Tag Archives: Nandan Unni

Sarvam Maya

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Vampire Owl: This was supposed to be the movie we were to watch for the Christmas.

Vampire Bat: Well, we missed that for both Christmas and New Year.

Vampire Owl: The first few days of this year will still count as New Year, right?

Vampire Bat: The vampire world does not go by human new year.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I remember that we never really had a calendar here.

Vampire Bat: There is no need for calendars when guided by darkness.

Vampire Owl: The full moon often shows the path towards eternity.

Vampire Bat: We are beyond being guided by forces of nature.

Vampire Owl: We are not really the forces of nature, are we?

Vampire Bat: Eternity is not really part of nature, for it is beyond the same.

[Gets a chilly chicken pizza and three cups of Yorkshire tea].

What is the movie about? :: Prabhendhu N Namboothiri (Nivin Pauly) is an aspiring guitarist who has been training himself to perform in Europe only to find his visa rejected due to the sponsors backing out, while the rest of the members of the troupe make it to the event. He returns to his home in Palakkad to find his cousin Roopesh Namboothiri (Aju Varghese) as a priest who conducts prayers and exorcism, while he had left his faith to become an atheist when his mother died. His brother Deepankuran N Namboothiri (Madhu Wariar) is rarely at home as he has different spiritual ceremonies to perform in different parts of the world among the Indian diasporas. His relationship with his father Neelakandan Namboothiri (Raghunath Paleri) has also been strained after the death of his mother. He decides to remain at home as he has nowhere else to go with his troupe abroad and no better job available for him. Temporarily, he decides to help Roopesh in his work as a Brahmin priest as both of them had learned the essential prayers and chants early enough.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: One day, Roopesh gets injured while performing rituals during a housewarming. This leads to Prabhendhu having to go through the prayers and rituals himself. Soon, he also finds the need to be part of an exorcism – while performing this at an advocate’s house, the ritual seems to have gone too perfect and they receive one lakh rupees with the possessed seemingly alright. But soon, Prabhendu starts experiencing the presence of a young woman who is visible only to him, and it seems that the ghost had left the earlier host and had followed him to his house. The woman has no memory of her identity or past as she lives with the only understanding that she is a spirit, and Prabhendu casually nicknames her Delulu (Riya Shibu), a shortform of delusion, after he had gone to the psychiatrist and was sure that this was just one of his delusions. As he continues to pursue his music career, Delulu accompanies him, and the two stops being doubtful of each other. But what does that mean for the two?

The defence of Sarvam Maya:: The movie has its feel-good factor and humour going in the right direction, and it never stays back on the same. There are so many realizations here which are very well presented with a touch of humour, and the messages come strong. The protagonist’s tale is that of everyman who is going through a struggle during his youth and middle age due to the feeling of a need to follow passion, and thus is a totally understandable side. There are not many other who can do this better than Nivin Pauly, and the addition of the new girl who can manage the early-twenties ghost so well within a new generation cage is much acceptable. The clash between tradition and modernity as well as the belief in God and the so-called style of declaring oneself an atheist with passion remains in the thought process here. There is surely no dark side in the movie, as one keeps moving within the lighter side, never going out of control. This keeps reminding us that there is only one real family movie for Christmas and New Year, and the hundred crore gross is just the beginning and there is more to it.

The claws of flaw :: The eternity of opportunities provided here and not taken, seemingly due to innovative choices beyond the safe zone not being implemented by the makers. Some moments surely feel like not needed as the movie is a little bit too long for this type of a content – some characters are just around there for the sake of being present. The background tale of the ghostly girl feels half-baked as there is not much of a clarity around there, despite the ambiguous ending being okay. The overall strength is often lost at times. Still, the makers should remember that this is working as a feel-good movie and not horror comedy, and therefore the mysteries are better left understood rather than keeping something for another ghost in the sequel which would haunt with more strength. Even though the ghostly girl claims to be Mar Thoma, there are moments which make one feel that the person is more Catholic with her beliefs, which seems to be a serious misconception related to faith, something which was seen in a more miserable fashion in Georgettante Pooram.

The performers of the soul :: The movie which is celebrated as the grand return of Nivin Pauly to the family audience, surely depends on him to keep things going, and raise the level with a touch of humour and drama. Even then, we would continue to miss that face of Thattathin Marayathu and Premam which might not ever come back, despite the grand return. Riya Shibu who makes her debut scores big too, and one has the feeling that she might be being herself as a new generation representative, but that is done in a really convincing and interesting manner. One would feel that Preity Mukundan should have been given a bigger role, but she is indeed so good, a lot better than even her full-time presence in Maine Pyar Kiya. We do not see anyone doing such a role with a charm which is matched my not many actresses of the industry and she would remain lovely throughout her stay. Aju Varghese nicely adds humour here, and we would further love the fact that he is in full flow. Janardhanan and Raghunath Paleri play the seniors considerably well. Madhu Wariar also has his moments while Vineeth and Methil Devika shines.

