King of Kotha, Boss & Co & RDX: "Audience satisfaction turned out to be inversely proportional to the hype created!!!"

On the eve of Thiruvonam, we had a trio of movies hitting the screens over the weekend hoping to cash in on the holiday season. It's that time of the year where literally every Malayali tries to make the most of the festive mood, after all the time with our family makes it completely worth it. Apart from the goodies, sadya & cultural events, an inevitable part of Onam are the big banner movies and this time too, it was no different. Though all three of them came with varying degrees of hype, the satisfaction that each one gave was quite unlike that.

King of Kotha: "Screenplay lacked the punch to make it unique despite the potential!!!"

Over the past year or so, whenever the topic of "King of Kotha" came up in interview of artists who were part of the cast; all of them were profuse in their praise for the project. As a result of which, this was one of the most awaited movie of the year with Abhilash Joshiy making his directorial debut with DQ's Wayfarer Films bankrolling the project with Zee Studios bringing back memories of the successful collaboration of their fathers. The promotions were literally unprecedented by Malayalam standards & definitely generated a lot of hype, though the trailer as such didn't quite catch my fancy.

Abhilash decided to take up Abhilash Chandran's script, who had earlier penned "Porinju Mariam Jose" for the former's father. The movie unfolds in 1996 in the fictional town of Kotha where violence was a way of life as Kannan bhai (Shabeer Kallarakkal), the dreaded gangster ruled over the place with an iron fist. His narcotics empire had put the people at his mercy & CI Shahul Hassan (Prasanna), who had recently taken charge hoped to put an end to it. But it was a task that was easier said than done as the only person who could challenge Kannan was Raju (DQ) who was last seen in Kotha more than a decade back. 

It is the standard story template that we have come across in numerous movies in the past & which is still fine as long as you have an engaging screenplay. Unfortunately, that is where Abhilash had faltered as neither the characters were etched properly nor most of the sequences lacked the punch that it required. There were elements such as friends turned foes, Manju's track (Nyla Usha), elevation of Kannan etc. indicating that it had the skeletons to create an engrossing gangster saga. But it failed to do so & instead they resorted to focus on the protagonist, in which also they weren't able to do justice convincingly. Another major flaw that I felt was the dialogue which at times came across as unintentionally funny & lacked the zing that such a movie required . 

However, on the technical side; the movie has been crafted well such as Nimesh Ravi's cinematography which did have a feel of "Porinju" & his own earlier "Kurup" in terms of the lighting and colour tone. Jakes Bejoy has done a praise worthy job as his BGM was responsible for elevating many of the scenes. In addition, kudos to the action choreographers though I personally feel we are going way too far in the manner the rawness of violence is portrayed.

DQ has done a decent job though at times I felt he didn't quite radiate the menacing aura that the character required. I barely recognized Shabeer who had rocked as 'Dancing Rose' in "Sarpatta Parambarai" & over here as well, he was fine. Another artist who impressed was Shammi Thilakan while the rest of the cast such as Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nyla Usha, Prasanna & Gokul Suresh were ok. 

Verdict: The pre-release hype has worked in two ways with the movie not able to match the lofty expectations while the initial brought in significant returns. To be frank, it isn't as bad as some of the YouTube videos that I saw claimed, though it failed to elevate itself to being a unique standout among the numerous other gangster movies that we had watched!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Ramachandra Boss & Co.: "Except for some comedy, hardly anything else works!!!"

Among the other Onam releases, Haneef Adeni's latest directorial venture was expected to have an advantage as it seemed like a fun filled hilarious flick that would have the family audience flocking towards it. But without a shadow of doubt, this is the weakest among the trio as Haneef's idea of heist in the backdrop of humour came across as rather lame & unimaginative. 

There is no dearth of style as has been the hallmark of Haneef's movies as he brings in a group of individuals who were in financial crisis for a heist masterminded by the protagonist, Boss (Nivin Pauly). His aim was to steal a priceless portrait that was in the custody of Amar (Munish), a business tycoon & & how they got about that task is what this movie is about.

In a way, it kind of reminded me of Farah Khan's mediocre "Happy New Year" & this one felt inferior to that. For a heist movie, it is essential that it should have elements that would surprise us with their plans & twists. But there was hardly anything of that sort with the only saving grace being the humour and that too, fell flat more often than not. On the technical side, Vishnu Thandassery's visuals were good while the rest of the aspects were ok.

None of the characters were written well & barely had much to do. The only credible back story was given for Jaffer Idukki's character which he did neatly. Vinay Fort evoked laughs occasionally and his banter with Nivin was entertaining at times. I fail to understand as to why Nivin agree to be part of such movies that just tarnishes his brand value even further. To make matters even worse, the part of the villain essayed by Munish Sharma was the worst written part & it was a torture to say the least.

