Eko: "Impressive in all departments!!!"

Over the course of past 11 months, I have watched numerous movies but at times, due to various commitments, I have missed out to write my opinion about many of them. However, there are certain movies that is so impactful that I make sure to find the time to pen about it, to encourage as many to check them out. One such movie is Dinjith Ayyathan's "Eko" that had hit the screens last week. So why did I like it so much???

Bahul Ramesh places the story in Kattukunnu, a sparsely inhabited mountain range in the Kerala-Karnataka border, where Mlaathi (Biana Momin) lived with the support of the young caretaker, Peeyoos (Sandeep Pradeep) & numerous canines for company. She was a Malaysian by birth and one of the wives of Kuriyachan (Saurabh Sachdeva), an expert dog trainer and a character so sinister & intriguing that saw him create many enemies over the years. He had presently gone into hiding to escape from them & the latest person who came in search was his partner of yester years, Mohan Pothan (Vineeth). So was Kuriyachan actually in that region???

As part of media promotions, Bahul did mention that he was inspired by Edgar Wright's 'Cornetto trilogy' & hence this was the third and final instalment of his own 'Animal trilogy' which included "Kishkindha Kaandam" & "Kerala Crime Files 2". He has created a fantastic script which is a slow burner and keeps us engaged until the very last shot. Dinjith has done utmost justice to the written word with his visual depiction of the intriguing world building. The duo doesn't resort to spoon feeding the audience & that was a smart move as it maintains the mysterious aura right throughout and wows us when we understand the revelation. There are other subtle iterations that they convey with the behaviour of various characters but revealing that here will take away the thrill for many of you. 

Along with the script, the technical aspects were executed impressively with Bahul handling the cinematography. The calmness, beauty and dangers of nature are captured exquisitely & that adds more impact to the scenes. Until I heard the background score of this flick, I personally felt that there was no one to even challenge Jakes Bejoy this year but Mujeeb Majeed proved me wrong, as it was just top notch stuff. Similarly, Sooraj also deserves praise for a fine job done with the editing, while the art department also did justice to their work.

Another major positive is the casting choice as it presents us with a set of characters who are known to us but still makes it difficult to make any preconceived notion as to how their characters would behave. Sandeep has always done reasonably well in the few opportunities that he had got and over here, he truly impresses especially towards the latter half, showcasing his ability. Biana Momin was fine with KPAC Leela providing apt dubbing. Vineeth is an artist who has continued to impress over the past few years & with his performance here, it is a reminder that he is an artist that needs to be explored more. Saurabh's choice was good but I dont think he was able to effectively convey the vile and sinister nature of Kuriyachan. Each & every artist have also done their part aptly be it Ashokan, Narain, Saheer Mohammad, Binu Pappan, Ranjith Shekhar etc.

Verdict: This is undoubtedly the best Malayalam movie that I had watched this year. Could it have been better? Well it could have if Saurabh's performance was more effective. However, that doesn't diminish the effect of the story as such. In short, dont miss it!!!

Rating: 4.25/5

Regards...Ben

Kaantha: "Excellent performances though the screenplay lacked heft in the latter half!!!"

Less than 6 weeks left in the year & there are quite a few interesting movies lined up for release. One of them hit the screens this weekend which happened to be Selvamani Selvaraj's "Kaantha" bank rolled by Rana Daggubati & DQ under their Spirit Media & Wayfarer Films banners respectively. The trailer had created a flutter among the audience & I was eager to check it out as it looked like a winner. However, looks can be deceiving.

Set in the 1950s, Selvamani along with Tamizh Prabha who had penned the script, gives us a glimpse of the Tamil film industry of those times. After delivering numerous blockbusters over the years, Modern Studios which was presently managed by Martin (Ravindra Vijay) was in dire straits & as a last resort he decided to revive the shelved project, 'Shantha'. It was the dream project of the renowned director, Ayya (Samuthirakani) which had to be dropped earlier due to the ego issues between Ayya & his protege, TK Mahadevan (DQ), the numero uno box office star. Eventually due to Martin's request & pressure, Ayya reluctantly agreed to work with Mahadevan on the condition that the heroine will be his protege, Kumari (Bhagyashri Borse). But it was easier said than done especially since Ayya & Mahadevan couldn't stand each other's presence.

Initially there were speculations that DQ's character was inspired from the life of MKT Bhagavathar, who is considered as the first superstar of the Tamil film industry due to the focus on the character's looks, singing ability and the murder allegation. Later on, there were speculations about M.R Radha also being an inspiration as he was known as 'Nadigavel' (DQ's character is referred to as 'Nadigar Chakaravathy') who was charged for the assassination attempt on MGR. Anyway though the makers have denied  it, it would be fair to say that elements from both these real life individuals have provided inspiration. 

The movie begins with the focus on the feud between Ayya & Mahadevan, before it becomes an investigative drama in the latter half. The transition is smooth and the audience is kept hooked to the proceedings that unfold. Though there are some impressive sequences in the second half as well, I felt that there was lack of adequate content to provide the effective connect between those sequences. The melodramatic scenes lacked the expected punch despite the excellent performances and technical prowess. 

The USP is undoubtedly the performances with DQ producing his career best performance as he effortlessly portrayed the aura, arrogance and pain that his character went through. Samuthirakani put on an equally commendable act along with Bhagyashri who ensured that she is more than just a pretty face. Rana did a fine job as well & was certainly enjoyable from the audience perspective, but somewhere I felt it was not in sync with the way the rest of the characters of that period behaved. The rest of the artists have also done justice to their part. 

On the technical side, Dani Sanchez Lopez deserves special praise as the cinematography had a major role to play here. The choice of lighting, the retro feel and shadows were equally important in imparting the desired effect and he aced it (pretty much like what he did in "Mahanati") aided by Llewellyn Antony's editing skills. Jakes Bejoy's purple patch continued as his score was in sync with what the movie demanded while the songs by Jhanu Chanthar was fine. 

Verdict: Certainly expecting it to feature prominently in many of the award functions next year. Similarly, expecting it to be a winner at the box office. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Dies Irae: "Rahul yet again stamps his authority in the horror genre!!!"

Unlike the previous years, the announcement of the Kerala State Awards has been much delayed & presently it is expected by Monday. Among the various nominees, the one that I am most excited about is Rahul Sadasivan's "Bramayugam" as it was impressive in most of the categories. So much so, I would be surprised (with all due respect to Vijayaraghavan & Asif Ali) if Mammookka isn't awarded the best actor for his fantastic performance as 'Kodumon Potti'. Hence when Rahul had announced that his latest flick was hitting the screens on Halloween, it was more than ample reason to be excited about it. So will he able to match the high standards that he set with his recent two directorial ventures???

As with his earlier movies, Rahul had penned the script which commences with the audience being introduced to Madhusudhanan Potti (Gibin Gopinath), a building contractor who was perturbed by some signs. Soon after, he gets to know that his neighbour, Kani (Sushmitha Bhat) had committed suicide. The focus moves to Rohan (Pranav Mohanlal), a rich spoilt brat who reveled in drugs and flings had thrown a party for his buddies and that's when he learned about Kani's death with whom he had a brief affair after which he had ghosted her. Little did he realize that this incident was going to have an impact in his life. 

The main reason I like about Rahul's movies is his ability to create fright out of the ordinary rather than resort to the typical gimmicks. Obviously, those elements does feature as well with the predominant focus being on the sound design that is weaved organically into the screenplay making it an immersive experience for the audience. On the terms of the story as such, I would not rate it as unique or something that keep us hooked to it. This is where his directorial skills came to the fore as his brilliant technical team did utmost justice to his vision. 

Incidentally, it is the same technical team from "Bramayugam" that had assembled here and they have showcased their class here also. This includes Christo Xavier's excellent BGM and the sound design handled by Jayadevan Chakkadath & MR Rajakrishnan which was exceptional to say the least. Shenad Jalal's visuals and Shafique's editing perfectly conveyed the mood to the audience while the excellent work done by the art & makeup team deserves special praise. 

