Tag Archives: fame

Mollywood Times

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Vampire Owl: Are they looking for the best time for Mollywood?

Vampire Bat: I do not think that it works like that.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein did not feel so either.

Vampire Bat: It does not matter what Mr. Frankenstein thinks about.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein is the leader scientist whom we have always wanted.

Vampire Bat: That would be Uncle Dracula and not a fake scientist.

Vampire Owl: You do not believe that dead bodies can be animated through science?

Vampire Bat: Were you ever animated through science? I just came back from the dead.

Vampire Owl: Every creature does not come back from the dead just like that.

Vampire Bat: I think you are referring about dumb humans acting like zombies.

[Gets a poori masala and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: Vineeth Madhavan (Naslen) is a young man from Kuttikkanam area, who has developed a dream of becoming the greatest horror-movie director in the Malayalam cinema industry after reading the horror novels of Vaikom David (Jagadish). David, the best-known novelist of that time who has been writing novels, had scared even the most hard-hearted people. He carried this desire to become a director from the fifth standard to the eleventh standard when he succeeds with a short-film with the help of Sujithraj V (Roshan Shanavas) and the man in the local CD shop known only by the name of Sunilettan (Althaf Salim). His father K Madhavan (Prasanth Alexander), mother Sujatha Parameshwaran (Meera Nair) and grandfather who is known only as Appooppan (Balachandran Chullikkad) to everyone in the area do not consider him to be good for anything as he only somehow manages to pass all his examinations. But when he manages to come up with a movie, sends his atheist grandfather who does not believe in the supernatural right into coma with his ghost in the darkness, his father decides to send him to study cinema.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite warnings from the people around him about the harsh realities of the cinema world which take him to chaos and oblivion, Vineeth remains determined to come up with something above the usual, and transform something bigger. But as another film-maker named Arjun Haridas (Sangeeth Prathap) gets the first prize for the short-film competition which had Vineeth’s movie more appreciated by critics and audience, he gets angry and frustrated like never before. Then he is approached by Sachin Vaikom David (Sharafudheen), the son of the reputed author of his favourite horror works. He tells him the harsh truth that Arjun has managed to win the grand prize which would give him a shot at being the director of a grand movie through influence and connections which Vineeth never had in a life spent with movies and not people. Hana Shahjahan (Gopika Ramesh) who had a crush on Vineeth had also become a superstar and leading actor with bigger roots in Tamil and also in Telugu – but she also becomes the new girlfriend of Haridas.

And what more is to follow as there is something to be gained and a lot more to be lost :: Vineeth is not bothered about Hana being with Haridas as cinema has always been his only true love, but this combination seems to hurt him as with the leading actress’ stardom, it was always going to be a superhit, and with Arjun having stolen content from him, it was always going to hurt him the most, as his next movie would become irrelevant. His attempt to work with Sachin also gets messed up as the producers backout due to the script being too reworked by Vineeth, even leaving out the main heroine in the process while changing the whole setting, which were already decided. Vineeth decides to wait for his first film and work on Sachin’s film, which takes some time to release due to the lack of funds, and by that time, Haridas’ superhit had brought his movie out which became a blockbuster. Sachin’s movie also flops despite a grand script being associated with it, and this separates him and Vineeth seemingly forever. This forces Vineeth to try for something even more different, but it is to be seen how it is going to work out, with people including Haridas, Arjun and Hana not being fond of him.

The defence of Mollywood Times :: The movie is surely the best of Naslen so far, and it is a fine deviation from the kind of roles he was doing since Thannermathan Dinangal came into the picture and became instant success. He plays a protagonist different from Vineeth Sreenivasan of that previous movie of a dark world, as this one is determined to go on his way rather than that one with a better probability of success, and yet this one is no righteous man either. While he manages to stay at the core, Sangeeth Prathap provides some fine support. Sharafudheen also has a character that we will remember more than the rest while Roshan Shanavas and Althaf Salim gets some fine moments. Gopika Ramesh plays the only female character of relevance, which is done remarkably well. The movie’s best advantage is that it never romanticizes the movie industry, and shows the struggles and the attempt of the influential people to get rid of true talents for nepo kids or those who are related to them. The negative impact of corporates, script theft, nepotism, huge egos and fake smiles are all shown here – these are not the elements which would surprise us that much, but are indeed shown in an effective manner.

