Disclaimer: I am not much of an avid watcher of foreign language movies because I don't understand those languages. If the movie I am talking about is a remake of some Korean movie, don't bombard me with references. I am happy with Indian movies, even if they are inspired; simply because I can understand what they are talking.
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| Two in a Crowd ! |
After the delicious 'Salt and Pepper', the next Malayalam movie I watched was "Chappa Kurishu". Being a Non-Malayalee, I had no idea what it meant. But after watching the movie with a strange name, I am happy I chose to watch it.
It is a story of two totally different people, Arjun [Fahad Fazil in a come back role] and Ansari [Vineeth Sreenivasan]. One is a rich and upwardly mobile techie with ruthless selfishness. The other, a much abused lowly employee of a super-market. The former is getting engaged to a rich girl Ann [Roma in a dumb belle role], but indulges in oh so hot romance with his colleague Sonia [gorgeous Remya Nambeesan].
Ansari on the other hand is a slum-dweller who can't even express his soft corner for his beautiful and supportive colleague. He takes all abuses of his Supervisor and others without a whimper and continues to eat cheap food to save money so that he can send money-order to his mother.
Arjun shoots his own rendezvous with Sonia on his mobile camera. When Sonia realizes that he is getting engaged to another girl, she wrecks havoc in his professional life. In the middle of an extremely well shot altercation, Arjun loses his phone. That phone lands in the hands of Ansari who doesn't even know how to use it. This is the beginning of a chase and a race that changes two lives completely.
As Arjun frantically tries to get his phone back, Ansari begins to feel a strange sense of power. He isn't after money. For the first time in his life, he wants to enjoy the power. He uses Arjun to avenge his insult. But this act of innocent rage lands the lives of Arjun, Ann, Sonia and all the people connected to them in a huge turmoil.
The movie smoothly moves towards the climax with some tense moments involving Sonia and Arjun and a series of hit and miss events between Arjun and Ansari. The climax is all about how the incident changes the life and outlook of both the protagonists completely. Arjun, the suave operator realizes the importance of relations in life and Ansari gets the balls to take life head-on.
Vineeth Sreenivasan is simply fantastic and lives the role of the underdog. But Fahad Fazil who looked like a dud in his first movie [Kaiyethum Doorathu] is a complete revelation. Remya Nambeesan looks gorgeous, does a very competent job as the sinned against Sonia and has done a very bold love scene without which the movie would have been incomplete. Niveditha as the friend-less Ansari's only friend looks cute and does well. Roma does well in a very limited role. All the supporting cast is equally efficient.
Music and background score adds to the tempo of the movie. Camera-work is excellent and brings out Kochi as a character on its own in the movie. Perhaps the movie would have been even better with a little crispier editing. But as a whole experience, I will buy this from a first time Director. Sameer Thahir making his Directorial debut will have a lot to live up to in future. Here is one more new Director with a fabulous first movie. All this augurs well for Malayalam Cinema and I am happy for that.
Ben-Hur, narrates two tales at a time. One of Jesus of Nazareth and the other of Judah Ben-Hur. I still remember my uncle narrating some scenes from the movie. He was nostalgic and was sure that those where the days of great movies. I never got a chance to watch Ben-Hur and even when I got I was put down by the length of the movie and the oldness. But today after seeing it, I have to admit, there is a magic to the movie. The atmosphere, the scenes, the characters, the set... they are breathtaking and admirable.
