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Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali

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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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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vela

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Vampire Owl: Are we going for another investigative thriller?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this will not be the usual murder investigation.

Vampire Owl: There have been some interesting investigations in a short period of time.

Vampire Bat: Yet, this movie came out with less hype.

Vampire Owl: The trailer was pretty much interesting.

Vampire Bat: We would not have a serial killer here though.

Vampire Owl: I miss those serial killers a lot.

Vampire Bat: Humans can have millions of serial killers among them.

Vampire Owl: I would expect that with the evilest species ever created.

Vampire Bat: The devil has too many similarities with them.

[Gets an oreo shake and three cups of Bagdogra tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ullas Augustin (Shane Nigam) is a newly appointed civil police officer appointed at the control room, and he is someone who is determined to do his job very well, as his father was also a police officer who died only a few months before the end of his service. One day, he receives a call about a minor and his friends consuming drugs in his room – the information is passed on to the nearest police unit doing patrol. It is the boy’s father who made the call, and Ullas understands that this case might ruin the minor’s life – he asks them to escape, but the police officer in pursuit, Mallikarjun Mannar (Sunny Wayne) has already reached the place and started chasing the boy. Mallikarjun abuses Ullas through the transmitter and from the very next day, it is heard that they boy has gone missing. Ullas finds himself on the receiving end of a suspension order. But that does not stop Ullas from searching for the boy, whom he feels that Mallikarjun kidnapped or murdered to help his partners in crime who deals with the drugs.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The only police officer who seems to care about him is SI Ashok Kumar (Sidharth Bharathan), and he asks him to get back to the control room, as he is the only person who is serious about the work. He decides to get back to work, but ends up with strained relations with Smitha Varadarajan (Namritha MV), who hopes that they can get married soon. Ullas is only concerned with providing justice to the missing boy, and finally decides to get back to the control room with all the evidences that he managed. But he would not be able to get an audience with higher ranking officers. At the same time, Manapullikavu Vela is the annual festival of the area is all set to take place. The festivities have the whole area of police officers distracted, and Mallikarjun, despite being part of the Vela, decides to teach Ullas a lesson with the help of his goons and police officers who are under his control. Can Ullas go beyond all these problems and help the boy’s father receive justice at some point of time?

The defence of Vela :: Here, we can see an attempt to move beyond the usual plot, and the narrative is really effective. The movie is not the usual police action masala and neither is it the police procedural stuff. The unpredictability is maintained at all times, and the stylish side is kept to an optimum level, never overdoing the same. There is never the overdose of elements to exaggerate the presence of the protagonist and the antagonist. The initial scenes have us interested in the film, and the interval is shown at the right point. The aesthetic side guides us well, as we see the beauty of the place with night making it even better with the shades of darkness with some fine colours added. The emotional side of the movie remains effective, and the helplessness against the system is shown with full strength. It shows how the common man, even with a police uniform is not able to make an impact to bring the truth to light. There is also a certain amount of casteist and racist angle being shown around here, as the antagonist attempts to thrive on his roots from many years ago. The dialogues are as much effective as the other elements.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is too long, stretching beyond the two and half hour border when we add those advertisements to the time we spent at the theatre. The length negatively affects the film in totality more than expected. There is some struggle to reach that end, and we feel that some parts should not have been extended too much. Some parts of the movie just seem to have been added to be present there as an extra addition, yet does nothing much. There could have also been more exciting moments here. There could have more control room calls and solutions to be shown here, and some cases where the unexpected happens, with better touch of humour or elements of possible terror that could only be stopped with that particular call. The romantic side remains very less explored too. The ending should not have been this quick either, as something more should have been told about what happens after that finish. The possibility of continuity that is seen in the end could have got a better touch. The music remains somewhat effective.

The performers of the soul :: Shane Nigam who had the biggest hit of Kerala’s grand festival in the form of RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, makes his mark again, and seems to be perfectly suited in the role of the youngster hopelessly trying to bring out the truth. His helplessness and angst while facing the supreme political and other faces of extreme power can be clearly seen here. His shades of excellence are often repeated through interesting moments. Sunny Wayne is a very admirable antagonist here, as he is one villain who has many shades of villainy. His dialogues remain very memorable, and he is clearly seen as the menace that we do not want to face. Sidharth Bharathan plays the third most important character in the film, and he has a much different avatar than we had seen him in, and he will also remain with us in the form of this character. Namritha MV, the new face leaves a lovely mark, and we expect to see her in more roles in future. We would have wanted to see her as part of the romantic side further, but the film remains focused on two main characters for most of its time. Aditi Balan’s small role will also be remembered for the timing itself.

How it finishes :: Vela seems to get less response at the theatres, but it is rather a strange thing because this is a classic story of unauthorized investigation with twists and turns having suspense maintained well at all times. The female characters in the movie could have had more screentime, at least the main heroine, and it could have been shorter with a smarter ending, but we know that this is one classic and mostly realistic tale about two sides of law and justice that never ceases to make us wonder what is going to happen next. The movie came without much hype, but has gained enough positive reviews to keep it going and gain the pace. After all, we have had our love for investigations before corona virus through Anjaam Paathira and Forensic, and the same effect has continued during these days too, as we have hoped for the police to do the right thing every time.