How it finishes :: The return of Nivin Pauly and his grand entry to the hundred crore gross is something that we will cherish, as he was always the one expected to make an impact as the next generation star, even though so many others got into the 100 crore club alone or as a group, with 2018 and Lucifer along with the sequel providing the same to most of them. For the return of the one actor whom we had considered to be the man of families, we rejoice, and with no Malayalam movie of Mohanlal during this season, this was always the movie which was expected to be the biggest among them all. Getting into a hundred crores for the first time in career after a long break in superhits is indeed an achievement, and with a fine performance on the screen, he supports the box-office records. As we watched this in Phoenix Market City of Chennai at the INOX, this one surely had enough audience even after this many days and in a city where Malayalam is not spoken, the movie is something we would continue to look with appreciation.

Release date: 25th December 2025
Running time: 146 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Sathyan
Starring: Nivin Pauly, Riya Shibu, Aju Varghese, Preity Mukundhan, Janardhanan, Madhu Wariar, Raghunath Paleri, Arun Ajikumar, Methil Devika, Dhruvan Sankar, Vineeth, Jaya Kurup, Althaf Salim, Vijeesh, Reshmi Boban, Saumya Bhagyan Pillai, Srikant Murali, Vijilesh Karayad, Manikandan Pattambi, Niyas Backer, Nandan Unni, R J Twinkle, Salim Marimayam, Basil P Reji, Viji Viswanathan

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kurukkan

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Vampire Owl: So, we are talking about a clever fox here.

Vampire Bat: I don’t think that vampire foxes can be clever.

Vampire Owl: I do not see any mention of this fox being a vampire.

Vampire Bat: The possibility of a vampire fox cannot be ignored.

Vampire Owl: What about the vampire wolf among werewolves?

Vampire Bat: A vampire wolf shall only be a werewolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were categorizing them into two.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has said that we shall trust no wolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were using wolves against wolves infinitely.

Vampire Bat: We don’t do divide and rule here. It is the job of humans.

[Gets some butterscotch pastry and three cups of Siliguri tea].

What is the movie about? :: Krishnan Rajasekharan (Sreenivasan) is a documenter who keeps appearing in the court to falsely testify, as a witness. He had only recently become a witness to win over a case which was almost lost. He has proven to be helpful in many different cases, and his motive is the monetary benefit. It is then that a model and social media influencer Neenu Iype (Mareena Michael Kurisingal) is found dead in her huge mansion. CI Dinesh KT (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is in charge of the investigation. Commissioner Balachandran K (Joji John) wants the case to be solved as early as possible, as the media hype is rather too much to handle. Neenu’s roommate Anjitha Narayanan (Ansiba Hassan) and Manager Bhagat (Nandan Unni) are confident that she is in no relationship and has no enemies at all. There is also no clue of anyone having entered the house and there are no male finger prints. Dinesh and his subordinates SI Reena Mathew (Sruthy Jayan) and SI Sajad Hassan (Aswath Lal) come under immense pressure.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Dinesh’s friend provides the information that there are drugs in a certain room in a popular hotel in the city. Dinesh, who was looking for an opportunity to improve his image, arrests two people from the same room after finding some white powder. But upon examination by the experts, it is discovered to be just gypsum powder. Dinesh who feels ashamed about the situation tries to frame the man who delivered the newspapers at Neenu’s house, Hari (Shine Tom Chacko) in the case to save his image. Dinesh plans the whole thing and arrests Hari while going to attend a PSC examination, much to the dismay of his lover, Arya (Malavika Menon). He also tries to prove that Hari does not have a good record in his past, and gets the support of the public prosecutor, despite the commissioner not being sure about this case’s progress. Now, it is up to Hari to prove his innocence, but once again Krishnan is there to give false witness. It is not easy to find a way out.

The defence of Kurukkan :: The attempt to move from the usual to become divergent is interesting indeed. The movie certainly required its seriousness along with the comic side, and that has been managed for most of its run. For the same, it has created the perfect partners in crime out of the right father-son duo; their adventures could have actually been longer. The final court scenes are hilarious, and the best moments are well-adjusted to the final shots of the movie. As one wonders if such scenes are actually possible, it is certainly far more realistic than what Jana Gana Mana dialogues make us feel in an artificial manner. The basic human nature can also be seen reflected here, as people continue to be what they do not seem to be. The inherent evil in man would find it difficult to let the innocent thrive, and the film shows it through multiple instances. There are no shortages for foxes in our world, and it is the innocent who have to take the blame, as it is shown in the movie. The smart evil ones often make the best out of their opportunities.

