Reshmi Boban – Movies of the Soul

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

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

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

What is the movie about? :: The movie tells the story of Ulahannan (Mohanlal), his wife Anniyamma (Meena), and their two children, Jini (Aima Rosmy Sebastian) and Jerry (Sanoop Santhosh). Ulahannan is the Panchayath Secretary at a nearby village, and is living in a housing colony where his best friends are Venu (Anoop Menon), Jacob (Alencier Ley Lopez) and Monai (Kalabhavan Shajohn). He is extremely bored with his life, and his only relief remains the time he spends with his good friends having some alcohol. Each and every day in his life remains the same, as he just goes to work, returns home, and goes to sleep after having some drinks and food. He keeps minimum relationship with his family, especially his wife who often wonders if he knows that she exists. He still has a respectable position in the society due to his job and the serious character.

So, what happens next? :: With his friend Venu having relationships with many other girls on phone without his wife Latha (Srinda Ashab) knowing about it, Ulahannan also looks forward to such a relationship, with Julie (Neha Saxena). With her husband Augustine (Suresh Krishna) working abroad, she has been looking forward to begin a beauty parlour for women and kids, and she asks for help from Ulahannan as he is the panchayath secretary. Seeing his old romantic interest Indu (Asha Sarath) only makes him wish for more romance and become the one person he used to be. But one day, as he sees Anniyamma at the church, he realises that he has been wrong all the time – it was never about loving someone else to reclaim the romance, but it was better to love one’s own wife better. With one phone call, things begin to change for Ulahannan.

Where are things heading for? :: So, they finally end up finding the lost romance and everyone seems to be happy about that. This leads to the family ties getting a lot better. Ulahannan has problems at the office with the corrupt politicians including the former Panchayat president Chalakan (Sudheer Karamana) and the current president Thilothaman (Suraj Venjaramood), which he deals with easily. His friend Venu, who is less interested in his own wife Latha, also learns things the hard way after meeting with an accident. There is one question that remains – with changes in the parents’ relationship for the better, how will it affect the lives of the children? With Jini seeming to be very much attracted to a boy whom she only knows through Facebook, what message will the father and mother be able to provide her with?

The defence of Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol :: A treat for the families, this flick is a lot believable one as far as the common audience is concerned. The happenings in this movie are simple and enjoyable, and we get to see all things dealt with, in a realistic way. There are also some nice comedy moments in this one, and there is also the feel-good factor with which the movie finishes. The message that this movie leaves on with, is also nothing less than beautiful and applicable to our times. Even as this is a family drama flick, there is nothing like the possible melodrama in this one too. The movie is certainly in control of the emotions and keeps them in control to make sure that we have that nice feeling throughout the run here. The second half is also superior to the first, and there is that fine finish in this flick which will make sure that we leave the theatre with a smile of satisfaction on our faces, and it is a real boost for the families.

Claws of flaw :: There is a certain amount of drag in the first half of the movie, especially in the beginning. It is really tough to go through the first moments when the protagonist tries to find love outside his family – it is rather unnecessary and stretched beyond the needs even for those with very less imagination. The character called Julie is added without any good purpose, for Neha Saxena is to this movie, what Namitha was to Pulimurugan – an extra addition which will make the family audience feel strange, and others understand the meaningless of the same – still, one can safely say that this is a better movie than Oppam and Pulimurugan. There is also too much alcohol in this one, and the little moments of unnecessary heroism – something which doesn’t add that much of humour or style as one would expect. The songs are not that good, except for “Punnamadakayal” which does give the better feeling even with the thought that we have seen and heard this before.

Performers of the soul :: You see Mohanlal, as expected, leading the way here in his usual style, as everything related to the character has us interested. With a heavy chance of bringing a third big success in a row, he brings that side of him, which will appeal to the family audience more than anything else – it raises the bar above Oppam and Pulimurugan with its realistic treatment relating it to the common man’s life. Along with the same, we are always glad to have Meena pair up with Mohanlal, and she brings life to those interesting moments in a family. Another thing that you will love about this movie is the trio of Alencier Ley Lopez, Kalabhavan Shajohn and Anoop Menon who plays the best friends of the protagonist – they surely have the best moments of fun in store here. You will also get to see how good Aima Rosmy Sebastian is, as she gets more to do compared to her previous work in Jacobinte Swargarajyam. Srinda Ashab also moves out of the role which seemed to be becoming a stereotype, and Rahul Madhav’s short stay is memorable. Suresh Krishna also has once nice funny situation.

How it finishes :: It has been a long break from Malayalam movies as far as the fans are concerned. They have been waiting for so long for another movie, but due to the protests, nothing really came up – only those English, Hindi and Tamil movies score in between. Now, with Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol and Jomonte Suvisheshangal having arrived, we are truly back to the movie world. We missed so many of them during the Christmas season, and with Ezra, Fukri and Georgettan’s Pooram also ready to release, we are sure to have some more treat. Among all these movies, Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol is sure to have a prominent place, as it is certainly something which will be taken over by the family audience, and Mohanlal is certain to make it three out of three with Oppam, Pulimurugan, and this one from the director of the big surprise hit, Vellimoonga. After watching this movie, let us hope that everyone also feels that “my life is my wife”, and also that “family is everything” – a lot of people need inspiration to love their own, don’t they?

Release date: 20th January 2017
Running time: 154 minutes
Directed by: Jibu Jacob
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Aima Rosmy Sebastian, Sanoop Santhosh, Anoop Menon, Srinda Ashab, Alencier Ley Lopez, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Reshmi Boban, Bindu Panicker, Lishoy, Suraj Venjaramood, Sudheer Karamana, Sharafudheen, Neha Saxena, Rajesh Paravoor, Suresh Krishna, Rahul Madhav, Ganapathi, Sohan Seenulal, Meghanathan, Joy Mathew, K. L. Antony Kochi, Leena Antony, Asha Sarath (cameo), Sasi Kalinga (cameo)