Release date: 10th November 2023
Running time: 148 minutes
Directed by: Syam Sasi
Starring: Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne, Sidharth Bharathan, Aditi Balan, Namritha MV, Bipin Perumbilli, M Sajas

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Varnyathil Aashanka

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What is the movie about? :: Pratheesh (Shine Tom Chacko) is a simple guy looking to start a business in or around the city of Thrissur. But usual way of making money doesn’t come naturally to him – he is always looking for the easy path, the shortcuts to his objective. His people doesn’t have a high opinion about him, especially his uncle (Jayaraj Warrier) from whom he takes small amounts of money which he can’t pay back. He also needs money for his new business and has nobody to aid him. At the same time, he has to pay to get back the gold ornaments of his friend Thanima (Gayathri Suresh), which he had used to get money for his needs – she threatens to commit suicide after letting everyone know that he is responsible for her death. Pratheesh even tries pickpocketing, but gets beaten up before escaping. His best friend is Wilson (Chemban Vinod Jose) who also goes through a similar phase, and is looking for some money for family matters.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: Meanwhile, Shivan (Kunchacko Boban) is a rather experienced thief in the locality. He is known to be very good at his work, and whenever he brings something home, everyone thinks that he has stolen it. Pratheesh, Wilson and Shivan meets up over alcohol, and Gilbert (Manikandan R Achari) from the nearby town also joins them. As they all have their own problems, they decide to solve them all by doing a big heist at the nearby Aishwarya Jewellery owned by Ittoop (Sunil Sukhada). It is something that could change their lives forever, and they plan to do it the simple and effective way, on a twenty four hour harthal night which will have almost nobody on the road in front of the shop. With violence having broken out after the death of a party worker, people have been staying indoor throughout the district, and they decide to use it to their advantage. If things work out right, this would be their one big heist and the last one.

And what else is to happen here? :: Dayanandhan (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is just another guy living nearby, and has been sitting idle at home after the bar where he was working had shut down according to the new liquor policy of the government. His wife Keerthana (Rachana Narayanankutty) goes to work at a nearby textile shop, and he isn’t interested in searching for a new job. They have also taken loans, and as they had married after eloping, there is nobody from their place to help them. While returning home after meeting a friend at Aluva on the same harthal day, Dayanandan comes up against the same thieves, and they decide to shut him up in one way or the other. There are also two policemen, Gireesh (Tini Tom) and Murugan (Dinesh Prabhakar) who arrives at the same location at the same time. This leaves everyone confused, on what is to happen next. Everyone has their own problems to deal with, but this one only gets more twisted.

The defence of Varnyathil Aashanka :: The movie goes through a satirical mode with its content, as it takes on what has been happening in the state during some time. There is a lot of humour happening here with simple incidents, as you would notice – the simple things in life gets packed into more and more humour, and there seems to be no difficulty in doing the same at any point. There are also those reflections and messages to take home, as uses its humour to show the people around us as they are – you see that the thieves are the same, and you doubt if this and that are the same. Never does the movie losses its pace, and you will see that it is always interesting. You also see the power of team work in this one, as this is not limited to one person overshadowing the rest – everyone gets to do their part, and contribute to the tale as well as the overall humour. You are going to be interested in being part of the simple man’s heist without complications, in one way or the other.

The claws of flaw :: Despite providing a reflection of the state of our surroundings and leaving the message, the movie’s final funny and interesting speech will feel a little too lengthy, and the final moments will also seem not matching the whole movie, as it goes without the wonder which was rather expected. There also those moments which seem to defy logic, but in the name of bringing the funny side in a neat way, you will find things to be fair – with the same, it eclipses the other two movies which released on the same day. Still, the movie has a few moments in the first half which will hold it down, but it is just by a little bit. There shouldn’t be the expectations about seeing a big heist movie with this one too, as that can ruin things. On the first day of its release, this one seemed to be rather not hyped, and made way for the rest of the releases, but we see this one getting stronger now.

Performers of the soul :: The movie begins with Shine Tom Chacko’s character, and he gets a fine role here following Tiyaan, which he has done without stumbling anywhere. Kunchacko Boban has brought his character to a fine level, and it is very unlike what he has been doing in the recent past. Suraj Venjaramoodu has another interesting role, which immediately catches our attention right from the beginning – he arrives late and he conquers. There is one final speech that he gets to make further difference nicely and effectively. Chemban Vinod Jose is at his usual best, as he has played the thief in so many other movies, having no trouble with this one. Manikandan R Achari extends the fun which is present like he did with Alamara and Basheerinte Premalekhanam, and has his own moments with the flick. Gayathri Suresh makes one nice cameo at the end, which you will remember. Rachana Narayanankutty is a fine addition too, as you would see here.

How it finishes :: Varnyathil Aashanka battles against Sarvopari Palakkaran and Chunkzz for this weeekend, while the others including Sunday Holiday, Kadam Katha and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum are also there from the previous weeks. Its comparisons are going to be to Sapthamashree Thaskaraha and Kohinoor, both having quite a big group of thieves looking forward to the big heist. In comparison, one can place this movie in between the other two movies, as it is better than Sapthamashree Thaskaraha, but not as better as Kohinoor. Certainly a lot better than the other movie of thieves like Bicycle Thieves and Urumbukal Urangaarilla, Varnyathil Aashanka has something that the rest of the flicks of the same kind never had – its ability to use some satire to reflect and make fun of the happenings in the state, and the movie can consider the same as its special quality which makes its stand apart.

Release date: 4th August 2017
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Sidharth Bharathan
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Chemban Vinod Jose, Shine Tom Chacko, Rachana Narayanankutty, Manikandan R Achari, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jayaraj Warrier, Sunil Sukhada, Tini Tom, Dinesh Prabhakar, Gayathri Suresh (cameo), KPAC Lalitha (cameo)

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✠ The Vampire Bat.