Verdict: Nivin's wait for redemption at the box office continues indefinitely!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

RDX: "As explosive as the same!!!"

When I initially heard that this movie was going to be released for Onam along with the other two, I have to admit that I was circumspect about their prospects. However, with Sophie Paul's Weekend Blockbusters bank rolling the project; that certainly had me interested in it. By the end of the movie, it was evident as to why she believed that Nahas Hidayath's celluloid creation had what it takes despite this being his debut directorial venture.

In one of the promotional interviews, Antony Varghese (Pepe) mentioned the struggles that Nahas had to go through especially since the latter's directorial debut "Aaravam" in which he had collaborated was shelved in the first schedule itself due to financial crisis. But Nahas kept on trying & came up with the script of "RDX" which was a full on action flick and indicated the three protagonists, Robert (Shane Nigam), Dony (Pepe) (who were brothers) & Xavier (Neeraj Madhav). All three of them were trained in martial arts and boxing by Xavier's father Antony (Babu Antony) and used to get regularly involved in brawls. However, certain events in their lives make them resort for a peaceful livelihood & things moved along peacefully for a few years until Dony's father, Philip was manhandled by a gang during a function. What subsequently happened was a series of events which threatened their very existence. 

On paper it seems like a pretty normal story but Adarsh Sukumaran's screenplay made sure that the events were knitted together neatly thereby making it an engaging survival drama. It reminded me of Tinu Pappachan's "Ajagajantharam" as the action sequences kept on coming which is the USP of the movie for which hats off to action choreographer duo Anbariv who has been on roll with projects like "KGF 2", "Vikram", "Sarapatta Parambarai" etc. to name a few. Equally impressive was the cinematography which was handled by Alex Pulickal while the choreography was neatly done for Sam C S's music. 

All three of the main leads have done their parts well with Neeraj Madhav's performance with the nunchaku being absolutely phenomenal. However, I would place Vishnu Agasthya a step above the rest as he just embodied the negativity that the character demanded. He has definitely made the audience sit up and notice in whichever role he has featured in recent times. Looking forward to seeing more of him as he surely has the potential & the versatility. The rest of the cast such as Babu Antony, Mahima Nambiar (kudos for her impressive action segment), Lal, Baiju, Nishanth Sagar etc. have all done their parts aptly.

Verdict: Certainly the pick among the Onam releases & should see more screens added up over the next few days. An entertaining action flick that will cater to the masses though the families are likely to stay away!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

 

Gadar 2, OMG 2 & Ghoomer: "Both sequels have set the box office on fire!!!"

Even as "Jailer" had the crowd flocking to the theatres in South India, Bollywood decided to cash in on the long weekend with sequels of "Gadar" & "OMG". Well as in most cases, both of them doesn't quite match upto the impact that its prequels had created. However, the box office numbers tells a totally different story as it has been clocking mind boggling numbers & hence it's quite evident that my opinion is quite different from many others. So why didn't the movies work for me???

Gadar 2: "Anil Sharma's movie sensibility still stuck in the past!!!"

When "Gadar" had released in 2001, I was in my second year of Medical college & over the past two decades, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. Though it was a blockbuster, I didn't enjoy it much even then & with the passage of time, the movie has also led to many trolls. So the next question naturally would be, why have I bothered to watch it? The answer to that is Sunny Deol coz it's been quite a while since we have seen him on screen with the last one being "Chup" in which I felt he did a decent job. 

The movie begins 17 years after the events in the prequel & against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) & Sakeena (Ameesha Patil) led a contented life along with their son, Utkharsh (Jeete), until Tara goes missing in action during an attack between the armies at the border. This is when Utkharsh decides to go to Pakistan to rescue his father who was believed to be in one of the high security prisons. What subsequently happens is pretty much predictable as Shaktimaan Talwar has just rehashed the prequel and followed the exact same template (the insane decibel level from Sunny, the hand pump etc)  with the only change being the characters.

There is nothing in the movie that could be termed as fresh and different as it literally felt like watching something that was more than two decades old. So much so, there were quite a few sequences that were unintentionally hilarious. However, Mithoon's music was reasonably fine while Sunny Deol gave an honest performance, to the extent that we will actually buy the fact that he is indeed capable of wrecking havoc. Ameesha was pathetic while Utkharsh, Manish Wadhwa (as Major Iqbal) & Simran Kaur (as Muskaan) were average.

Verdict: Certainly glad for the makers that it has grossed close to 400 C. But the movie just didn't work for me!!!

