It is not very often that Indian
cinema romances with out-of-the box themes. The typical Bollywood-type films
have a set formula: either they are pure song and drama, or stories with quintessential
superhero donning every frame. Even the regional cinema has not veered away too
much from such masala ingredients. However, we do find an exception or two here
and there. In fact, recent films in Marathi and Malayalam have been experimenting
a lot on unusual themes and scripts to great success.
Director: Venu
Film Clip
The 2014 Malayalam film Munnariyippu (warning) is a case in
point. It is a film which does not shy away from shocking the audience at the
end. If the director was keen on making it a pure commercial success perhaps he
would not have taken such a risk. Many times the handling of the script has
much to do with commercial considerations. And yet director Venu (a famed
cinematographer) to his credit has also tasted commercial success with this directorial
venture. This is because the narration is convincing.
The film deals with a convicted
murderer CK Raghavan, played brilliantly by veteran Mammootty, and a journalist
Anjali Arackal (Aparna Gopinath) who, having chanced upon his rare writing skills,
strikes a deal with a publisher to bring out his autobiography. However, what
unfolds is a strange development wherein Raghavan finds it hard to take off his
writing project. When the deadline is nearing journalist Anjali, who has to
eventually translate the autobiography into English, gets nervous and
impatient, only to come face to face with something she would never have
imagined.
The film has a rather sluggish
pace, raising many a question in the process. However, the final moment is
shocking and can linger on for sometime. One cannot but appreciate the ambience
in which the director has built up the characters. The film is also a visual reminder
that human beings are so very unpredictable!
- Melwyn Pinto SJ