The claws of flaw :: The inability of Kurukkan to thrive on its advantages can be clearly seen throughout its run. There were so many opportunities to gain advantage here, but the same is not used effectively. The scene at the beginning which is the recreation of a known case is rather foolish and a sign of lacking in creativity and innovation. The use of some of the performers in the respective roles is questionable considering how the characters have been written. The main character here could have been developed better, especially with his personal relations. The mystery is also not effectively solved in the end, as the blending of genres often goes through a certain amount of struggle which makes some characters wonder about their existence. We have also reached a situation when talking about social media influencers do not concern the common man who go through their daily struggles any more. The comic side on some occasions also feel a little bit overdone in a film which has kept itself as normal as possible otherwise. Kurukkan could have mixed its world like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and evoked laugher, but it couldn’t really do that.

The performers of the soul :: In terms of performances, it is Vineeth Sreenivasan who stands out, and further excels in the final moments of the movie. He is not the usual cop, even for the comic standards, as a separate identity has been built efficiently by him. Another person standing tall is the real-life father and the reel-life partner in crime, Sreenivasan who has his fine moments of comedy. He once again pulls off a twisted role with ease. Shine Tom Chacko does not have the usual role when he is suspected as part of proceedings by the audience, as this time, the innocence is easily felt – but the role is not without his usual tendencies that are visible yet again. Malavika Menon has a neat role to perform here, and does a fine job to continue giving the feeling that she is here for stronger roles. Mareena Michael Kurisingal and Ansiba Hassan do not have much to do around here while Sruthy Jayan and Gowri Nandha have more notable moments. Aswath Lal also does some nice work here. Then, it is always nice to see Azees Nedumangad getting some roles to be noted.

How it finishes :: Kurukkan will have our attention with moments for sure. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and finding faults around here might not be a difficult task. It is not a movie to be taken that seriously and is not to be a movie full of laughs, taking care of both genres in one way or the other. The final moments of the film would make sure that it finishes well, and there is also that poetic justice very well provided. Kurukkan could surely have a sequel, or even a prequel, as the adventures of the main character deserved more. The movies like these are the type which we watch at some later time period when there is a lot of time at hand, and when the need for some nice little humour has arisen. We have had some interesting movies like Madhura Manohara Moham and Nalla Nilaavulla Raarthri which were not given that much hype. This one had created a better interest among the audience with the trailers, but the others might have turned out to be bigger movies in the end, except for the climax where this movie scores the most.

Release date: 25th August 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 27th July 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Jayalal Divakaran
Starring: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, Srikant Murali, Dileep Menon, Joji John, Sudheer Karamana, Mareena Michael Kurisingal, Malavika Menon, Ansiba Hassan, Sruthy Jayan, Aswath Lal, Balaji Sharma, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Azees Nedumangad, Nandan Unni, Rashmi Anil, Anjali Sathyanath, Sohan Seenulal, Ancy Sarah, Shaji Marad, Ajay Joseph, Mel Saju John, Riyaz Pattambi, Bijesh Naduvil, Manup Jaganathan

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Mamangam

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What is the movie about? :: Mamangam, a grand fair used to be held on the banks of Bharathappuzha in the north of Kerala has a history that is written in blood. It had great economic, social and political significance, along with being a religious festival associated with the temples. There, the Zamorin ruler of the Kingdom of Calicut challenged other regional kingdoms to oppose his supremacy. There were the suicidal warriors from Valluvanad region who dared to oppose him and make history. But they would mostly die fighting against the powerful army of Zamorin, and only left those messages of bravery and honour for their people to cherish. It becomes their right to die as a soldier in the battlefield, and inspire more to follow their path through martyrdom. The last Mamangam fair was held in 1755, and this movie comes up with a memorable one before that.

So, what happens with the events here? :: Chandroth Panicker (Unni Mukundan) is the latest addition to that list of the suicidal warriors known as Cheverukal, attempting to challenge Calicut’s Zamorin’s authority again. His mother, wife and sister are unhappy about the decision, but they can do nothing, as for him, it is a decision made by the gods. It is then that the son of his sister, the young Chandroth Chanthunni (Master Achuthan) also joins him to join Chaverukal, much to the dismay of the whole family. They have the tale of Chandroth Valiya Panicker (Mammootty) who betrayed their tradition ahead of them, so that they should go on with that they have been training for – to end Zamorin which is the best thing to do. On the way, they have to stop at the abode of Unnimaaya (Prachi Tehlan) and Unni Neeli (Iniya), after being attacked by Zamorin’s men. There is a long way ahead of them, but they will need some help to get anywhere close to success.