Rating: 1/5

OMG 2: "Still impresses with its execution laced with humour!!!"

About a decade has passed since Umesh Shukla's "OMG" had released where the exploitation of people on the basis of religion was explored. This time around, the responsibility of calling the shots was on Amit Rai who had also penned the story where the focus is on the need for sex education in schools. The protagonist this time around is Kanti Sharan (Pankaj Tripathi), an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Life moves along peacefully until his son is rusticated from school for immoral conduct. Though Kanti was hard on his son initially, it eventually dawns on him that the school authorities also need to take responsibility for not giving proper guidance to his son. So he decides to take them to court & the events that unfold is showcased in the movie. 

The need for sex education in schools is conveyed reasonably without adopting a preachy pattern. Just as in the prequel, the subject matter is conveyed with humour and that is an effective of putting the message across. The manner in which God's presence is shown to provide hints to the protagonist was also impressive as it does not resort to any showcase of divine power. The technical aspects were handled well though it does not deserve special mention.

Just like Paresh Rawal in the prequel, Pankaj has done a fine job as the protagonist as his way of presentation of dialogues and body language were all spot on. Despite a cameo, I personally felt Akki was pretty damn good in Lord Shiva's avatar & actually better than his version in the prequel. Yami Gautam was good though I felt the role demanded a much tougher character. As for the rest, Pavan Malhotra (as the Judge), Geeta Agrawal (as Kanti's wife) etc have all done their parts aptly.

Verdict: The move has been termed as a blockbuster as the cost of production was modest by normal standards. It is certainly worth a watch as it does provides a few laughs while talking about a relevant subject!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Ghoomer: "Impressive performances makes this standard template engaging!!!"

It's no secret that I love sports especially cricket & hence I have been a huge fan of sports dramas. So when one of my favourite Bollywood director, R. Balki decided to craft his latest creation in that genre; I was more than eager to check it out. The trailer looked promising & the movie also lived upto the expectations that were created. In terms of the template adopted by Balki along with Rahul Sengupta & Rishi Virmani, it is pretty much along expected lines but the former managed to keep the audience engaged.

Anina (Saiyami Kher), a promising batter has been chosen for her debut series to England, but fate had other plans as she met with an accident whereby her right hand had to be amputated. However, Padam Singh Sodhi (Abhishek Bachchan), an ex- Indian cricketer instills confidence in her that she can make it back into th.e team as a bowler. But his methods were unconventional & there was no guarantee whether their efforts will even bear fruit. In effect, it is crafted along the lines of Nagesh Kukunoor's "Iqbal"

Usually in sports dramas, the biggest issue is the authenticity with which the game is shown; but over here Balki has managed to ace that part. Kudos to his choice of Saiyami & Abhishek, both of whom were fantastic in their roles with the former's body language and skills would have convinced many that she is indeed a professional cricketer. Even the family dynamics that Balki was interesting as it featured a emotional father who constantly prayed for his daughter's success while her grandmother was a cricket buff & a Roger Federer fan who preferred to keep her emotions in check. The latter half had a 'Lagaan' vibe with 'Munna Bhai' like emotions, so I presume that will give you an idea as to what to expect. On the technical side, Amit Trivedi's music and Vishal Sinha's cinematography were good. 

As I mentioned earlier, both Saiyami & Abhishek have done utmost justice to their parts. Abhishek's dialogue delivery in certain segments reminded me of his father but still managed to own his part in his own typical style. Just as in the case of all his previous movies, Balki yet again had Big B in a cameo role which in all probability would have been cheesy & corny, but the veteran still managed to bring class to it with his baritone. As for the rest, Shabana Azmi, Angad Bedi etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: It doesn't quite have as much authenticity that we would normally expect from Balki's movies but the cinematic liberties taken and the impressive performances makes it an enjoyable watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962, Kunjamminis Hospital, 1001 Nunakal: "Surprising twist to the expectations created!!!"

Onam is just round the corner & in the interim period there has been a number of low profile releases. Unfortunately, none of them has managed to attract attention & to be frank, it isn't the fault of the audience but rather the lack of quality in the movie that are being screened. Over the past week, I happened to watch quite a few of them & it was hard to understand as to why talented artists like Urvashi, Indrans, Indrajith etc., wanted to be associated with such mediocre stuff.

Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962: "The title was the only interesting part!!!"

Lat year saw courtroom dramas such as Ratheesh Balakrishna's "Nna Thaan Case Kodu" & Tharun Moorthy's "Saudi Velakka" gain critical acclaim for the manner it engaged the audience. Hoping to garner a similar response from the audience, Ashish Chinnappa chose the same genre and worked on the script with Prajin MP based on the story by Sanu Chandran. Without mincing words, I have to say that both of them have miserably failed to come up with anything worthwhile with the exception of a couple of sequences.

