Smorgasbord Fantasia

  Manjaveyil Maranangal  is the first Malayalam novel that I have read fully; this also happens to be my first taste of  Benyamin , the celebrated Malayalam author of  Aadujeevitham . While I always knew that Malayalam language (my mothertongue) has had a fascinating list of literary greats, I frankly never knew the depth or breadth of this immensely talented bunch of writers. And after having thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating immersive and yet divisive novel, consider my mind blown. I am yearning for more now! It's like I have just got the keys to a whole new chocolate shop, all to myself, without any one to stop me from going insane as I go wild, stuffing my face with the choicest of flavours, shapes, colours, ready to gorge. It's a veritable treasure trove and I have just opened that lock on that hidden trunk. Malayalam Literature, here I come!  Manjaveyil Maranangal   ( Loosely translated to the Yellow Sunlight Murders!) is a crime thriller, but in re...

I am on a Malayalam movie watching spree – given the resurgence in the quality of movies being churned out in the last few years, each begging for rewards and recognition at global levels. I am really happy about this state of affairs. The glut of this sudden talent, in terms of the fresh and original ideas translated to scripts and screenplays brought to life by the technical brilliance of the set of directors like Amal, Abu Ashiq, Anwar Rasheed, Anjali Menon etc, all that is just the tip of the ice-berg. But it’s a sign of times to come and I know, that dam has burst. Does Varathan belong to that unique set of movies? I am frankly confused after having watched it. So Varathan is touted to be a thriller, from the stables of Amal Neerad known for his technically brilliant movies like Iyobinte Pusthakam, Big B among others. Now thankfully, before I had decided to watch Varathan, I didn’t really have much clue as to what the movie-subject was and that possibly was a reaso...

Koode is a special movie, in more ways than one. It came into the headlines for two big reasons: It marked the comeback of two of the most loved Malayalam cinema personalities on this one project; Nazriya Nazim was doing a big-screen comeback after a long while and Anjali Menon helming the movie was doing her first movie, after Bangalore Days. It also had Raghu Dixit doing the music for a mallu movie for the first time. With that weight of hefty expectations dragging it down, I really was a bit skeptical about the movie. But I needn't have worried. Koode soars high, just like the dreams of the protagonists of this movie. This is a story about a disjoint family trying to find their broken rhythm in life after their darling daughter dies at a very young age of twenty, due to a congenital breathing disorder. Koode, means 'Together' in Malayalam and that is the underlying theme of the whole movie - as Prithviraj 's character Joshua nursing bone-deep bitterness about...

I watch movies, mainly because of the escape it offers me. Rose tinted dreams away from the bustle of a daily trudge of a real life. But occasionally, I get to watch such gems rooted in dark reality and grim truths that I cannot help but sit up to applaud. Kammatipaadam was one such movie. Funnily, I had never really heard of the movie much, except for some of the folk songs in it that seemed to briefly sparkle on the media. Maybe I was living under a rock. All things said and done, Kammatipaadam is an absolutely riveting, gorgeously detailed gangster drama that unfolds slowly, drawing attention to the hidden truths behind the rise of city of Kochi as the real estate haven. A missing-persons mystery, a revenge saga or a chronicle of the unraveling lives of unfortunate youths caught in the bottomless spiral of a life made on violence and blood : The movie is treated at different levels and it works, oh so well at all these levels. Director Rajeev Ravi' s third outing, Kam...

Premam is probably now in its sixth week – blasting past all past records in the box office, romping away to be a cult movie now. I saw the movie late – yesterday. And I say this with no hesitation. Nivin Pauly is a star. A natural and consummate actor who makes you roll around in splits at his goofy earthiness, at his earnest attempts at writing a love-letter, then gets you pumped up and cheering wildly as he lights up the cigarette and walks out in the pouring rain to bash up the baddies and then gets you to cry and bawl your lungs at his brilliant portrayal of a broken-hearted man. He is the full package and he gets his due in Premam, a coming-of-age romantic comedy that sees him play George – who falls in love, breaks his heart, holds those stinging broken shards of sweet romance close and then finally learns to let go and find an anchor for his wayward life. Three girls, three love-stories. Each bitter-sweet and reminiscent of stages we’ve all gone through. This nost...

Best of 2013 : I am unearthing gems in terms of books & movies that released in 2013. =========================================================== A road movie? Made in Malayalam? Really? Motorcycle Diaries meets Thattu-kada Communism? I couldn’t stop my jaws from hinging wide open when I first chanced upon this movie called Nilaakaasum, Pacha Kadal, Chuvvanna Bhoomi (also known as blue sky, green sea, red earth). I mean what an evocative title huh. Can they come more descriptive than this? A title that connects and tugs at your heartstrings. More than anything it flares up that urge to swing a backpack and go exploring our lovely country. Where every five miles the scenery would shift and so would the language and dialect and the delectable food. No, this is not an entry for a lonely planet column. But Vardhan Kondvikar would have been damn proud of this movie. As I am and pretty much everyone I think who’s probably seen this movie.  I was in love the title and look...

Vineeth Sreenivasan tries his hand at wielding the megaphone once again and this time, he’s struck gold. With this simple, endearing love story that has managed to get the youngsters mooning and starting to believe back in blissful olden days style college romance sans Facebook-SMS-Skype hype. Vineeth has set the cash registers ringing with this romantic movie, Thattathin Marayathu.  It’s fresh, maybe it’s a little dated and yet this laid back old school feel is what makes this romance count. Not to mention a mind-blowing performance by Niven Pauly playing the love-struck nair boy who is hopelessly in love with his “ummachi kutty” (local slang for muslim girl) and some fantastic cinematography that has captured the serenic beauty of local areas in and around the Malabar region, including the thalassery beach. And how can I forget, a brilliant soundtrack by Shaan Rahman that is the toast of the singing population in Kerala these days. Mesmerizing, absolutely bewitching tun...