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