It is basically about the delay of our judicial system which takes a toll on everyone involved in the case. Over here, Mani (Indrans) had attempted to steal the water pumpset from Mrinalini's house (Urvashi), but was caught during the act. Her husband, Chandran Maash (Vijayaraghavan) decided to pursue the case as both of them being teachers believed that law should take its course. Little did they realize that the case would drag on for seven years during which time Chandran had passed away & his wife, decided to continue the legal battle.

The main factor that makes such dramas interesting are the legal arguments, evidence & the struggles that the petitioner and accused goes through. None of these are credible enough in the movie with the exception of  maybe the last point where they tried to explore the equation of Mrinalini & Mani with their respective daughters. But that was not properly fleshed out due to which it failed to create the impact that was possible. It was evident that they hoped that the sprinkling of humour would make up for the lack of an empathetic story & that also wasn't up to the mark. 

As in most movies, Urvashi has done a fine job as she balanced humour and the emotional segments with elan. Indrans & TG Ravi did their parts well also along with Nisha Sarang while Sanusha & Sagar Rajan (as Unni) were average to mediocre at times.

Verdict: Just like the seven year wait tested Mrinalini, this 139 minute directorial debut of Ashish will test the audience!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Kunjamminis Hospital: "Hmm...the producer might have to get his vitals checked!!!"

Another director who made his debut over the past week was Sanal V Devan who collaborated with the writer duo,  Abhayakumar & Anil Kurian who came up with the theme of a comic horror flick. Incidentally, both of them had penned the techno horror "Chathur Mukham" which though interesting on paper failed to impress. Over here, it is no different as they barely had no idea what they wanted to convey.

It is essentially about spirits that haunted a mansion which was being renovated into a hospital by the present owner, Riny (Nyla Usha). Apparently, it was a hospital initially before it was converted into a lodge where quite a few had died under mysterious circumstances. The challenges that Riny had to overcome to ensure that her hospital wasn't shut down forms the basis of the story. 

None of the characters failed to create an impact as the characterization was poor & even the comedy that is pushed in to make up for the lack of a credible story, failed to create genuine laughs. Despite the presence of talented artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith, they barely had anything worthwhile to do. the only person who did have something to work with was Nyla & that didnt quite have the punch to take the story forward. There were quite a few other artists as well, but I don't think it is worth mentioning. 

Verdict: Fail to understand why artists like Prakash Raj & Indrajith want to tarnish their reputation with such mediocre projects!!!

Rating: 1/5

1001 Nunakal: "An interesting take on lies and candour in a relationship!!!"

Frankly speaking, I had no idea what to expect from this flick though there were two factors which attracted me to it. The first was the title as it reminded me of the famous 1001 Arabian Nights & secondly, it was released on Sony LIV which usually has a reputation of choosing movies that has quality. Anywaz it managed to keep me engaged over its relatively short run time of 104 minutes. 

The movie unfolds in Saudi where a residential building had caught fire due to which two families decide to take refuge in their friend's mansion, Vinay & Divya (Vishnu Agasthya & Ninin Kaassim). Incidentally, it was their 10th wedding anniversary & they arrange a party for their close friends. One among them was a lawyer (Sudheesh Scaria) who suggests that they all play a variant of the "Truth or Dare" game whereby each couple will reveal one lie that their partner wasn't aware of.  Though it initially starts off as fun, things starts to get serious as some lies seemed to threaten the very existence of their relationship. 

This is Thamar k V's debut directorial venture & he deserves praise for having done a neat job on a script that he had worked on along with Hashim Sulaiman. It follows the same template as Jeethu Joseph's "12th Man" but I felt this was much better coz of the relatability in the equations of the various couples and the scenarios that each one faces at various stages of their relationship felt realistic. Despite being set within a confined space, all the technical aspects were handled well be it Jithin Stansilaus's visuals, Neha Nair & Yakzan's music score and Yusuf's editing which maintains the right tone. Even all the artists have done their parts well.

Verdict: An neatly made movie that doesn't have much to boast about in terms of the cast & crew. However, the word of mouth should gain it audience!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Jailer: "Thalaiva & Anirudh provides an upbeat theatrical experience!!!"

Finally Thalaiva is back & that too, with a bang!!! The much awaited "Jailer" has hit the screens & it is a much desired comeback of the legend & Nelson. It's almost four years since Karthik  Subbaraj's "Petta" had released & undoubtedly, the last time that fans like us grooved to the swag of the Superstar in the theatres with gay abandon. So how exactly did Nelson plot his own rise from the ashes & in the process gave us the Thalaiva that we had dearly missed.

