were convincing in their roles. The rest of the cast were also fine be it Shanvi Srivastava, Mallika Sukumaran, Vijay Menon, Sudheer Karamana etc.
Verdict: There is no doubt that this experimental flick does have a stamp of class to it with regard to what they wanted to convey. But the execution felt rather shallow and the screenplay in the latter half was not properly thought through. It reminded me of Rajiv Anchal's "Guru" & likely to be a much sought out after flick on OTT once people warm up to the concept. In short, do check it out!!!
Rating: 2.5/5
Regards...Ben
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