Coming to performances, there are just a handful of characters and each one of them have done complete justice to their part. These include Pranav who finally landed a role that completely suited him in the sense that it did not require him to portray a lot of emotions. At the same time, his performance during the tense moments was impressive. Equally impressive or maybe a notch higher will be Gibin Gopinath with Jaya Kurup putting in a commanding act as well.

Verdict: This is yet another benchmark in this genre as Rahul continues to push the envelope in terms of craftsmanship & story telling. Do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

The Pet Detective & Pathirathri: "One of them should be able to light up the box office!!!"

It's that time of the year where we have a plethora of releases in different industries to cash in on the Diwali holidays. This year was no different as there were quite a few in Malayalam as well, not to mention the numerous OTT releases that hit the small screen. All in all, it provided much needed relief from the mediocre performance showcased by the Indian Women's Team in the Cricket World Cup until now. 

The Pet Detective: "Sharafudheen's debut venture as a producer should give him smiles!!!"

There is more than a good chance that most of the people would have been reminded of Jim Carrey's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" when they heard this title for the first time. After having plied his trade as an actor for more than a decade, Sharafudheen decided to take up the mantle of a producer. It also happened to be the directorial debut of Praneesh Vijayan who had also penned the script along with Jai Vishnu, the latter having earlier worked on "Madhura Manohara Moham". 

The duo has created a comic caper which has multiple parallel tracks & characters that overlap with each other at various junctures before converging in the climax. As the makers had mentioned in one of the promotional event, they had kept "CID Moosa" as a reference and wanted to craft this flick along those lines. The movie unfolds in Mexico where Jose Alula (Renji Panicker), a private detective had to flee the country to escape from the clutches of the dreaded underworld don, Peter Sambai. Though he had planned to open up a detective agency in Kerala, it didn't quite pan out & he decide to devote his time to write crime novels about Sambai. In due course of time, the agency was entrusted to his son, Tony (Sharafudheen) who struggled to derive any benefit from it until he located a missing dog. Around the same time, he gets involved in the missing of a child which in turn was linked to the smuggling of exotic fishes. How he manages to clear his name & in turn, solve the case is what the story is about. 

As mentioned earlier, there are numerous parallel tracks and the manner in which characters gets added to it is definitely interesting especially the one that links to Tony's school mates. It is a type of movie that is not supposed to be taken seriously but still has a reasonable tale narrated in a hilarious manner. For most parts, it does tick the boxes when it comes to humour & certainly made me laugh in a couple of sequences. The climax reminds one of the typical clash of all the characters as in Priyadarshan flicks, though I felt the chaos went overboard here and lacked that organic flow. 

On the technical side, it was neatly done though no particular aspect deserves special mention. Coming to performances, almost all the characters did justice to their part despite the varying length of their characters. Sharafudheen was impressive and pulled off his part mixing humour and the swagger of the lead well. Vijayaraghavan rocked as expected, Vinay Fort was fine (his part ought to have been more) along with Anupama Parameshwaran, Joemon Jyothir & Shyam Mohan. 

Verdict: It's a fun filled flick which delivers what it promised & manages to keep us in good spirits!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Pathirathri: "Underwhelming, considering the quality of the cast & crew!!!"

Over the past few years, most of the choice of movies that Mammookka has been part of has made it an exciting experience for the audience. Though many of them has been spoken about, one movie that is quite underrated which I personally rate as one of the best in the lot (after "Bramayugam") is Ratheena's "Puzhu". Hence this was more than ample reason as to why I wanted to watch "Pathirathri", not to mention that the script was drafted by Shaji Marad who had worked on the screenplay of "Ela Veezha Poonchira". 

Based in Anakkara, SI Jancy (Navya Nair) was a sincere officer who tried to follow the rules as per the book even as she struggled with the cold relationship that she shared with her husband. In the same station, CPO Hareesh (Soubin Shahir) was also going through a marital discord which made him seek the legal system to spend time with his daughter. When it came to his professional responsibilities, he was quite unlike Jancy due to which they didn't get along well. It so turned out that both of them were entrusted to do the night patrol together which made them witness to an incident that threatened to put their lives into jeopardy.

There has been quite a few movies in recent times that more or less follows the same pattern, with "Ronth" being a prime example. It also has the reference to another popular movie (it will be a spoiler for one of the character arc), all of which categorises it in the crime drama genre. However, even as the others had an identity of its own in some way or the other, the issue over here is that it is way too generic. Even as we are shown the personal lives of Jancy & Hareesh, it fails to provide any kind of emotional connect which literally makes those segments insignificant to the story as such. One might state that both of them becomes a shoulder for other's sorrows, but the way it has been crafted felt way too abrupt & lacked the effect expected. None of the sequences managed to excite the audience as it was neither unique nor was it taken in an engaging manner. 

As I was going through the list of the crew involved here, I was surprised to know that the music belonged to Jakes Bejoy as it was rather mundane. The same also applies to the others as none of them quite stood out. However, when it came to performances, Soubin was definitely better while Navya didnt come across as natural in the role of the SI though the emotional turmoil that she faces was conveyed aptly. As for the rest of the cast, Harisree Ashokan was wasted in an inconsequential role, Indrans impressed in a brief appearance while Ann Augustine, Sunny Wayne & Athmiya Rajan were ok. 

Verdict: There are elements in the story that reminds us of other similar flicks. On the whole, it was underwhelming considering the talent that was on offer both in front & behind the camera!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Mirage, Karam & Balti: "Not all managed to give the thrills!!!"

Almost into the last quarter of 2025 & it has been a year where we have been witness to some humongous hits in the form of "Lokah", "Empuraan" & "Thudarum". In the meantime, we also had Lalettan befittingly bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke award, which essentially meant that the Malayalam film industry has been going through some optimistic times. Over the part fortnight, there were a handful of releases & the track record of the cast and crew certainly raised hopes. So will the good times continue???

Mirage: "Illusion of a compelling screenplay!!!"

Jeethu Joseph is one name that doesn't need much introduction courtesy of his impressive directorial resume. Hence when his latest release was announced & that too in the 'thriller' genre, the expectations were quite understandable. To add to that, he had started shooting for "Drishyam 3" which meant the limelight was firmly on him. 

Based on the story by Aparna Tarakad, the screenplay was worked upon by Jeethu & Srinivasan Abrol, which was quite average to be honest. The movie unfolds with a train accident in which Kiran (Hakim Shahjahan), a financial consultancy employee had travelled. Unaware about the fate that had befallen on him, his fiance, Abhirami (Aparna Balamurali) files a missing complaint with the police. Soon enough, his death was confirmed & that's when she was pursued by his employer's henchman as they believed that Kiran had given her some incriminating evidence against them. In addition, she was also pursued by SP Arumugham (Sampath Raj) & Ashwin (Asif Ali), an online investigative journalist, who had their own share of intentions. 

The main issue that I felt was the lack of an engaging screenplay that could keep us hooked. Rather than relying on the story, it seemed like their ploy to arrest our attention was to throw occasional twists. Most of them failed to create an impact except for a couple of them (no comments on when it is as it will be a spoiler). The writing failed to enhance the drama or elevate the thrill at any instance which is a prerequisite for any suspense thriller. On the technical side, it was decent though Vishnu Shyam's music lacked the impact that the movie needed. 

Though Asif Ali was showcased as the hero, I dont think he had much to do as the character was not well etched. However, he did what was possible and gave adequate support to Aparna who did justice to her part. Hannah Reji Koshy was decent along with Sampath while both Hakim & Deepak Parambol, who are good artists came across as very average. 

Verdict: Would certainly rate it as one of Jeethu's weakest movie & look forward to his comeback in "Drishyam 3"!!!