ACP Arjun Pandian (Vasanth Ravi) was hot on the trails of Varman (Vinayakan), the kingpin of the idol smuggling racket. But before he could get him behind bars, Arjun goes missing & it is believed that he was murdered by Varman's men, which shatters his family especially his father, Muthuvel (Rajni), a retired jailer who was much respected by the force for his honesty. He sets out to take revenge for his son's death & goes on a rampage against Varman which is essentially the crux of the movie.

After the forgetful "Beast", Nelson is back with a much improved screenplay even though the story that he penned is largely predictable for most parts. Well in a Thalaiva movie, do we even care about logic? Certainly not. It's about ensuring that the screenplay flows & mounting scenes that celebrates the legend's style and swag. In that respect, Nelson has performed impressively as he provide numerous whistle worthy moments and blends it with his quirky humour. 

Personally, I felt the movie is a tad too long and there were segments in the second half that could have been handled far better such as Blast Mohan's portions that culminates in a heist as the story over there was far too frail. But the manner in which Nelson has handled the cameos of Lalettan & Sivanna was brilliant as the impact that both of them created in the theatre was thunderous. On the technical side, Vijay Karthik's cinematography was impressive but the highlight of the movie apart from Thalaiva was undoubtedly Anirudh's BGM. It was just fantastic to say the least as the BGM literally elevates most of the sequences. 

As Neelambari famously said in "Padayappa", 'Vayasanaalum Un Style-Um Azhagum Innum Unnai Vittu Pogala' & that is what Thalaiva is all about. The style, swag & aura that this legend has on screen is mesmerising and he continues to do that even at this age. It was upto Nelson to give him an apt stage, which he managed to  & the Superstar weaved his magic. The level to which the impact of a hero can be enhanced is significantly dependent on the antagonist & in that sense, I felt Vinayakan has done a fine job with the opportunity given to him. But it could have been way better if the writing was better. The much expected combination with Ramya Krishnan unfortunately didn't have much scope in the script though as usual she did her part well. Coming to the much celebrated cameos, both Lalettan & Sivanna were brilliant & being a Malayali, we are reminded of the fact that directors in our state just don't know how to make use of his charisma; while Jackie Shroff & Tamannah did their parts aptly. As for the rest of the cast, Yogi Babu, Sunil (as Blast Mohan), Vasanth Ravi etc were ok. 

Verdict: There is no doubt that there are significant shortcomings from Nelson as a writer, but as a director he has showcased Thalaiva in the avatar that we had hoped for. In short, do watch it in theatres to feel the vibe!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Pappachan Olivilaanu, Corona Dhavan & Article 21: "Wait for an elusive hit continues!!!"

Among the three flicks that I got to watch this week, except for Lenin Balakrishnan's "Article 21", the other two were a test of our patience. I fail to understand as to why would the producers even invest in such movies which barely had a credible story to narrate. Seems like such mysteries are beyond the thinking of mere mortals like us.

Pappachan Olivilaanu: "Sinto need to go to olivil for such a senseless flick!!!"

This is Sinto Sunny's third directorial venture & one in which he has penned the script as well. Well did he actually write anything? Frankly speaking, I dont understand what exactly has he written or was it his incapability to execute whatever he had written. It's a question that only he could answer coz what folded on screen was nothing more than a mishmash of many sequences stitched together.

Pappachan (Saiju Kurup) was a big mouth who constantly tried to cash in on the respect that the people had for his father, Mathachan (Vijayaraghavan); but to no avail. The movie is literally about his efforts to create an image for himself & the mess that he gets into as a result of that. I actually think that I might have made the movie sound interesting isn't it? Well, don't be fooled by what I wrote as the reality is far from it.

Sinto had no clue how to make the sequences flow sensibly from one to the other. It seemed like he was hell bent on making every scene comical & most of them fails to hit the mark. Saiju Kurup's character comes across as the comical version of Jayan from "Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan" & his performance was pretty mediocre at times. However, some of the others were fine such as Vijayaraghavan, Alexander Prashanth & Darshana; but all their characters were lazily written which severely impacted their effort. None of the technical aspects were worth mentioning except for maybe Ouseppachan's music. 

Verdict: Hmm...better luck next time Sinto!!!

Rating: 1/5

Corona Dhavan: "Provides laughs occasionally but nothing more than that!!!"

Just like Sinto, another person who attempted to make a comic flick this week was CC Nithin with his "Corona Dhavan". This is his directorial debut and he had joined hands with Sujai Mohanraj who had written a movie based on a batch of alcohol stocked by the protagonist, Vinu (Lukman Avaran) even as the nation went into lockdown. The movie unfolds in Aanathadam where Vinu was making arrangements for his sister's wedding which included alcohol for his friends. However, the wedding got cancelled as his sister eloped with his friend before the party began. Later that night, lockdown was enforced & with everything shut down, Vinu becomes the much sought after person. Seeing that this was a situation to be milked to his benefit, he decides to play his cards carefully.

There is no doubt that the story as such had much scope for comedy, but there was evident lack of ability on the part of Sujai to create a chain of events that blended with each other. More often than not, many sequences were like isolated events whose sole purpose was to make the audience laugh. It certainly managed to do that at quite a few places. At the same time, some sections like Sreenath Bhasi's track, the drone incident (after the initial mishap) etc. were a test of patience. I dont think any of the technical aspects quite stood out. There were a lot of artists in this flick among which I felt Lukman did a decent job while others like Johny Antony, Irshad, Sarath Sabha etc were average though they did evoke laughs at times. 

Verdict: The end result could have been far better if Sujai had given more thought into the screenplay as he did have a credible thread!!!

Rating: 1.25/5

Article 21: "Feel good movie that comes across as a Govt publicity campaign at times!!!"

Another director that made his directorial debut over the past fortnight was Lenin Balakrishnan with "Article 21". The primary reason why I decided to check it out was coz of the different appearance of Lena which seemed to imply that the story was quite unlike the usual ones. For the uninitiated, Article 21 A in the Constitution of India states that the state shall mandatorily impart free and compulsory elementary education to children belonging to the age group of 6 to 14 years. 

The focus over here is a Tamil immigrant family that comprised of Thamara (Lena) & her two sons, Muthu (Nandan Rajesh) and Dalapathy (Leswin). They made a living out of collecting scrap & things take a turn when Dalapathy comes across a school bag that had fallen off an auto. His eyes lit up seeing the books which motivated him to seek education but their financial situation was such that it was beyond their means. At this juncture, he befriends a kind hearted auto driver (Aju Varghese) who helps him to pave a path towards his dream.

In terms of the story, Lenin has kept it quite predictable as everything falls into place without much of a hiccup. The attention to detail with regard to their hardships early on is not seen towards the latter half as it felt like everything was way too easy than it would have been in reality. The sequence that featured Bineesh Kodiyeri felt like a Govt publicity campaign & came across as rather artificial. At the same time, I do appreciate the awareness that Lenin provides with regard to the options that are available for people in the lower socio-economic strata. Coming to the technical aspects, it was handled reasonably well especially Gopi Sundar's music and Ashkar's cinematography. A special word of mention for Rasheed Ahammed for the make up work that he had done. 

Lena has done a convincing job as Thamara both in terms of body language and dialogue delivery. Both the boys were also fine while Aju continues to grow in stature with restraint performances. Even the artist who essayed the role of Victor was ok while Joju as usual was good in a cameo role. 

Verdict: Despite the predictability, it is still worth a worth for the feel good experience!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Padmini, Valatty, Voice of Sathyanathan, Kurukkan, Appatha & Kolla: "Most of them have struggled to bring in audience!!!"

The last couple of weeks has been rather cold at the box office as most of the movies have struggled to draw in the audience to the theatres. The only exception among the lot seems to be Raafi's "Voice of Sathyanathan" which has managed to break even within the first weekend itself. Whether it would be able to sustain it remains to be seen. So was it as good as the numbers showed & why had the others struggled???

Padmini: "Not quite up to the level of Hegde's previous ventures!!!"

The 53rd Kerala State Awards were announced a few days back which saw Chackochan earn a Special Jury mention & Vincy Aloshious, the best actress award. Add to that, the presence of Senna Hegde, Aparna Balamurali & Deepu Pradeep, and it's evident that there is a talented group of people working both in front & behind the camera in this project. Just like many others, even I had high expectations about this movie after all Hegde's previous ventures were both entertaining & quirky in equal measure. 

This time around, the story happens in Palakkad & it opens with the chatter of guests that had gathered for Rameshan's (Chackochan) marriage to Smrithi (Vincy). But even before the night had passed, Smrithi eloped with her lover & Rameshan became the laughing stock of people. As a result of which, he was reluctant to think of a marriage again until he met Padmini (Madonna Sebastian). But that's when they realised that his first marriage was yet to be legally dissolved & to aid him in the task, he sought the help of Adv Sreedevi (Aparna). 

For the uninitiated, Deepu Pradeep was the one who penned the script for "Kunjiramayanam" & when he joined hands with Hegde; it felt like we were in for another rib tickler. Though it began promisingly, it kind of lagged off after a while as the quirky humour which was expected from the duo was largely restricted to Sreedevi's fiance Jayan & his 'raareeram' mattresses. That does not imply that the flick was boring as the humour does work at many parts but the tale as such was largely predictable. As for other aspects, Jakes Bejoy's music & Sreeraj Raveendren's visuals were fine. 

Coming to performances, Chackochan was ok while Aparna finally got a role where she had more scope to perform & she did reasonably well with her expression of helplessness. Madonna did her part aptly while Vincy & Sajin Cherukayil (as Jayan) were the ones who brought in the laughs as those were the ones who fitted the category of quirkiness that we had come to expect from Hegde. As for the rest, Anand Manmadhan, Ganapathi Poduval etc were ok.

Verdict: A story that certainly had the elements for a quirky hilarious flick but falls well short of that. However, it is still worth a try!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Valatty: "Commendable effort but cliched story proves to be its bane!!!"

Among the various production houses that we have in the Malayalam film industry, I do consider Friday Film House as one of the best for their constant effort to do something different & interesting. At times it might not click ; but their efforts are usually commendable. The latest production from their stable is Devan Jayakumar's "Valatty" which is on anthropomorphic animals, something which is not attempted much in our movies. 

Though Devan's effort to try something different needs to be applauded, the same cant be said about his script which was the typical cliched storyline that we have seen in innumerable movies. The protagonists are Tomy (Roshan Mathews), a golden retriever & Amalu (Raveena Ravi), a cocker spaniel who are neighbours & in love with each other. However, their owners, disapproved of it & they decide to leave their homes. What subsequently happens is the crux of the movie & I am sure you would have easily guessed the rest by now.

The adorable nature of the dogs makes it an endearing and engaging flick for the kids. However, apart from the fact that the dogs replaced the humans (I am not belittling the effort, as it is by no means easy); there is hardly anything in the story that manages to surprise us. Another aspect that required more attention to be paid was the cinematography & I felt Vishnu Panicker's efforts were average at best. At the same time, pretty much everyone who lend their voices here did a fine job be it Roshan, Raveena, Soubin, Sunny Wayne, Indrans etc. 

Verdict: Both Devan & Vijay Babu deserves praise for doing something quite unique. However, if Devan had invested more thought into the script then it would have been a far more fruitful experience!!!

Rating: 2/5

Voice of Sathyanathan: "Much louder voice of Rafi's humour than in recent times!!!" 

When was the last time that a Rafi movie genuinely had you entertained? In my case, the answer to that will be Lalettan's "Hallo" which was released in 2007. Since then none of Rafi's movies have quite matched up to the standards of his vintage comedies. His latest flick to hit the screens last weekend was "Voice of Sathyanathan" & he would be hoping that he could recreate the magic of his yester years. 

The film unfolds with a tiff between Sathyanathan (Dileep) & his neighbour, Varkeychayan (Siddique), over the former's message at Varkey's birthday party. Satyanathan's efforts to resolve the matter gets him into bigger troubles largely because of his carelessness to articulate his train of thoughts properly. Eventually, he comes under the scanner of the law enforcement agencies for his apparent unintentional threat on the President & the situations that he gets himself into coz of that, is what this movie is about.

There is no doubt that the humour that Rafi created in the beginning of the movie largely works, though it is not quite upto the level that we had seen from him in the 90s & early 2000s. The emotional segment is shouldered by Joju & that is where the movie starts to get into a credible shape. But the segments featured in Mumbai lacked the thrills that Rafi was trying to create before it culminates in a predictable manner. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention. On the performance front, Dileep was fine and scores in the humour sequences while Joju was spot on in the emotional segments. Veena was ok while Siddique manages to tickle the funny bone. As for the rest, Jagapathi Babu, Makarand Deshpande, Jaffer Sadiq etc did what their roles demanded while Ramesh Pisharody felt like a misfit. 

Verdict: As an audience, it certainly had its moments but I wouldn't say that I was thoroughly entertained. However, for the industry's welfare it is heartening to see that the movie has worked at the box office.

Rating: 2/5

Kurukkan: "Not even half as wily as the kurukkan!!!"

It's been quite a while since we have seen Sreenivasan feature in a movie coz of his ill-health. Hence there was a lot of good will and expectations in the lead up to Jayalal Divakaran's "Kurukkan", in which the veteran actor was expected to return. The promos & stills indicated that it was a crime investigation flick that was packaged with humour. 