Positives and negatives :: The movie does not hesitate to speak the harsh truth that the successful people are there more because of influence or luck rather than anything else as there are so many more tales of failure than success even with the most talented people. As shown by Mukundan Unni in that classic movie, good people rarely become successful, and the very few stories from motivational speakers that we listen to rarely make even 0.1% of a world. Mukundan Unni Associates actually did it better and showed how evil humans really are, and this one never comes close. The movie also seems to have that feeling of a nearly full male movie with the female characters coming in lesser numbers never really used to that advantage. As the style of Mukundan Unni Associates is repeated here, we feel that quality in divergence here too. The use of internal monologue also works in the movie’s favour. Yet, it takes a little too much time during its run, and some of the moments seem stretched and repeated, never trying to improve from the previous work. Then the working humour keeps raising the level, and the dark humour adds further.

How it finishes :: The fact that we are reminded about people becoming successful mostly because of luck, influence or cheating just feels too real, as we see who become success stories and who do not, right around us. When we look deeper, there might be no success without evil behind it. The reminder that there is no success in this world for good people, and that it is reserved for those who use their inherent evil for twisted path is the biggest horror in the world, but it is also the greatest truth that nobody will ever completely agree with. This also serves as the hate letter to cinema as was said some of the posters. The realization that if we desire something, the universe conspires to keep you away from it, is really a revelation that should not be left behind. This unyielding, cynical tone that treats another field as a corporate, ego-driven battlefield, we remember that no profession is safe from the same. When we hear about people becoming successful due to hard work, we will think again before taking that unnecessary life which ruin over life while trying to be someone else. It is strange that even nepo kids of different movie industries talk about their struggles, but as long as there are blind fans, they will also be around giving such fake interviews. Let us note none of them, and try not too chase too difficult dreams as more people have been unsuccessful in the same than one can ever think.

Release date: 5th June 2026
Running time: 167 minutes
Directed by: Abhinav Sunder Nayak
Starring: Naslen K Gafoor, Sangeeth Prathap, Sharafudheen, Roshan Shanavas, Althaf Salim, Gopika Ramesh, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Basil Joseph

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Substance

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Vampire Owl: What kind of substance would this be?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this cannot be tea.

Vampire Owl: Well, tea is a substance.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they are talking about some illegal substance.

Vampire Owl: There is a list related to that with killer names too.

Vampire Bat: I heard that there are vampires of substance.

Vampire Owl: Would they be related to this?

Vampire Bat: We cannot be sure about that.

Vampire Owl: This move still seems to be a very different in its approach.

Vampire Bat: Well, it was a much-appreciated movie, so we can trust it up to an extent.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who has been one of the most wanted celebrities and models of her time, finds herself in a struggle and would soon be fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) who finds her too old for the job that involves a lot of aerobics and exercise. She no longer has any role to play in Hollywood with everything that she had done in her youth immediately fading into an oblivion of forgetfulness, and the only people who seem to admire her are those classmates and old friends from a past when she used to look stunning in their eyes. She is distracted by these happenings, and crashes her crash, landing her in a hospital only to have a nurse provide her with a USB drive advertising an illegal drug known as “The Substance”, which comes with a promise of a much younger and more beautifully perfect version of oneself that aligns with the demands of the market around them. A killer body is indeed what she would need to rise like a phoenix from the ashes instead of descending into madness.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Desperate to get to her days of beauty and glory, she buys the drug and injects herself with it only to find a young naked young lady coming out of her body. This seemingly perfect nude body would be known by the name Sue (Margaret Qualley), and living within the new skin, she finds each part of her to be flawless. Even though the old body becomes inactive, the two bodies must switch consciousness every seven days, with the inactive body remaining unconscious and fed. Daily injections of stabilizer fluid taken from the original body is required for the new body to remain the same without losing its parts. Sue becomes very popular with her new body appreciated by everyone including Harvey, while her photos in swimwear and bra and panties become sensation and part of many billboards, magazine covers and cutouts. She is chosen to prepare for a grand programme which is to follow, but it is to be seen if the new body will work perfectly for the same.