Rating: 2/5

Karam: "Rehashed version of Thira minus the freshness & subdued thrills!!!"

If I had to go through Vineeth Sreenivasan's filmography, "Thira" would hands down be my absolute favourite. The theme, performance of Shobhana & the supporting cast and the manner in which that movie was executed was top notch. It is unfortunate that Vineeth hasnt made a sequel for it as it did have the content for it. His latest directorial venture looked like a departure from his usual style and hence it was interesting to see as to what he has come up with. 

The story has been penned by Nobel Thomas who also plays the protagonist, Dev. He was court marshalled from the Army due to his anger and commitment issues which seemed to have sprung from the unresolved issues with his father, Mahendran (Manoj K Jayan). His relationship with his girlfriend, Sana (Audrey Miriam) was also not approved by her family and as fate might have it, they were separated. However, things started to look bright when Tara (Reshma Sebastian) & their son came into his life. But a visit to Lenarco as part of a conference threatened to put his family's life at risk. 

In terms of the story, I fail to understand as to what exactly was unique in this except that it is based abroad in a fictional land. The core theme is almost identical to "Thira", to the point that even the theme song had a similar line. However, unlike the Shobhana starrer, this one lacked the freshness and even the thrills were significantly subdued due to the predictability factor. However, on the technical side, it was neatly done be it Jomon T John's visuals or the action choreography which was impressive. At the same time, Shaan Rahman's BGM was average and failed to elevate most of the scenes. 

There is no doubt that Nobel has done a fine job when it came to the action sequences though his performance was decent. When it came to performances, Audrey does deserve praise while Reshma has also done her part aptly along with Kalabhavan Shajon. Baburaj did evoke laughs while the much talked about antagonist role by former Kerala Blasters coach,  Ivan Vukomanovic was fine from an appearance point of view while it was rather one dimensional.

Verdict: Just like Jeethu earlier, I would rate this as one of Vineeth's weakest movie to date with hardly much uniqueness to it!!!.

Rating: 2/5

Balti: "Generic yet engaging gangster drama!!!"

When I initially came across the stills and poster of this movie, I actually thought that it was a Tamil flick due to the colour tone as well as raw and rustic look which is typical of Vetrimaaran's projects. Eventually, I happened to see an interview of Santhosh Kuruvilla who had bank rolled this flick & stated that it was a Malayalam flick that had an equal mix of Tamil as well as the story was staged in Velampalayam, located in the border of both the states. 

This marked the directorial debut of Unni Sivalingam who had also penned this action drama which had kabaddi as its backdrop from which the title was inspired. Velampalayam was under the control of the powerful loan shark Bhairavan (Selvaraghavan) who kept his adversaries, Soda Babu (Alphonse Puthren) & G-Maa (Poornima Indrajith) at bay. Even as he had control over most aspects, one arena that he failed to impose his authority on was in kabaddi, as his team which was handled by his brother struggled to win over the local team which was headlined by a gang of four friends, Udayan (Shane Nigam), Kumar (Shanthanu Bhagyaraj), Suresh (Shiva Hariharan) & Mani (Jeckson Johnson). It was just a matter of time before they crossed paths with Bhairavan & the impact that it had on their lives is what this movie is about. 

It would be fair to say that Unni has done a fine job in his debut venture in terms of how he had executed it. The pace at which the story moves along manages to paper through the fact that it is quite predictable formost parts. The template is quite similar to what we would expect from such gangster dramas where there will be friendships, unbridled energy to achieve anything that stood in their path, rapid rise through the ranks, fall from grace & betrayals. In the initial segment there is focus on kabaddi but that gets sidelined completely later on. However, the camaraderie between the friends & individual mindsets which puts their lives as well as those of their loved ones was captured well and keeps us engaged. On the technical side, action choreography was top notch & the way it was captured by Alex Pulickal in a raw and realistic manner deserves praise. Sai Abhyankkar's music was decent while Shivkumar Panicker's editing in the action sequences were good.

The camaraderie between the four performers was palpable and all of them deserves appreciation for their impressive display in the stunts and in kabaddi. Shane did justice to his part while Shanthanu was decent (way better than in the woeful "Angel John") as I dont think he was successful in extracting the potential of that character. Both Selvaraghvan & Poornima were good while Alphonse felt comical rather than impactful . As for the rest of the cast, both Shiva & Jeckson were ok along with Preethi Asrani. 

Verdict: Despite the generic template, the movie has been executed quite well with good performances overall from the artists!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben

Hridayapoorvam: "Lalettan's charm shoulders this feel good flick!!!"

It's been more than a few weeks since Onam had got over even though the Malayali Associations continue to celebrate it at various places. Anyway I have been busy with my professional commitments & hence hasn't been able to pen my opinion about the movies that I had watched over the past few weeks. This includes, Sathyan Anthikad's "Hridayapoorvam" that I had incidentally watched even before "Lokah". Well the movie have already done rousing business at the box office making it yet another winner for Lalettan. So did I actually enjoy this flick???

This was the first time that the veteran director had collaborated with his twin sons as Akhil was credited with the story while Anoop served as the associate director. The protagonist in the movie was Sandeep Balakrishnan (Lalettan), an affluent businessman who ran a successful cloud kitchen chain in Kochi. Incidentally, he had a cardiac failure which required him to have a heart transplantation that belonged to Colonel Ravindranath who was based in Pune. As he slowly got back to his normal life, he was invited by the Colonel's daughter, Haritha (Malavika Mohanan) to her engagement. Though initially reluctant, he eventually decides to attend it and the few days that he ends up spending with Haritha & her mother, Devika (Sangita) has an effect on him which makes him unsure of his emotions. 

In terms of the story, it certainly had adequate content in it but Sonu T.P wasn't able to properly flesh it out in the screenplay. The conflict of emotions was an interesting thought but it seemed like they didnt want to explore this angle much & opted for humour in those sequences to paper over it. There is no problem in opting for humour though it meant that they failed to cash in on some browny points. The focus was more on the Sandeep-Haritha angle & that kind of looked dicey, not to mention the lack of chemistry between Lalettan & Malavika. At the same time, it was quite the opposite with Sangita and they should have looked into it with more interest. On the whole, it felt fine and was a decent time pass. All the technical aspects were neatly handled be it Anu Moothedeth's frames or Justin Prabhakaran's music both of which was in sync with the mood and tone that the story wanted to convey. 

In terms of performances, Lalettan was impressive as always with his ease in handling both humour and emotions. Giving him perfect company was Sangeeth who has done an excellent job in making sure quite a few of the sequences didn't drag primarily because of his energy and humour. The Lalettan-Sangeeth combo is undoutedly the biggest plus of this flick. Both Malavika & Sangita did their parts aptly, and as mentioned earlier, there was indeed a chemistry with Lalettan. As for the rest of the cast, Siddique did provide humour though it didn't have any relevance as such to the story and the same also applies to the others who seemed to be there just to complete the quorum. 

Verdict: There is no doubt that it is encouraging to see movies perform well at the box office & this  also happens to be one such flick. It certainly didnt bore you or test my patience, but it could have fared far better with a much better screenplay. In short, a feel good flick that benefits from the Lalettan-Sangeeth combo!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra: "This superhero will take the win on screen & at the box office!!!"

Yet another Onam has come & gone, and I presume just like me most of you would have enjoyed your time with family & friends feasting on the sadya & the goodies. Another main aspect of this festive season are the eagerly awaited movie releases which usually leaves us spoiled for choice more often than not. This year was no different & the first one that I had watched among them was Dominic Arun's super hero flick. I had found the trailer quite intriguing & hence the expectations were nigh high.