This is Jayalal's directorial debut & he had joined hands with Manoj Ramsingh, who had worked on the script. The movie unfolds with the murder of the social media influencer, Neenu (Mareena Michael) & Inspector Dinesh (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is entrusted with the investigation. After a failed drug bust, the latter was keen on solving this case in the hope of improving his tarnished image. In the absence of a solid lead, he decides to frame the case on Hari (Shine Tom), an IT professional with the help of Krishnan (Sreenivasan), a habitual false witness who gave fake testimonies in favour of the police.  Who comes up trumps at the end of it is what this movie is about.

The basic flaw with the screenplay is the inability to do justice to either of the genres that they are trying to portray. As Vineeth had said in the promotions, the character of Dinesh is made in the same mold as Shikhari Shambhu but the issue here is that except for sparse comical situations, there is hardly much to laugh about. Similarly, in the urge to make it comical; not much thought went into the investigation track as well due to which it barely had anything to make it engaging. At the same time, I felt the climax was ok with the facts laid out & also for Vineeth's performance. 

The manner in which Vineeth's character is etched out is such that it showcases shades of caricature, stupidity and a streak of villainy. He has done a fine job within the scope that was offered to him. Sreenivasan was fine in the initial segments though in the latter half, his character barely had much to do & it didnt come across as convincing. Shine Tom was comparatively better with regard to his recent performances while Malavika Mohan also did her part well. As for the rest, Srikant Murali, Aswath Lal, Sruthy Jayan etc were ok.

Verdict:  It neither managed to do complete justice to the humour part nor to the investigation part.

Rating: 1.5/5

Appatha: "If it wasnt for Urvashi, it would have been a debacle!!!"

Our industry has been graced by numerous brilliant female artists over the years, but if one has to choose who is the finest among the lot, then just like me many would say Urvashi. This talent powerhouse has steadily transitioned to mature roles & consistently given praise worthy performance in different languages. Her latest movie is helmed by Priyadarshan & marks a landmark, as it is her 700th movie.

The movie is about Appatha (Urvashi) who was a much respected lady in her village for her wisdom, empathy & pickle business which was a source of livelihood for many. However, her son who lived in the city didn't think highly of her abilities & shared a strained relationship. Things take a turn when her son invites her over to the city; only for her to realise later that the main purpose was to take care of their dog, Zeus while he went on a family tour. Despite being terrified of dogs, Appatha agrees & how she gels with Zeus and the rest of the people in the apartment complex forms the rest of the story.

Along with Deepthi Govindarajan, Priyadarshan has penned the screenplay which initially starts off an emotional drama but then incorporates humour into the proceedings. On the whole, it is a feel good movie & as a OTT release, worthy enough to be a relaxing watch; though if you are looking for originality and uniqueness, you are likely to be disappointed. Madhu Ambat's frames were impressive as always while the other technical aspects were ok.

The movie is essentially about Urvashi & the veteran legend has given a fine performance as always. Though her brand of comedy in recent times feels artificial occasionally, it was still decently done. As for the rest of the cast, all of them did their parts aptly. 

Verdict: A feel good movie that is sensibly released on OTT

Rating: 2.5/5

Kolla: "Quite underwhelming compared to the potential of the thread!!!"

Being an admirer of Bobby-Sanjay's work, I was more than eager to check out Suraj Varma's "Kolla" as the brothers had penned the story. Apparently, the modus operandi employed in the movie has similarities with the 2007 Chelembra bank robbery (which incidentally was inspired from "Dhoom"). Anywaz the protagonists over here were Annie (Rajisha Vijayan) & Shilpa (Priya Varrier) who had come over to a small town with the plan of opening a beauty parlour. With the help of the localities, they earn good will & proceed with the renovation work in the space that they had acquired. However, on the eve of inauguration of their parlour, the Co-Operative bank above their shop was robbed with the route of entry chosen by the burglars being through their roof. This essentially meant their business plans were stalled until the police had solved the case. 

Frankly speaking, I certainly liked the idea behind the heist as it had a credible cat and mouse feel to the proceedings. The USP was obviously the masterminds behind the robbery & the apt casting choices, which implied Suraj had a winner in his hands. However, I felt Jasim Jalal & Nelson Joseph ought to have put more thought into the screenplay as they left way too many unanswered questions or was it a case of unjudicial editing. In the end, it did have its moments but one cant help feel underwhelmed considering the potential the thread had. The technical aspects were neatly done though as I mentioned earlier, it remains to be seen if Arju Benn needs to be held responsible for the editing.

Both Rajisha & Priya did their parts well and they were properly complimented by Alencier & Vinay Forrt. It was sad to see Kollam Sudhi for one last time, Alexander Prasanth didnt have much scope while Shebin Benson & Shaan Rahman were ok. 

Verdict: It had the scope to be much more impactful & engaging, if it wasn't for the lack-lustered screenplay!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben