Gopu Kesav – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: I think that you forgot to wish me Happy Diwali.

Vampire Bat: I did send you a WhatsApp message.

Vampire Owl: We vampires wish each other in person only.

Vampire Bat: We have changed according to modernity.

Vampire Owl: There is no modernity that can change the tradition.

Vampire Bat: Our traditions are older than any civilization.

Vampire Owl: These are not true civilizations, just human mental disorders.

Vampire Bat: You are not accepting the existence of human civilization?

Vampire Owl: I would deny the true human existence altogether.

Vampire Bat: I have also wondered that humans ever had humanity.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sahadevan (Asif Ali) gets married to Nayana (Thulasi) in a grand function which is attended by most of the people of both native villages. But Nayana keeps a certain distance from him, and often avoids him, and one day leaves for her home when he opposes her idea to travel to Netherlands and study a course with her best friend, much to the dismay of his parents who are surprised by her sudden change of behaviour. It is revealed that she never showed any interest in him and at night, she only wanted to play antakshari games with him, while they rarely see each other during day time. Sahadevan has been working in a temporary job position, but comes from a reputed family, which is shocked, when it is known that Nayana has filed a case of domestic violence, and is looking for divorce. As this becomes known to more people, he losses his job, and becomes laughing stock in front of his own people. He becomes more notorious as a drunkard and a wife-beater throughout the village.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Nayana’s family gets an advocate with a near-perfect record to appear for her, Sahadevan gets another famous advocate Rex (Vijayakumar) to plead his case. As Rex’s junior advocate Anila (Shreya Rukmini) is forced to appear for Sahadevan, things do not go in his favour, but he manages to hold on and get another date. While wandering around in the court premises, he comes across Peter (Sidharth Bharathan) who has been hoping to see his daughter with a court order at least for a few minutes after his separated wife took the kid away from him. He also comes across Makkar (Harisree Ashokan), a man who lost his son in an accident and is fighting a case to stay in his own house which has been now claimed by his daughter-in-law. Sahadevan is disheartened, but with the help of a condiment Rex and the supportive Anila, intends to survive this divorce scare and come up saving his side against the laws which seem to be against him.

The defence of Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali :: There seems to be a fine flow about this movie, and it also manages to bring its world to a pretty good ending. This is not really an easy topic to deal with, but they have made this one conclude well. The movie still maintains a lighter shade, without going that deep into a dark situation of a man in peril. The emotional side stays strong, thanks to the extra stories that come in as subplots. All stories get linked well within the court premises. As many other issues are addressed, this is also something that needs attention, as one side is not the only thing that needs an audience, for there are the strong among the weak and evil right within goodness – all sides need to checked for. Even if there is one case that go in a different way, there is the need for attention and focus around there, and that has been provided. It shows the need to work against prejudice in front of law, if not in the usual manner, in another way. The movie is successful in making the situation of helplessness felt when facing the cleverest of vixen.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is more cursed by the biased reviewers who are looking for some good certificates from a certain group of people who claim to be oppressed intellectuals who actually get to do what they want more than those who are not really oppressed. There could have been some better arguments used by the movie too. The feeling that some moments were not necessary is there to be taken. Some of the moments seem forced and artificial, even though they are covered by better situations later and connected without much of a difficulty. Some characters also feel like added to be there, as not much is served with them around. The character depth is often felt, even though not throughout its run. The movie also gets into too much preaching, even though not as much as direct preacher movies like Mathai Kuzhappakkaranalla. Maybe, the movie could have been better if it was shorter, as this length has pulled it backwards. It had also taken some time with its flashback.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali carries this one on his shoulders with such ease that it reminds us of his work in Kettiyolaanu Ente Maalakha – the performances seem to be close to each other, as we look at both of them. Just like he did in Rekhachitram, he keeps reminding us how much he has evolved as an actor. Shreya Rukmini as the advocate plays a very convincing role here, and even though she is not paired opposite the character, has one of the more realistic characters, reminding us of what was seen in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan played by Nimisha Sajayan. Shreya plays the character’s multiple shades really well. Thulasi manages her wife role well in between. Vijayakumar and Jagadish play the two advocates well, even though that much of dialogues are not provided to them to be used in the court room. Harisree Ashokan adds a more emotional side to the flick, while Azees Nedumangad handles most of the comedy. Sidharth Bharathan also adds more of the emotional side here.

How it finishes :: Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali does not feel that powerful as it should have been, considering a number of elements that it deals with. There is a certain amount of emotional strength that it seems to carry, as we look from a distance, but that fades away at times, and ends up with a usual and safe finish which does not create that huge impact that we had been expecting for some time. The scope was surely there, but all of that is not taken, maybe to keep this one low profile and thus safe from the attack of those people who are against opinions, and it is something we had seen in many reviews – well, supporting one group does not mean that one is against other groups, and one has to be sure about that much. The movie does not close its eyes to the other side, as some of the blind reviewers have said though, and it surely does not give good conduct certificates to any group or maintains that some group of people are bad – it is mainly because some reviewers wish to show that they are so supportive to that smaller group which claims themselves to be oppressed intellectuals. I hope at least reviewers of movies get out of their demonic hold.

Release date: 6th June 2025
Running time: 121 minutes
Directed by: Sethunath Padmakumar
Starring: Asif Ali, Thulasi, Jagadish, Harisree Ashokan, Shreya Rukmini, Vijayakumar, Harisree Ashokan, Azees Nedumangad, Anand Manmadhan, Prem Kumar, Sidharth Bharathan, Kannan Sagar, Gopu Kesav, Usha Chandrababu Balachandran Chullikkad, Neeraja Rajendran

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vampire Owl: So, the third movie of the Onam Holidays also need to be watched.

Vampire Bat: On another day, this would have been our first choice to watch.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a team having Fahadh Faasil and Kalyani Priyadarshan.

Vampire Bat: There was so much scope with this overall cast.

Vampire Owl: This should have surely done more in the theatres.

Vampire Bat: Yes, there is some magical feeling here right from the title.

Vampire Owl: That itself is a sign that everyone might not like the movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, you cannot please everybody all the time.

Vampire Owl: But there will be some point when everyone is pleased.

Vampire Bat: Not for vampires; not for an eternity or two.

[Gets a kadai chicken puffs and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Aby Mathew (Fahadh Faasil) is a youngster who has been running a furniture company in Cochin. His brother Siby Mathew (Vinay Forrt) who lives in Bangalore is known only for taking loans and wasting money, while his father Mathew Thalachirayil (Lal) is known to be not normal due to his eccentric behaviour coming out at times. Mathew has been in a state of depression for the last ten years since the death of his wife, but the father and the son share a fine bond, like good friends. Siby rarely comes home unless he needs money from Mathew or Aby. Mathew hopes to reunite with his wife after most of his responsibilities to his children are done, and keeps a rope for suicide by hanging. One day, while at work, Aby meets a girl named Nidhi Sudhish (Kalyani Priyadarshan), and their first meeting is not really a happy one. Nidhi had just gone through a breakup, and even slaps Aby, but a series of events including her demanding a return slap, changes things between them.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Nidhi always talks about the dreams that she has, and even acts according to the same. Both Aby and Nidhi are not sure, but due to talks between Mathew and Nidhi’s father Sudhish Menon (Suresh Krishna), the date for wedding is quickly fixed. It is then that Nidhi has a dream and asks Aby to come to the wedding ceremony on a while horse, for which arrangements are quickly made, but the horse which gets irritated by the camera flash, throws Aby away, landing him in a coma, which makes Mathew leave his decision to commit suicide and take care of his son. Nidhi also waits for his comeback from coma, but days pass, and nothing happens. But one day, there is a twist, and Aby shows movement. Now, it is to be seen if he can get his lost love back when Nidhi’s family do not have anything to do with Aby again and wishes her to get married to someone else. Mathew will go to any extent to keep his son happy, and Aby still loves Nidhi, but is there a future for them again?

The defence of Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira :: This movie is indeed the second best among the Malayalam film releases of the Onam season, which means that it deserves better at least in the OTT platform. The visuals are stunning, and there are moments which would stay just for the beauty of what is shown on the screen. There is a certain amount of cuteness which is there to be taken in relation with the romance of the leading pair. The dupatta song shows the same, and we keep feeling the need to watch the same again and again, once again showing us that romance only needs the sweetness and nothing more – it should be a revelation for some other industries which depends on getting intimate to show love, and some nepo kids of other industries can realize that they could do without doing absurd acting in the name of love and devastate other cultures. The movie will remain technically sound and it is one true good movie, and we will get that feeling because of the lighter mood and no real darkness present to give a bad feeling at any point. The emotions also work in a positive way, and performances strike gold.

The claws of flaw :: The reception that this movie received at the theatre might keep the OTT audience of this part of the world in doubt, as it struggled to score during the Onam season even with Fahadh Faasil and the possibility of connecting with all kinds of audience – this one was removed from the theatres rather too early. The movie’s loss of momentum happens in the second half, especially with the subplot involving another girl in an apartment, but the whole story could have actually done without detailing this particular tale that much, as the length of the movie is also increased due to the same. When trying too many things and as so many elements try to come together in a tale which has the absurd and extra amount of silliness, the crash is somewhat certain. The middle portion, due to the same reason does not hold into the second half. The narrative should have held together in a better way, as the coherence seems to leave the movie. Absurdism with some black humour was just enough, but this one just tries too much.

The performers of the soul :: Fahadh Faasil adds a lot of power to this movie, which does not work as much as director’s more appreciated Njandukalude Veettil Oridavela, and as he gets in to make it better, he starts off well, and maintains that strength. The energy that he displays here is a lot more than one usually sees on the screen. But the one who scores the most is Lal, as the father figure with his strange activities, and dialogues that evoke the most laughter. This is revealed early with his talks with his son and those dialogues about sportsman spirit, wedding of his son and of HD Tharakan are indeed hilarious. He breathes fresh humour into moments which would have otherwise been dull, and he also makes sure that the light tone of the movie never gets to a darker one – it is even revealed on the writing on the clothing chosen by the character. Kalyani Priyadarshan was so different in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, and here we see something similar to what we had seen in Bro Daddy – she is too good here and perfects the mannerisms of the character. Suresh Krishna and Vinay Forrt adds extra fun, while Revathi Pillai and Dhyan Sreenivasan manage their work in less important subplots fine.

How it finishes :: Unlike the director’s Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela, Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira tries to do too many things at the same time. That debut movie of one of the best actresses who have been less recognized, Aishwarya Lekshmi, was a direct family entertainer with humour and messages at the right portions. That movie served so well that even those who did not appreciate it then are not doing the same in a much better way. It is also one of those movies which are watched on any day or event associated with cancer as a disease, implying the need for survival. This movie is surely not going in that direction, and it will not be something that we will remember for too long with its content, except for certain moments of humour which are definitely there to stay. The movie surely had a lot of potential on paper with its actors, humour and theme which could have been more meaningful even in the absurd. For now, it is still an interesting movie with a divergence, and has the emotional as well as humour running through it – the film surely deserved a better reception in the theatres.

Release date: 29th August 2025
Running time: 151 minutes
Directed by: Althaf Salim
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Revathi Pillai, Vinay Forrt, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Idavela Babu, Niranjana Anoop, Lal, Vinay Forrt, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Anuraj O B, Noby Marcose, Vineeth Vasudevan, Suresh Krishna, Vineeth Thattil David, Gopu Kesav, Stephen Samuel, Sreekanth Vettiyar, Athira Niranjana, Varsha Ramesh, Riyas Narmakala, Renjini George, Sreeja Ajith