Dominic has penned the script which is based on the rich folklore of Kerala. Incidentally, in one of his interviews he had mentioned that he was inspired by Richard Schenkman's "The Man From Earth" (one of my personal favourites, please do watch it if you haven't). The main plot is staged in Bangalore as Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) is summoned to the city at the behest of 'Moothon' and asked to maintain a low profile. Opposite to the building where she stayed, Sunny (Naslen) shared a bachelors' pad with his buddies, Venu (Chandu Salimkumar) & Naijil (Arun Kurian). The trio led a carefree life goofing around & that was when Sunny was smitten by Chandra. However, there was something mysterious about her as she barely had a social life & ventured out only when the night fell. Sunny was keen to unravel the mystery & what he found out was something that he had least expected. 

It is no mean task to mount a superhero genre in our Indian film industry & even more challenging when it comes from a small industry like Malayalam. However, time & again, the latter have managed to keep us invested in it due to the quality in the story & screenplay with well etched characters, rather than rely on visual gimmicks with crores spent on stuff that neither has logic or finesse. Kudos to Dominic for a fantastic script with Santhy Balachandran assisting him on the screenplay. Incidentally, she had featured in his debut venture "Tharangam", & I did enjoy the wackiness of that. The manner in which he brought in elements like Kalliyankattu Neeli, Chathan, Kathanar etc & tied those tales with the present time was impressive. The first half runs at a slow pace but once the backstory etc is revealed, it starts to pick up pace which is elevated by the antagonist and the cameos. 

Unlike majority of the other movies in this genre where the film maker gets lost in the technical gimmicks & CGI, Dominic was sensible enough to ensure that those elements complimented his script. It is hard to pinpoint as to which person took centre stage, since each & every member has done a praise worthy job. However, I will start off with Jakes Bejoy, the man has been on fire for quite a while & I personally rate him the best among the present generation for his versatility. His BGM elevated many of the sequences & the choice of retro classics like 'Kiliye Kiliye' etc was top notch. Nimish Ravi was excellent with his choice of colour palettes for the visuals, with the neon lighting providing that rich feel to the scenes. At the same time, Chaman Chacko enhanced its effect with judicious cuts and the visual effects were also neatly done for the budget on offer. Kudos to Yannick Ben & his team for the exceptional action choreography especially the ones that was staged in the forest & at the cafe.

Coming to performances, hats off to Kalyani for a fine performance which was superbly supported by Sayanora who dubbed for her. Actually when the first look poster came out, it reminded me of Anna Ben in "Kalki 2898 AD" (who actually did a small role as well) & who I felt would have been an apt choice for this role. However, Kalyani's action sequences were impressive & since the character demanded an inherent charm & a stoic face for most parts, it worked to her favour as she is not so adept when it comes to expressing emotions. Similarly, Durga Vinod who portrayed her childhood also deserves praise. Whenever I think of Lokesh's "Leo", one of the main thing that I liked in that movie was the spine chilling performance of Sandy & he has aced it over here as well with an excellent portrayal of Inspector Nachiyappa. Naslen has done justice to his part with commendable support from Chandu and Arun while Tovino rocked in his cameo with his charm & histrionics. 

Verdict: It is an excellent effort from Dominic & his team and kudos to them for that. Another person who deserves equal appreciation is Dulquer for bankrolling this creative vision. Since DQ & Dominic has already set a benchmark with this flick, it is not going to be an easy task to live up to it in the subsequent parts (presumably four more). But hopefully they will continue to believe that story is king & not the budget. Anyway look forward to Dominic & others like Arun Chandu ("Gaganachari") to take this genre forward. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

War 2: "Creativity was definitely not first or even part of the agenda!!!"

Apart from "Coolie", the audience had another choice to feast their eyes in this extended weekend. It happened to be "War 2", the sixth installment of the YRF Spy Universe. However, unlike its prequel, the project was helmed by Ayan Mukherji instead of Siddharth Anand. This time around, Jr NTR rubbed shoulders with Hrithik Roshan in the hope that it will sweep the South Indian box office as well. Well the trailer was far from impressive & I hoped that the movie would be much better. So was my hope ill placed???

After having gone rogue, Kabir (Hrithik) presently plied his trade as a freelance mercenary who was much sought after by different groups. This put him in the radar of the Kali cartel, a crime syndicate that comprised of powerful individual members from India and neighbouring nations. Their mission was to eliminate governments & put it under their control, with India being their latest target. Kabir agreed to take up the assignment, though unknown to the cartel, he was entrusted by Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), a couple of years back to infiltrate the organization. But he had to take a tough decision since the first task that was given to him by the cartel to prove his loyalty was to eliminate Colonel Luthra. 

Apparently, the story was penned by Aditya Chopra with the screenplay and dialogues worked upon by Sridhar Raghavan & Abbas Tyrewala. Seriously, did he actually write anything? It was nothing more than a hare brained predictable plot without an iota of creativity. To make matters worse, the VFX was shoddy as it looked damn artificial while the action sequences which was expected to be the USP failed to wow and struggled for authenticity. None of the technical aspects deserves special mention except for Benjamin Japser's cinematography which was good. Even more surprising was that the dance choreography for the Janaab-e-Aali track that featured two fantastic dancers like Hrithik & Jr. NTR, failed to evoke awe. 

It would be hard to fault the actors for such a poorly written script. However, Hrithik did justice to his part while Jr NTR was just about ok, since he did struggle in the emotional sequences. Kiara didnt have much scope to perform (as expected) in this testosterone flick while Anil Kapoor was fine, with Ashutosh providing adequate support in a brief role. 

Verdict: Apart from the fact that the story was a huge letdown, the making of it left a lot to be desired especially when it came to VFX and action set pieces. They need to do turn the tide effectively & emphatically in the next installment which for their benefit would have to hopefully happen in "Alpha" (as shown in the post credits) or else, I doubt whether this spy universe will survive!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

Coolie: "Lacked the expected power to bring the house down!!!"

Finally, one of the most awaited movie of the year has hit the screens across the globe on the eve of our nation's 79th Independence Day. Interestingly, it also marked half a century since the Superstar made his debut in "Apoorva Raagangal". With a stellar star cast from most of the prominent film industries, the question that everyone had was whether Lokesh Kanagaraj could do justice to the lofty expectations. He certainly has the caliber proved by his track record but it is a gargantuan task indeed.

As in his previous flicks, Lokesh has penned the script for this as well & made it clear prior to the release that this was not part of the LCU series. The audience is introduced to Dayal (Soubin Shahir) who is the trusted lieutenant of the much feared smuggler, Simon (Nagarjuna) and coordinated the operations at Vishakhapatnam harbour. He kept a tight leash on the workers with the traitors being mercilessly slaughtered. At the same time in Chennai, Deva (Rajni) who ran a boarding house was informed of his friend's death, Rajasekhar (Satyaraj) which brings him to Vishakhapatnam. Though his death was put down to cardiac arrest, he felt that there was more to it than what met the eye. 

So this brings to the question as to whether Lokesh was able to keep us invested in the story? On paper, it certainly did and the manner in which he builds the story did have the intrigue. The issue props us with its inability to keep us engrossed in it as it slacks in between and that is primarily because we are not emotionally hooked onto the characters like in "Vikram". At the same time, there were a couple of sequences and sub-plot in the second half which was good. Anirudh's music did manage to elevate some of the scenes though it was uneven despite the 'Powerhouse' & 'Monica' tracks. Girish Gangadharan's cinematography was fine for most parts while the retro feel didn't gel well. Anbariv's action choreography was reasonably well done while the de-aging VFX though good lacked the finesse. 

Comiing to performances, Thalaivar was impressive as his aura shouldered the story and did what was possible within the framework of the character. However, when it was came to the best written character arc, it undoubtedly belonged to Soubin's Dayal and he was brilliant as the slimy villainous gangster. As for Nagarjuna, though the casting choice was ideal & he delivered what was expected, but the screenplay was such that except for a couple of brief sequences it fell well short of tapping the potential which that character possessed. 