The defence of Mamangam :: There are not many movies which we have waited for so long like Mamangam, except for some which are still to be released. Malayalam movie industry always needed good historical movies other than those which keep talking about the British – The Colachel War has been long forgotten, despite it being a landmark. Considering the same, Mamangam has taken the pain to bring something with a difference. The visuals are all grand, even better than some of those overrated movies seemingly belonging to a similar genre. The beauty out there is not limited to the background, but to almost everything in particular. The action sequences are all very good, especially in the final moments, which are breath-taking, leaving one wishing for more. The message goes on against revenge, and that it is not something healthy to pass the same through the generations – forgiving and forgetting do have better meaning.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is a little bit too long, and its extra dose of dialogues make it feel even longer. It does seem to repeat the same thing multiple times, and deviates from the idea of action and adventure associated with the title. Even though the “Mookkuthi” song makes some impact, the rest of the songs are not up to the mark. The presence of a mentor character doesn’t add much to the otherwise direct and straightforward movie, and the feminine version of the character is a bad and unnecessary diversion. The lack of completeness is evident, as the movie struggles to live up to its theme and story on many occasions. The final scene after the mamangam fight also feels unnecessary, as there could be nothing bigger to be added. A movie like this should offer something better, and one is left to wonder why it is becoming more and more difficult to make movies based on Kerala History, even those which are set at a time period not even five hundred years into the past.

The performers of the soul :: Mammootty was part of one of the best movies of the year, Unda, and now he is back with the movie with we have all been waiting for. As we all know, he is no stranger to historical movies and epic stories which tell the tales of heroes of the past, and this was time that he had another one to add to that list. Still, one has to wonder why he went for that exaggerated dance and some ridiculous comedy with another side of that character – this kind of ridiculous moments are not suitable for this kind of a movie, not for a historical epic action movie. Unni Mukundan does a fine work here, and his controlled performance is worth the appreciation. Master Achuthan comes up with a wonderful performance at the same time. It is him who catches our attention the most, and he excels in the action sequences even more. The last scenes are nothing less than magnificent, and it belongs to him completely.

Further performers of the soul :: Prachi Tehlan comes up as the leading female presence in this one – the former netball and basketball player has no trouble in the less amount of role given to her. Iniya provides her support, even though not much is needed from her side. At the same time, Anu Sithara and Kaniha has even smaller roles here, most of the time sticking to some dialogue or tears. There are also other actresses here including Maala Parvathi and Kaviyoor Ponnamma, but the female characters here are rather insignificant in the movie plan at work. Siddique has a villainous role here, and even though done quite well, it is not the kind of antagonist that we are going to remember for doing the terrifying job. Sudev Nair, even though nice, is wasted in a role which makes no difference to story at all – the character doesn’t add anything significant to the whole thing, for even otherwise, things could progress in the same manner without any trouble at all.

How it finishes :: Last year, in another December, on almost the same date, we had another Malayalam movie set in the past trying to make history – Odiyan. It was not that much of a successful attempt, but that was certainly a sign. We have more signs here, even though we are still far away from having that right historical movie. There is the need to improve, as Mamangam goes on through its journey. There is a better understanding of history and the reflection of the same required, and one can only hope that things could reach further level with the genre. A fine depiction of Colachel War might be the solution, but we haven’t heard about anyone trying for such a case. Until then, we have these movies which have the potential for greatness, but fall short in the process. But we would need to watch these, with all the splendour which is displayed on the big screen.

Release date: 12th December 2019
Running time: 157 minutes
Directed by: M Padmakumar
Starring: Mammootty, Prachi Tehlan, Unni Mukundan, Master Achuthan, Siddique, Anu Sithara, Kaniha, Mohan Sharma, Tarun Arora, Iniya, Maala Parvathi, Neeraj Madhav, Idavela Babu, Manikuttan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Suresh Krishna, Sunil Sukhada, Meghanathan, Manikandan Achari, Baiju Ezhupunna, Jayan Cherthala, Sudheer Sukumaran, Vishnu Marakkal, Abu Salim, Sudev Nair, Nandan Unni, Valsala Menon, Nilambur Ayisha

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✠ The Vampire Bat.