The defence of The Substance :: There is a strange beauty about the movie, and it is not just about the charm of the leading cast who manages so well. There is the ideal vision of beauty, and then there is the attempt to maintain the same while bringing out the worst in the process. Both the leading actresses seem to have put a lot of effort in their respective avatars, not just with the performances, but also with their bodies, which deserves all the appreciation. The birth of the new body sequence is one grand spectacle with a fantastic work from Margaret Qualley which nobody needs to miss – each and every sequence involving both these actresses seem to bring out the best from both. The final moments, even though happening just as expected, makes an impact and ends the idea of temporary beauty really well. One watches that and is reminded of the consequences of being fake and focusing only on the outside beauty, seeking glory and appreciation all the time while losing one’s soul in the process.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains a complicated one and defies logic as one would expect, with the world going into an allegory, leaving the reality behind, as if to keep a message running out there with enough strength at all times. The ending of the movie is too much predictable, and there is no innovation or class added to that, which is a shame. The idea could have been brought about more logically, maybe with the right science fiction or fantasy elements, but the movie has chosen to just use a drug status instead. Instead of just taking the new face and body to fame, a tale about the process could have also added, but the storyline never really has any focus here, with things just happening and nobody caring about a lot of things which happens around. Even a random vampire romance movie made for teens would focus more about the story and could force better logic out of nowhere to satisfy even the least bothered fans. With such an addition, this movie could have even had a fine sequel at some point.

The performers of the soul :: It is Margaret Qualley’s performance that sets this movie apart, from that naked rebirth and look at her own body, to living like a dream, her expressions make the happenings feel so real. When she takes a shower, her focus on her nude body becomes a reminder that it not hers, and that this perfection is not something that she deserves. The way she looks at herself and others is a reminder of how much she gets into the character. There might be not many other people who would suit these perfect looks, as there seems to be not even a blemish in her performance or the appearance. Demi Moore is not far behind in being shocked and pleasantly surprised at her own new appearance, and the naked other that stays unconscious on her, never failing to appreciate her own perfect body reborn as another. We remember some of those special movies of her, and she maintains that charm. Dennis Quaid makes different quick impacts during his existence as a deciding factor in the movie.

How it finishes :: The Substance is that kind of a movie which you can watch for the underlying message about beauty, while also going through the beautiful people whom you witness throughout the run and not in a flash, especially Margaret Qualley coming up with a performance that will charm and haunt the viewers for a long time. There is never losing the idea about what the movie intends to convey, even when the focus on storyline and logic is lost. Being a body horror comedy with that message which makes no innovation, this is not the movie for everyone, that much we can be sure about. But with the divergence surely there, this is a film which we can watch for the variety it brings, even with so much predictability hidden within. The movie has been a much appreciated one, and it becomes the duty of most movie lovers to check out the reason behind the same.

Release date: 20th September 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid, Edward Hamilton-Clark, Gore Abrams, Oscar Lesage, Christian Erickson, Robin Greer, Tom Morton, Hugo Diego Garcia, Yann Bean

]

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Shikkari Shambhu

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What is the movie about? :: Philippose (Kunchacko Boban) is a thief who works close to two other thieves, Achu (Vishnu Unnikrishnan) and Shaji (Hareesh Perumana). The three had made an attempt to steal a golden cross from a church in Kunnamkulam area, only to fail in the attempt and escape to the highranges. They decide to stay hidden in a remote place, and the news that there is a tiger attack in Kuruthimalakkavu, makes them travel all the way there disguised as hunters. They also have their eyes set on the statue in the village temple which is said to date back long, and is valued at crores. They are welcomed by the group of villagers lead by the Panchayat President Sudhakaran (Maniyanpilla Raju) and the local priest Father Luko (Johny Antony), and are offered five lakhs to catch the tiger. The three feels that this is a big opportunity for them to make some quick money.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: The three lives in the fear of being attacked by the tiger, and along with their adventure, Achu falls in love with the daughter of the Panchayat President, Revathy (Alphy Panjikaran) who is a college student. At the same time, Philippose has his interest set on Anitha (Shivada Nair), who is one of the more active and stronger women in the area. They do end up capturing the tiger, but it turns out that this doesn’t stop the killings. It won’t put an end to their problems either. So, is there one more tiger that they need to handle? Can another Shikkari Shambu incident of pure luck save them? But even luck has its limits, as the three friends attempt to make one last stand to save the village as well as get the money that they wanted. This is the time for them to find all their courage, but are they up to it? How many people will have to die before they can?

The defence of Shikkari Shambhu :: The movie has the formula that works, right out the movies like Ordinary, which was acceptable to so many types of audience. There is a lot of entertainment in store, beginning with the comic side that runs through, and also the mystery to come to light along with the big twist to arrive by the finish. The visuals are stunning, and it is not limited to the beautiful “mazha” song which has already become the best song of the year without doubt. When you look closely, you see that Shikkari Shambhu is surely better than Pulimurugan, even though that much of a box-office collection is not there to be taken – this one is still more fun, has a better story, and there are cent percent better female characters, along with coming up with better songs and visuals. Well, you begin laughing from the very beginning itself, and when you see that happening in a multiplex in a mall with the family audience, the movie has won the hearts.

The claws of flaw :: The tale could have been better in the middle parts, and there was scope for more with this trio trying to make something out of their stay in a village haunted by wild animals. There is the feeling of the movies like Ordinary, and a little bit of Romans in this one, and you will also think that this flick is a little too long. A bit shortened, this one could have done without some moments. The tiger doesn’t come up well enough to create an impression either. The fact that this movie didn’t have its shows in a number of theatres including Carnival Cinemas Angamaly and Carnival Cinemas Muvattupuzha, was surely a terrible thing, as we can be sure that so many people wanted to watch this movie after being addicted to the “mazha” song which is undoubtedly a pleasure to look out for, on the big screen. A little more care, and this one could have done even better – it could have had the special ingredient and could have attempted a deviation from the usual path.

The performers of the soul :: Kunchacko Boban handle this role with ease, and we remember that he played a thief in his last movie of 2017 too, in Varnyathil Aashanka. This character does work for him very well, and never does he need to try more. The song “mazha” itself seems to be custom made for him, something which makes the viewers immediately interested in the flick itself. Shivada has a fine role here, paired opposite Kunchacko Boban, making this her one more notable role after Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam. Her character is strong, determined, and with those qualities that surely make this one a different role for her – there is more than what meets the eye to the strength of this particular female character. Vishnu Unnikrishnan, after Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan, continues to be the boy next door, carrying most of charm into this one too.

Further performers of the soul :: Alphy brings good work in her first full role, paired opposite Vishnu as the movie progresses. She is sure to stay there in the industry with some good roles to come. Hareesh Perumana scores the best in this movie, and you don’t need to think twice before asserting the same. We know that he has always been good, no matter what people will say about a movie as a whole. He has been having a good time in the Malayalam movie industry, and this one has him controlling the funny side, rising above everyone else. The movie’s advantage is that he is there throughout the flick. Two directors Johny Antony and Aji John plays interesting roles in the movie too, and the former provides some fun moments which scores big. Salim Kumar has only a smaller presence as a police officer, but when he is there, the whole theatre has no problem in getting into a laugh riot.

How it finishes :: Sugeeth has had a good run with Kunchacko Boban in the lead, beginning with Ordinary and the last one being Madhura Naranga. With a title that reminds us of the comics character who used to be very special for us, Shikkari Shambhu once again brings us one of the better family entertainers of our times, with the content that is suitable for almost all kinds of audience. After the depressing Daivame Kaithozhaam K Kumaraakanam which claimed to be a family entertainer, but ended up being a miserable copy of ideas from other movies creating a mess, the viewers will find Shikkari Shambhu to be a relief among the flicks which are never really what they claim to be. But Shikkari Shambhu is surely the one movie which you would love to go through more than once for its comedy, which will be a big asset to our comedy channels in the future, unlike Aadu 2 which was surely overrated. I hereby leave you with a lovely song from the movie:

Release date: 20th January 2018
Running time: 140 minutes
Directed by: Sugeeth
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Shivada Nair, Alphy Panjikaran, Hareesh Perumana, Johny Antony, Aji John, Salim Kumar, Sphadikam George, Maniyanpilla Raju, Krishna Kumar

<— Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Clint

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What is the movie about? :: Edmund Thomas Clint (Master Alok) is the only son of MT Joseph (Unni Mukundan) and Chinnamma Joseph (Rima Kallingal), and was named after the famous Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood, as his parents were his fan at that time. While his mother remained a housewife, his father has been working as an upper division clerk with the government. He loved colours so much that he started painting at a very small age. His work impressed his parents as well as people around, but their decision to accept the boy’s decision to not attend school anymore was considered, and often declared as radical and foolish by so many of his well-wishers. He has been known to be a curious boy who wished to travel and see things, reflecting them on his canvas, and when he couldn’t, he used the descriptions by the people around him and the books given by his father to come up with an idea of how things could really be, as he combined them with his creativity and sharp intellect.

So, what happens with the events to follow in this biopic? :: It is one of Joseph’s friends Mohanan (Vinay Forrt) who appreciates his work the most, among those outside his family. It is when he is getting more and more attention, and even while getting selected to participate in a number of competitions, that tragedy strikes. His doctor and nephrologist Joseph Abraham (Joy Mathew) lets his parents know the terrible thing, that his kidneys are failing, and there might not be many days left before him – they can only try, according to him. Shattered by this news, Clint’s parents’ life won’t be the same again. But they try their best to keep their child happy during his last days. But fate always wins, and there is no chance to stop him – but can they delay the inevitable as much as they can, and bring some hope? There is the certainty of more being painted by the boy, even when being so close to death.

The defence of Clint :: Showing the life of a child prodigy who is known to have drawn over twenty five thousand paintings during his short life of a little less than seven years, here is a certain amount of inspiration in store with this movie, and we get close to life of the little genius on the big screen. Telling the tale of a naturally skilled person, this one nicely explores how he had been doing what was best at. There are some nice visuals and a few memorable moments to go with the same. The setting is very good, and helps to make the movie better. Even though the child is at the centre, there are some familiar names who get to show their skills in the movie too. The best thing about this movie is that it hasn’t complicated things that much when it could have done the same, and it never does concentrate that much on the disease when the usual tendency to do the same. Without that, the movie provides us a pretty good journey through the life of the famous child prodigy.

The claws of flaw :: There is the movie going so close to melodrama, and some moments just seem to be added to bring the cliche stuff in a predictable manner rather than anything else. We also find some dialogues rather too much for the child, and the sequence involving Salim Kumar is rather strange instead of being funny – it is the worst point of this flick. It even has a barber who looks on like a butcher. The movie also drags in between, which is rather strange, because they could have kept things going just with the paintings, and children playing; also those dialogues between father and son, which could have been the highlights of this movie, goes rather restricted, despite the promise shown in the beginning. There seems to be limitations around here, with the story and its moments, for there was scope to bring in more and more, which could have made this movie a big, colourful thing just like the real child in his real life is known to be. There was the need for quality.

Performers of the soul :: It is never that easy to get a biopic related to the life of one special child with amazing skills at a very young age. It was essential to find the right cast, and Master Alok, despite providing us with a few doubts in the beginning, does a fine reflection of the character he plays here. The existential questions do provide him the chance to take it further, as life after death, one’s existence as stars after that, and many other come to him. He has his best moments after getting the disease though, and goes throughout without struggling at any point. Baby Akshara is good support to him, even though some dialogues given to her just go strange, as with Alok on a few occasions, but latter has better control. Children and their world, if given more life with the colours on the canvas reflected into them, would have provided these two something further cute to work with though.

Further performers of the soul :: It is only after the movie gets to come up with a talk with the real life parents of Clint that we get into the movie. After we get in there, it is Unni Mukundan and Rima Kallingal, especially the latter, who gets to work through the pillars of this movie, and hold it together for its protagonist to manage. Both of them provide us with what seems to be an honest attempt at making this work, and their presence makes some of those problems in this movie to be forgotten. They are really good right from the beginning, and they excel at the emotional sequences. There is not that much revealed about their characters, but the two rightly portray what is needed here. The next big role here goes to Vinay Forrt, who is not far behind in his portrayal of the friend and well-wisher. Renji Panicker comes in and contributes in a good, smaller role, but Joy Mathew is indeed the next noticeable one, as he does his doctor act with no problems.

How it finishes :: One can be sure that this is a good attempt at making a biopic on the life of our own child prodigy. But there will still be doubts if this couldn’t be any better. With four movies being there in the theatres from last ten days, including Thrissivaperoor Kliptham, Varnyathil Aashanka, Sarvopari Palakkaran and Chunkzz, along with the leftover movies Basheerinte Premalekhanam, Sunday Holiday, Kadam Katha and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Clint is going to have a tough time in the less number of theatres it is being screened. With some more, attention, this movie could have competed well, and even won against most of these titles – there can be more from the life of a child prodigy who has gone on to become someone whom we all know. As of now, as this movie stands, it becomes also our opportunity to check this movie, and feel the strength of the life of a little master of colours – it is where this movie has our attention, making an attempt not to be forgotten. I watched this one because I wanted to know, and I wished to see everything alive – don’t you too, for such a skilled child?

Release date: 11th August 2017
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: Harikumar
Starring: Unni Mukundan, Rima Kallingal, Master Alok, Vinay Forrt, Joy Mathew, Renji Panicker, Baby Akshara, Salim Kumar, KPAC Lalitha

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Invisible Actor

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Vampire Owl: An invisible actor? Did the actor become invisible after a case was registered against him?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that it is not what they meant. There could be many meanings for the same.

Vampire Owl: Then, has the invisibility elixir been stolen from Doctor Frankenstein? This calls for code bloody red alert on level twenty eight!

Vampire Bat: When did he invent that? It is not even on the research list.

Vampire Owl: Well, I am sure that he would have invented that. He is just not telling us. People invent such things all the time in those science fiction books.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that Mr. Frankenstein has any role to play in this short-film.

Vampire Owl: I am writing an article on the evil side of invisibility anyway.

Vampire Bat: Some people are just invisible even without the elixir.

Vampire Owl: Just like people being alive and immortal without the Elixir of Life.

Vampire Bat: It is another myth. What we have here is real.

[Gets some banana chips and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: The crew of a movie has gathered in an old style Kerala house to shoot for the biopic of a renowned Kathakali artist known as Govindan Master (Kalasala Babu). This particular person, whose name is only taken with so much respect, had such an undying love for the art form that he used to bunk his classes to see and learn it at the academy from a distance. It is said that his father, upon realizing his passion, and his lack of interest in regular studies, let him study Kathakali from an early age, and the art form had become his life, until his last breath. This Kathakali Master had given up his whole life for the same, not asking for anything in return. His performances had inspired many to follow his path, and had elevated Kerala’s own colourful contribution to the story play genre of art to another level. His Kathakali performances had made him a legend, with no parallels.

So, what happens next with this tale of making a biopic? :: It turns out that the superstar (Saiju Kurup) who is supposed to play the character is nowhere to be seen. The whole crew has been waiting for him for quite a long time, but there is no sign of him, and he doesn’t even attend the phone – everyone else is there, and they are worried when they will be able to begin the whole thing, and sends people searching for him at the hotel where he is staying and in the surrounding areas of the town. The breakfast time is over, the lunch is done, and finally the superstar arrives with that dialogue about him being a really punctual person. He listens to the story without much interest, while clicking on his mobile phone’s screen. He looks at the photo of the Kathakali artist as if it doesn’t matter – but little does he know that the character he is playing, is watching him.

Soul exploration 1: Of actors and superstars :: One can divide the movie world into two – one which has the actors, and the other which has the superstars. In our world, both often come together, but we often see some actors who deserve better than the superstars, but it is the superstar movie which go on to become the big hit each and every time. There are those one hundred crore movies in Bollywood, which have almost nothing in them other than its superstars – take a look at those top ten movies, and almost all of them have depended on their superstar rather than the actor. I would think otherwise – if Nawazuddin Siddiqui acts in a movie, I would watch that movie for sure, maybe even twice; whether it is Raman Raghav 2.0 or Te3n from last year. I have never really been interested in these superstars – the day they become more superstars and less actor, is the day they sacrifice their best part.

Soul exploration 2: Within and outside a character :: It is a usual thing to change the character to match that of the superstar – there are so many movies which make us feel the same, and naming a few of them would only bring the fan chaos on us. The superstars will say that they practiced cricket to play a cricketer, lived with gangsters to play a mafia don, slept at a cemetery for a horror movie, had classes at a music academy to play a musician and so on, but we know how fake that could be, just like they come on television and tell everyone that this is his or her best performance ever. But to become a character, the so called superstar needs to know the mind, thinking in the way the character think, and acting the way he would. Otherwise, it is the character that would become the superstar and not the other way around. Will some of our superheroes who need to know this realize the same one day?

Soul exploration 3: An eternity within a performance :: There should always be more in a flick with a performance than just being part of a big hundred crore movie. We have the need to see each character on the screen as a different person – it is the same which has been missing in some of those movies which degrade themselves into what is often termed as mass masala. There is the need to rise above the same, as what is often known to cater to this particular genre is nothing other than pure absurdity. It is the terrible and unfair strength of these mindless mass movies which have been devouring the actor and bringing the superstar out on too many occasions. Then there are those fan clubs which are only interested in turning the cinema halls which is for entertainment and thoughts, into something resembling nuisance. It has to be countered with not a mass performance, but with the beauty of an rternity within a work.

How it finishes :: The movie has two actors who have been rather underused by the industry if you look at their movies. Kalasala Babu amazes us in his presence for the short period of time, while we have Saiju Kurup who had some nice and funny roles in Adventures of Omanakuttan and Alamara doing a wonderful job as the superstar. They make the final few moments of this short-film rise to a higher level, and we have something which is worth more than a usual short movie. I have watched a good number of short-films in the last few days, with choosing to review only less than half of them which seem to be worthy, and among them, this one should have a top place. Invisible Actor wishes for the actor to become invisible and the character to take over when the shooting begins – it should be how we should differentiate actors from superstars; movies need actors, and they could let everyone keep the superstar side out, letting the acting flow, no matter how popular the actor is.

 

Release date: 6th July 2017
Running time: 15 minutes
Directed by: Avinash Chandran
Starring: Saiju Kurup, Kalasala Babu, Jayasankar, Akhil Lekshman, Arun, Naresh

Watch Invisible Actor here:

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.