When I saw that Shruti Hasan was playing the lead female role, I didnt expect much to be honest. But she definitely impressed with her emotional act while Rachita Ram was exceptional with Kanaa Ravi giving adequate support. Satyaraj was fine in a brief role while Upendra was wasted and his aura (except in the flashback sequence) was barely used. The much spoken about cameo by Aamir Khan was also a damp squid as the character made no sense though the initial appearance did have a wow factor (however, felt they should have kept it under wraps like 'Rolex').

Verdict: It would be easy to say that the weight of expectations would have let down the movie. I dont quite agree to that statement since there is no denying the fact that the screenplay was quite average. Did the movie bore me? Ofcourse not, as it did have a pretty decent story & performed well by the artists. In effect, Lokesh failed to pack in more power & comes across as a missed opportunity. But from Sun Pictures point of view, I believe they should be happy as I would expect it to finish among the top 3 highest Tamil grossers!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Ronth, Detective Ujjwalan, Azadi and Mr & Mrs Bachelor

With the OTT platform being an integral segment to reach out to the audience, there has been numerous occasions when I came to know about a particular movie only when it was streamed there. There were quite a few among the ones that I will be talking about in this opinion piece that belongs to that category. So did it surprise me as to why they failed at the box office? The answer to that will have to be no, in most situations.

Ronth: "Engaging for most parts with a solid Dileesh Pothan!!!"

Over the past decade, if I had to choose the most gripping police dramas that had released in Malayalam; then it will undoubtedly feature "Joseph" & "Nayattu". Incidentally, both of them belong to Shahi Kabir & hence that was more than ample reason to be eager about his latest release which is also set against his previous profession.

SI Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan) was a seasoned police officer who had dealt with all kinds of scum as part of his job. As the name suggests, the story is essentially about the events that unfold in the life of Yohannan & his assistant, CPO Dinnath (Roshan Mathew) during their night patrol. They come across various type of cases that night which takes a toll on both of them on a moral and emotional level.

Yet again, Shahi has come with an engaging police dramas that works for most parts. It reminded me of Abrid Shine's "Action Hero Biju" which is about the various cases that a police office has to tackle on a daily basis. This was pretty much the same except that this happens in the night & maintains a grim  tone which increases towards the climax giving the vibe of "Nayattu". To be honest, the climax felt rather forced & hence it didn't quite have the impact that Shahi would have wanted to create. If we go through Shahi's previous flicks, it gives a lot of emphasis on the character & life of the protagonists such as their personal traumas, ideologies and we get to see that in Yohannan and Dinnath. 

Kudos to Manesh Madhavan's visuals for the realistic feel to it while the rest of the aspects were neatly done. The caliber of Dileesh & Roshan is something that all of us are well aware about and they continued the good work here as well. However, if I was to compare between the two, then Dileesh was fantastic hands down while Roshan was fine especially in the emotional breakdown portions towards the end. 

Verdict: Though not quite upto the mark in comparison to his previous directorial efforts primarily because of a forced climax, it still comes across a gripping police drama pulled off by a praise worthy performance by Dileesh!!!

Rating: 3.25/5

Detective Ujjwalan: "Investigative aspect could have been more thrilling!!!"

The regularity with which Dhyan Sreenivasan's movie releases is a mystery that continues to baffles many especially since most of them had sunk without a trace at the box office. This was least surprising as majority of them were quite mediocre. However, when Sophia Paul's Weekend Blockbusters announced their latest project, I was more than eager to check it out due to their decent track record. 

The movie unfolds in the quaint village of Plaachikaavu where Ujjwalan (Dhyan) had a library which predominantly had detective novels. His interest in it also saw him solve minor theft cases which was the most that the villagers had been witness to until the murder of the school principal, Ashokan (Kalabhavan Navas). This was soon followed by another murder & a special investigation team led by SI Shambu (Siju Wilson) was entrusted to unravel the case. Though at loggerheads initially, Ujjwalan joins forces with Shambu as they try to nab the psychopath murderer. 

This is Indraneel Gopalakrishnan & Rahul G's directorial debut & they have done a decent job in showcasing their craft. However, the same cant be said about their scripting abilities as it was not quite upto the mark. It had the feel of a 'Minnal Murali' & 'Kunjiramayanam' in terms of the colour tone & retro aesthetics for which Premkrishna Akkattu and S.Harichandran deserves praise. The humour elements take centre stage early on and that had worked out well. But when they came to the core subject, it definitely lacked the punch with the antagonist and the related back story not having the heft that piques our attention. 

In terms of performance, it was a character that gelled well with Dhyan's easy going demeanour and hence made it quite likeable. Siju did his part aptly as the macho aspect of the character was portrayed well. Rony David provided the comic relief with support from Ameen and Nihal while Kottayam Naseer was quite solid as the supporting cast. 

Verdict: From a thriller perspective, one is bound to feel let down by the manner that angle was not explored adequately. However, it keeps us entertained coz of the humour and the performances.

Rating: 3/5

Azadi: "Interesting jail break that could have been better!!!"

When it comes to jail break movies, I dont think our industry have been able to tackle that genre as well compared to others. Jo George decided to make his directorial debut on this subject with Sagar Hari pitching it with the story & screenplay, and it would be fair to say that it was indeed a decent effort. The bulk of the portions are staged within the premises of the Kottayam Medical College where Ganga (Raveena Ravi), a pregnant prisoner was brought in for her delivery. She was accused of murdering the scion of a prominent politician & her husband, Raghu (Sreenath Bhasi) along with her father, Shiva (Lal) were working on an escape plan for which they had recruited the services of a couple of people. However, it was easier said than done as they had to outwit the police & the politician's contract killers.

There is no doubt that the core thought was promising and it does keep us engaged for most parts. But Jo's direction certainly lacked the freshness and the zing that the movie demanded. On the whole it had an outdated feel to it with Saneesh Stanly's cinematography being average. Even Sagar also needs to take the blame for an average screenplay and at times, mediocre dialogues especially the ones rendered by Vani Viswanath. The thought behind some of the characters also made no sense be it the behaviour of Lal's character or the relevance of Saiju Kurup. On the performance front, Sreenath has done justice to his part along with TG Ravi. As for the rest of the cast, Lal & Co. were ok while Vani Vishwanath hams it big time and Shobhi Thilakan was average. 

Verdict: If more thought had gone into the screenplay, it could have been much better. 

Rating: 2/5

Mr & Mrs Bachelor: "Miscast & lazily written!!!"

Deepu Karunakaran is not a name that inspires hope for movie lovers after all his previous ventures hasn't quite been off the top drawer. His last directorial flick was about 8 years back & this project was in the news prior to its release due to the tiff between him & Anaswara coz of the latter's lack of co-operation in the movie promotions. Anyway it came & went without much of a whimper and it was not surprising to say the least.

The script penned by Arjun T S unfolds on the eve of Stephy's wedding (Anaswara Rajan) with the news that her groom, Sijin (Rahul Madhav) had backed out and gone missing. However, rather than blame her fate, she decided to locate him & find out the actual reason. This is how she ends up in Trivandrum where she gets acquainted with Siddharth (Indrajith Sukumaran), an affluent businessman and a bachelor & seeks his help. 

Apart from the fact that it was a gross miscast with zero chemistry between the lead pair, there was nothing in the story that was worth talking about. It was lazily written and except for a couple of chuckles there is hardly anything that was worth mentioning. By the time, the climax came along we are least bothered as to how the makers ended it. None of the technical aspects deserves mention and when it comes to performances, I fail to understand why a talented artist like Indrajith finds himself in such worthless projects. He genuinely struggled to find his form while Anaswara was better and did what was possible with that character. 

Verdict: Don't bother!!!

Rating: 1/5

Narivetta, Moonwalk & Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali: "Better writing could have guaranteed better returns!!!"

It's been quite a while since I have penned my opinion about the movies that I watched. However, that doesnt imply that I didnt watch any in that period. On the contrary, I had watched a handful in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi & English, & except for ones like "F1", most of them were average or failed to impress. This opinion piece talks about some of them & hopefully some of the exciting projects that is linked up for release in the next month or so, will make up for it. 

Narivetta: "Decent portrayal of a real life protest!!!"

The 2003 Muthanga incident is a dark chapter in the history of our state & for the unversed, it was the protest of the tribals against the state machinery for not having honoured their promise of alloting them a dedicated land for their livelihood. Despite being interested in history, I have to admit that I didn't have much knowledge about this incident except for the basic premise. But the fact remains that the hardships of the tribal community continues to this day. 

Based on this incident, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar recipient Abin Joseph crafted a fictionalised version of it with Anuraj Manohar calling the shots. The movie unfolds in Kuttanadu where Paul Varghese (Tovino Thomas) is shown as a carefree yet educated & politically ignorant individual who was in a relationship with Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan). Despite having got the job as a police constable, he was reluctant to join initially as he aspired for a superior position. However, circumstances required him to take up the job & as part of that he was part of the battalion that was entrusted to control the tribal protests in Cheeyambam in Wayanad. What subsequently unfolds as part of that protests is what this movie is about. 

These kind of subjects are handled expertly by Tamil directors such as Vetrimaran, Pa Ranjith etc. & in that sense, Anuraj can be proud of what he had pulled off. This is his sophomore project after "Ishq" & there is no doubt that he has done a fine job when it came to capturing the core incident. He deserves appreciation for the manner it was staged and executed along with the cinematographer, Vijay; as both of them were able to build the pressure on screen. Giving them competent support was Jakes Bejoy, who I personally rate as the finest in his line of work at present. His BGM was impressive & the 'Minnalvala' track rendered by Sid Sriram & Sithara is undoubtedly the song of the year. 

At the same time, Abin's script could have been more impactful, though I guess the sensitivity of the issue might have made him tone down the intensity. The lack of adequate awareness about the incident among the public might have been the reason why he chose to portray Paul as rather naive and insensitive to the demands of the tribals. On paper that looked fine but Tovino's portrayal of the character was quite watered down while Suraj was top notch as Basheer, the seasoned head constable. Arya Salim (as CK Janu obviously) was impressive while Cheran, Pranav Teophine (as Thammi) & Priyamvada did their parts aptly.

Verdict: There is no doubt that Anuraj & his technical team has done a fine job in executing the plot. However, Abin's script could have been much more impactful which also contributed to Tovino's performance not being quite upto the mark. 

Rating: 3/5

Moonwalk: "Cultural nostalgia is the main USP!!!"

When I reminiscence about my school days, one of the things that instantly pops to mind is the youth festival where the three houses slug it out over two days for the ultimate honour. The iconic event was undoubtedly the dance events, especially Western dance where 'Break dance' ruled the roost with Champions at it literally treated as demi gods. I was so inspired by one of my seniors, that I used to memorise his moves and practise it back at home. In future, I have been lucky enough to use it in competitions to good effect. Hence when LJP share the first look poster of "Moonwalk", which he had bank rolled, I was keen to check it out.

This is Vinod AK's debut directorial venture & he had penned the script as well which lacked the conventional template though it can be termed as the journey of an underdog. The movie is set in the late 80s when Michael Jackson was setting the world ablaze with his electrifying music and dance moves. It had landed on our shores as well & the movie is about a group of friends from various strata of society who was bound by their passion for break dance. Along with Mathew Varghese & Sunil Gopalakrishnan, Vinod has crafted the screenplay in such a manner where we get a glimpse of the political outlook, societal pressure, family dynamics and most importantly, camaraderie among this band of friends. 

Did it manage to keep me invested in it for the entirety of its run time? It didn't but at the same time it didn't test my patience as well. Rather than the dance as such, the earnest performance of the artists & the emotional connect between them on the face of challenges is what had me interested. Majority of them were newcomers & hence I dont know most of their names. However, among them; Anunath (as Jake) & Sibi Kuttappan (as Sura) had more screen time and both of them did their parts well, with the rest of the gang supporting them aptly. On the technical side, Sabu Mohan's art direction & Ansar Shah's choreography deserves special mention as it did justice to the period that it was staged. Prashant Pillai's music was in sync with the mood while Sreejith Dazzlers choreography was decent. 

Verdict: It would certainly give you a sense of nostalgia especially if you were born in that period. From a story point of view, it could come across as rather underwhelming for quite a few due to lack of a core plot!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali: "Relevant theme let down by its writing!!!"

Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code is something that most of us are aware about, having read or heard about it in print and media respectively. The harassment that women face as a result of dowry related arguments is a menace that refuses to die down despite much talk about it. At the same time, there has been instances where women have taken advantage of it & put the men on the docks. The directorial debut of Sethunath Padmakumar is based on this theme which he has penned as well. 

The person in question is Sahadevan (Asif Ali) who had recently tied the knot with Nayana (Thulasi). The couple has been together for just about 10 days, when Nayana decided to head back to her home uninformed. However, soon enough Sahadevan was called up by the police on accusation of domestic abuse and mental harassment by his wife. It was now upto him to seek justice & prove his innocence. 

Sethunath has certainly chosen a relevant theme but where he has faltered was when it came to giving a balanced outlook to it. It was way too skewed and one sided, so much so that almost all the characters that was shown in the movie were victims of it. So much so, the point raised by the opposite party in the end failed to evoke any sense of empathy which led to the climax being average at best. If it wasn't for Asif's performance, the movie would have fallen flat coz he is a pro when it comes to showcasing the helplessness of characters. Both the female artists, Shreya Rukmini (as Adv Anila) & Thulasi was average and their performance was also hampered by poorly written parts. The rest of the cast included Jagadish who was wasted after being shown as an imposing character while Azees Neumangad and Anand Manmadhan were ok.

Verdict: It had the potential to become a worthy watch if more attention was paid to its writing. In short, the makers has much to thank Asif, if people tend to watch it till the end!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Prince & Family, Sarkeet & Padakkalam: "Appeals to the family audience!!!"

With "Thudarum" having a sensational run at the box office, it was always going to be a tall ask for the subsequent releases to stay afloat. Hence quite a few of them had moved their release dates, though a couple of makers decided to stick on with their original plan & take their celluloid creations to the audience. So how did the audience warm up to them???

Prince & Family: "Dileep manages to pull in the family audience!!!"

It's been quite a while since Dileep had a flick that showed any semblance of being a box office success which he had aplenty in the past. His latest release in with Binto Stephen who is making his directorial debut, with Sharis Mohammed working on the script. So will these duo manage to orchestrate a change in box office fortunes???

Prince (Dileep) was a designer by profession and the eldest of three sons, though unlike his siblings he was still a bachelor as none of the martial alliances quite worked out. With his age being on the higher side, he wondered whether he would ever be able to tie the knot. It was at this juncture that he met up a girl that he believed was an apt choice. But was it indeed??? Sharis has penned it in such a manner whereby the first half has that typical comedy that we usually associate with such bachelor. It doesn't imply that it doesn't work as quite a few sequences genuinely managed to evoke laughs, but it lacked freshness. The tone shifts in the second half which I am not explicitly mentioning here, might have come across as an abrupt change. But knowing Sharis's track record of touching upon a socially relevant topic as in "Queen", "Jana Gana Mana" etc., it shouldn't come as a surprise. However, Binto has done a decent job in its execution while the technical aspects were satisfactory but it doesn't deserve special mention. 

On the performance front, Dileep has done a decent job along with Raniya Raanaa in her debut venture though she does go over the top at times. However, Vincy Aloshious who had dubbed for her was impressive and captured the character variations well. Manju Pillai impressed in her part while Johny Antony felt like a miscast for that role. As for the rest of the cast, Siddique & Bindu Panicker did their parts aptly, Dhyan Sreenivasan appeared in an insignificant role (I guess he was included to handle the online marketing) & Urvashi, in a cameo stood out as expected with her dialogue delivery. 

Verdict: Based on the box office reports, the movie seemed to have made a profit for the makers. However, in terms of whether it managed to engage me, it was average at best!!!

Rating: 2/5

Sarkeet: "This sarkeet could have been way more impactful!!!"

Over the past year or so, Asif Ali has been on a roll with his choice of movies that he backed up with endearing performances. The latest to be added to that list is Thamar's "Sarkeet" which is essentially about the bond between two strangers from different walks of life. As a film maker, Thamar had already proved his potential with "1001 Nunakal" & hence I was quite eager to check this out especially with Asif in the lead.

As Thamar is based in the Middle East, he is quite well versed with the terrain & the various characters that set foot on that land in the hope of a better future. This is what he had showcased in both his flicks with the focus here being on two sets of characters. On the one side, there is Ameer (Asif Ali) who had come with the hope of finding a job, but all his efforts had drawn blanks. The other side had a stressed out middle class couple, Balu (Deepak Parambol) & Steffi (Divya Prabha), parents to Jefron (Orhan Hyder) who was diagnosed with ADHD. As fate might have it, Ameer crosses path with Jefron and the events that happens subsequently is what this movie is about.

In the hands of lesser directors, there would have been an overload of melodrama in dealing with a subject like this. However, Thamar has shown both the parties in a realistic manner which makes it an engaging first half. But he failed to create the same effect in the latter segment as it was quite watered down or rather cinematic despite the earnest performance of the artists. At the same time, the technical team has done a fine job especially Govind Vasantha's music and BGM which was completely in sync with what the movie demanded. 

Asif Ali has steadily improved upon his craft over the years & one particular aspect that stands out is his effortless portrayal of emotional scenes. Over here, he impresses with an understated performance that is endearing and the bond with Orhan is convincingly exhibited. Orhan has also done his part well as he was certainly irritating at times as the character demanded. As for the rest, Deepak & Prasanth was ok while Divya was average.

Verdict: An endearing movie for most parts that focused on the emotional bond between two characters which was endearingly performed by Asif & Orhan. However, it felt like more suited for the OTT platform!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Padakkalam: "Decent fun fantasy comedy!!!"

It's been quite a while since we had a genuinely hilarious comedy flick that doesn't depend on sexual innuendos & Manu Swaraj decided to do just that in his directorial debut. Along with another debutant, Nithin Babu, the duo penned the script which essentially falls into the fantasy comedy genre. The movie unfolds with a narration speaking about a tablet that held mysterious powers and made its way across generations. In the present day, the story is set in a college where Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep) is on the verge of breakup with his girlfriend. Around the same time, two of his professors, Shaji (Suraj Venjaramoodu) & Renjith (Sharafudeen) were battling it out for the position of HOD. Eventually, the position went to Renjith as the former had manhandled the Principal. But there was more to it than what met the eye.

There is no doubt that it had some genuinely hilarious sequences with opportunities provided for the three main characters to perform. It did have the feel of Binu Sadanandan's "Ithihasa" but it still did have an identity of its own coz of the dynamics between the friends and the pop culture banter makes it an enjoyable watch. Friday Film House is always known for spotting talents & supporting this, & it was no different here as Manu has done a fine job in executing the project by staying true to what the content promised.

The technical aspects were handled neatly but the USP is undoubtedly the performances. Sharafudeen was impressive as he handled both villainy & humour with ease. It's been a while since Suraj has featured in a role that dabbled with humour and he has done a fine job as expected. The surprise was undoubtedly Sandeep who did utmost justice to the part given to him as it could have gone horribly wrong. The rest of the cast such as Saaf, Arun Pradeep, Arun Ajikumar etc., did their parts aptly.

Verdict: As per the makers, the movie has already broke even & that was not surprising considering it is a flick that will appeal to the family audiences. So do give it a try!!!

Rating: 2.5/5

Regards...Ben

Bazooka, Alappuzha Gymkhana & Maranamass : "Middling returns from the box office!!!"

Even as "Thudarum" continued its triumphant march at the box office, none of the other releases that had hit the screens this holiday season managed to replicate a similar response from the audience. With a couple of weeks left before the next academic year commences, it remains to be seen whether any of the upcoming flicks are able to evoke satisfaction to the audience & makers alike. Anyway this opinion piece is about the Vishu/Easter releases that did make us sit up and take notice coz of the cast & crew that had lined up. So did these movies manage to entertain me???

Bazooka: "Felt more like a toy gun as an interesting idea gets lost in translation!!!"

Over the years, Mammookka has encouraged talent that led to the introduction of numerous technicians into the industry. The latest to be added to that list is Deeno Dennis whose directorial debut has been in the news for quite a while now. However, it's release was rather low keel due to its multiple postponements & the legend's health related issues. 

A significant part of the initial portions unfolds in a bus where Caesar (Mammookka), a forensic expert is narrating the tale of a series of heists that had happened in Kochi over the past few months. Despite the best efforts of ACP Benjamin Joshua (Gautham Menon) & his team, they haven't been able to track down the culprits or crack the clues that the latter had given them prior to each heist. It is at this juncture that Caesar is called in for help in the hope that he would be able to outsmart them. 

The USP was that it was advertised as the first game thriller in Malayalam. Well it did sound like an interesting idea but unfortunately, it didn't proceed beyond that. None of the elements in Deeno's story were fleshed out adequately as the investigation angle was amateurish while the so called 'games' barely managed to pack a punch as it was childish at best. If at all there was one aspect that stood out, then it would be the climax section which I felt was rather decent (though it bordered on being outlandish at times). On the technical side, Nimish Ravi & Roby Varghese has picturised it in a slick manner but when the screenplay failed to deliver, the style quotient failed to keep us invested in it after a point of time. 

It's a type of role that barely challenged a performer like Mammookka as it mostly required him to showcase only his style and swagger. Towards the end, I personally liked the variation brought to his character but in certain instances, it went over the top and came across as comical. Gautham Menon was average, Hakkim was wasted while the rest barely had anything much to do.

Verdict: At times, we use the statement 'style over substance' & that can be applied here except that the substance part was barely significant. In short, a disappointing effort!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Alappuzha Gymkhana: "Unconventional sports drama!!!"

Khalid Rahman is a name that has been in the news over the past few weeks following his arrest for possession of hybrid cannabis. Anyway as a film maker whenever his movies had come along, it did manage to keep us engaged with its realistic treatment and an underlying shade of humour. His latest flick is a sports drama that he had penned in the company of Sreeni Saseendran & it was quite unlike the usual template that we are used to which was certainly a positive. 

Coming to the story, Jojo (Naslen) & his band of friends had completed their +2 exams and except for one, the rest had flunked at it. This raised concern as to how they would get admission into college & that's when Jojo came up with the idea of pursuing the sports quota route. Hence they decide to enroll into the boxing academy, Alappuzha Gymkhana under coach Salim (Kottayam Nazeer). In due time, they make it to the District Championship & subsequently, to the State Championships and this journey is what is covered over here.

As mentioned earlier, it does not have the typical template of the triumphant underdog, which was sensible as it would have made it quite predictable. At the same time, I found the story to be quite wafer thin with hardly anything worthwhile especially in the second half. There are a bunch of fights and it comes across as quite repetitive barring some humorous sequences which I do admit did hit the mark. 

Regarding the technical aspects, the boxing choreography was quite impressive & kudos to the team for that. Jimshi Khalid had handled the visuals & it was neatly done, while the rest of the aspects were average at best. All the artists have done their parts well such as Naslen, Ganapathi. Lukman, Franco (as 'Cheruthu'), Sandeep (as 'Valuthu') etc. 

Verdict: The humour, performances and sensible deviation from the standard sports template does make it a decent watch despite the lack of an engaging story. 

Rating: 2.25/5

Maranamass: "Interesting blend of quirkiness & humour!!!"

Another individual that made his directorial debut on that weekend was Sivaprasad for "Maranamass" which was bank rolled by Tovino Thomas Productions. Even Siju Sunny took up the mantle of a script writer for the first time in this venture & worked on the screenplay as well along with the director. 

The focus of the story is primarily on the antagonist, Sreekumar "SK" (Rajesh Madhavan) who was a serial killer on the prowl which had terrorized the state & put the police on high alert. Around the same time, Luke (Basil Joseph), an influencer who was a nuisance to his villagers decide to get rid of him by packing him off to Europe on a trip. However, their plan didn't quite materialise as circumstantial evidence seemed to indicate that Luke could be the elusive serial killer. How Luke manages to get himself off from this mess & earn the love and trust of his girlfriend, Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) is what this story is about. 

The main positive is undoubtedly the thought that had gone into the peculiar characters, the spoofy nature to the proceedings and pop culture references. All of these was blended in well along with situational humour giving the audience ample opportunities for some genuine laughs. The second half however could have been better especially since the bus sequence onwards, it does falter at times. The technical aspects were fine though it doesn't deserve special mention. But all the the artists did a fine job & was able to make sure that the impact of what was written on paper was delivered. Basil has been on song for quite a while & as Luke he was spot on while Rajesh's performance evoked laughs for the transition in his character. Anishma was impressive while Suresh Krishna & Babu Antony tickles the funny bone with Siju providing support. 

Verdict: The writing is quite unlike a typical script bu still manages to keep us entertained with its quirky characters & the humour that they generate. In short, do give it a try!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Thudarum: "Lalettan & Tharun's mastery over their craft and box office continues!!!"

Last Friday, "L2: Empuraan" hit the OTT platform after a thumping run at the box office which saw the makers earn in the range of about 360C inclusive of all deals. In the meantime, there has been quite a few releases over the past fortnight during the Easter/Vishu weekend. However, this opinion piece is not about those movies (which I will pen over the next week or so) but rather about Tharun Moorthy's "Thudarum". To be honest, I have been eagerly waiting for its release as I was impressed with his previous releases & hence I was curious to know as to how effectively he would be able to utilise the caliber of a legend like Lalettan. 

The movie unfolds in Ranni where Shanmugham aka Benz (Lalettan), led a peaceful life with his wife, Lalitha (Shobhana) & their two children. He was a former stunt man who presently plied his trade as a driver albeit without proper permits in his beloved vintage Ambassador car. Things took a turn when he went to attend the funeral of his former boss as his car was seized by the police as part of an investigation. What subsequently follows are his efforts to retrieve the car. 

K R Sunil is a name that most of us may not know unless one is into photography as he is quite accomplished at it & with his debut effort as a script writer, he has proved that his skill with the pen was in no way inferior to his frames. On paper, it comes across as a standard revenge drama but the screenplay that he had penned in the company of Tharun made sure that it had all the elements that interested the audience & excited the fans. The first half had the self deprecating humour and quite a few light moments that kept us in good spirits. But subsequently, there was a marked shift in tone with emotional and action sequences taking centre stage. 

The characters were well etched be it Lalettan, Prakash Varma or Binu Pappan, with the major positive being the emphasis given to the latter two characters i.e. the antagonists. More often than not, the makers tend to forget that the antagonist has to be portrayed equally strong to ensure that the impact of the protagonist is celebrated even more. Over here, Tharun & Sunil didn't make that mistake & also included some interesting events such as the landslide etc., as relevant to the plot. On the whole, certain scenes and its treatment reminds us of flicks like "Bhramaram", "Drishyam" , "Oppam" etc., but it still has an identity of its own. Another major positive was Jakes Bejoy's music which elevated many of the sequences and the choice of specific instruments for the main characters was impressive. As for the visuals by Shaji Kumar and editing by the late Nishadh Yusuf & Shafeeque V B, both aspects were neatly done. 

It's been a while since we came across a movie that celebrated the actor in Lalettan & this one ticks most of the boxes in that respect. He is given the opportunity to showcase a myriad of emotions which kept us invested in the story.  Prakash Varma is a doyen in the ad world & he was absolutely brilliant as CI George Sir with his mild yet intimidating manner of dialogue delivery. Binu Pappan was impressive as well while Shobhana manages to score in the latter half especially when it came to certain expressions. But on the whole, she didnt come across as endearing as I had expected. The rest of the cast such as Thomas Mathew, Farhaan Faasil etc were fine in their parts.

Verdict: Undoubtedly, the most wholesome Lalettan movie that we have seen in quite a while. It just goes to show that in the hands of a talented film maker and a credible storyline, the legend will continue to shine. In short, do check it out!!!

Rating: 3.75/5

Regards...Ben

L2: Empuraan: "Visually impressive but lacks narrative depth!!!"

Finally the most awaited Malayalam movie of the year has hit the screens in a manner that was reminiscent of the tsunami. The pre-release ticket sales threw up some astonishing numbers and all that contributed to a historic global box office opening of around 65C. With Eid falling on Monday, the extended weekend should have Aashirvad Cinemas & Sree Gokulam Movies reasonably confident about their returns in investment. But the question is whether the movie has the substance to sustain this excitement beyond the weekend, after the initial hype abates???

The movies unfolds in 2002 where communal riots led to the massacre of many Muslims which included Zayed's family (Karthikeya Dev) as well. The attacks were orchestrated by Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh) & his brother, Munna (Sukant Goel), with Zayed being the only one who managed to escape from the horrific mass slaughter. In the present day, Jatin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) who had been the CM for close to a term found himself embroiled in numerous scams and financial irregularities. To add to that, a prominent political party with roots predominantly in North India decided to make their presence felt in Kerala. In this bleak situation, Govardhan (Indrajith) tries to locate Stephen (Lalettan) to seek help. 

First & foremost, this is undoubtedly the finest Malayalam movie in terms of the production quality. Hats off to Prithvi for the way he has mounted this flick as it embodied grandeur. It definitely deserves to be watched on the big screens & the main reason for that are the exquisite frames captured by Sujit Vasudev. The action sequences were brilliantly staged especially the one in the jungle though the climactic one felt rather outdated (& in a way, reminded me of "Jilla"). As for Deepak Dev's music, it was quite underwhelming for most parts with the BGM at times failing to enhance the high moments. 

However, irrespective of the canvas, the backbone of any movie is the script & to be honest, I was quite disappointed with what Murali Gopi came up with. The focus of the movie is on two aspects, one being Khureshi Abraam & the other, Stephen Nedumpally. Coming to Khureshi, the character was explored superficially with focus more on aesthetics rather than heft in the conflict that he had with other nexus. As for Stephen, though there was more meat to proceedings, many of the sequences & dialogues felt more like a rehashed version from the prequel. In effect, it failed to evoke as many high moments as expected. In terms of content, Kerala politics,  international nexus, backstory & reason for change of certain integral characters made it feel like there was more adequate stuff to make it a delightful treat. But the truth is Murali has failed to gel it convincingly. 

Coming to performances, Lalettan was impressive & did what was possible within the scope of the character though it didn't give him much opportunity to perform as such. He effortlessly carried the swag & the aura that the character demanded and owned the action sequences. Both Prithvi & his younger avatar, Karthikeya did their parts aptly.  Abhimanyu & Sukant were both impressive in their negative avatar while Jerome Flynn as Boris had a significant role and did justice to it. Manju Warrier had more scope to perform and did her part aptly along with Tovino. There were numerous others also but most of them barely had adequate screen time or character arc to showcase their ability.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie deserves a watch & that too in the theatres. However, the weak storyline could certainly hamper the potential that it could otherwise have had. Anyway it will certainly inspire other makers from our industry to dream big & hopefully, Murali will have a banger script in L3!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben