Tag Archives: Veena Nandakumar

Drishyam 3

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Vampire Owl: I did not think that this was ever going to have a third movie.

Vampire Bat: I consider the ending of Drishyam 2 as a classic closure.

Vampire Owl: Even the first Drishyam had a fine ending.

Vampire Bat: The second movie had kept its standard and everything came together in the end.

Vampire Owl: Well, they still wanted a third movie for some reason.

Vampire Bat: Maybe the wanted to have a very high grossing movie in the franchise.

Vampire Owl: An inferior Hindi version would always have higher collection.

Vampire Bat: I think this wanted to go on the Lucifer 2 model banking on earlier success.

Vampire Owl: Yet they are not planning to create a better sequel here at all.

Vampire Bat: There is rarely a sequel which is better than the original, not even Alien and Predator.

[Gets some burritos and three cups of hot chocolate with tea].

What is the movie about? :: Five years have passed after Georgekutty (Mohanlal) provided Varun’s (Roshan Basheer) remains to Geetha (Asha Sharath) and Prabhakar (Siddique), and Thomas (Murali Gopy) who had investigated the case had also felt that there was no scope in the case. Now, Georgekutty, Rani (Meena), Anu (Esther Anil) and Anju (Ansiba Hassan) feel that they are now in a safe zone, with assurance from their lawyer Renuka (Santhi Mayadevi). Geogekutty has also produced a movie with superstar Harikumar (Biju Menon) as the hero, inspired from the events of their own life. He even gets into good terms with the eye witness who testified against him earlier, Jose (Ajith Koothattukalum) and Mary (Krishna Praba). The other police officers involved with the same case, DySP Philip Mathew (K B Ganesh Kumar) and CI Antony (Antony Perumbavoor) are also not interested in taking the case any further, and Sabu (Sumesh Chandran) who was also involved in the case as an undercover police officer is under suspension and has no interest in anything.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: A former police officer Suresh Babu (Irshad) becomes friends with Georgekutty, who becomes confident that he has some contact with the police department. But at the same time, Yamini (Veena Nandakumar), an investigative journalist with the support of the cameraman Rony (Shiva Hariharan) becomes more interested in the same and starts asking questions about the incidents related to Georgekutty all by herself despite the channel not showing that much interest in the same due to Geetha and Prabhakar no longer pushing that hard for their son. Georgekutty has the other people involved in the case under his wing and payment in the form of Rajan (Dinesh Prabhakar), Mathayi (Royas Marmakala) and Shreya (Shraddha Gokul) as they keep his special secrets safe with them. The director of his movie, Aneesh Raj (Muhammad Musthafa) chooses Georgekutty for another movie and things seem to get even better for him, but an old rival Sahadevan (Kalabhavan Shajohn) once again comes to the picture. How will it change the overall situation?

The defence of Drishyam 3 :: The movie continues to have that suspense element, and twists are added right towards the end, with new opponents coming out of nowhere and desperate situations requiring desperate measures. The movie with fine visuals, tries to have a closure to at least one question of the tale related to the protagonist while leaving the options for even a fourth movie right there in the end which could have further manipulations. The performances work well, and bringing some new characters to the light works nicely to bring the much-needed deviations that lead to the twist that defines the journey yet again. The relationship between the main character and his family remains something of significance and as this one goes in that direction, appeals to the family audience really well, and as an emotional drama score without trouble. The feeling that friends are the one’s causing trouble from behind, and with opponents becoming friends, this is a tale that brings a lot of dynamic character changes. The characters who have been close to our hearts to get the attention that they deserve yet again.

The claws of flaw :: Compared to the previous two movies this third film is a step downwards indeed, and as we keep wishing for something special to be added, what we get is something that comes down in the overall quality. There doesn’t seem to be that much of an effort to elevate the movie, and coming after two fine endings in precious two movies which would not have demanded sequels, this one ends with the possibility of a sequel without a closure, and that makes one wonder about the future possibilities as much as why this one could not capitalize on the basics which were already laid. The difficulty in matching that final twists of earlier movies can be seen here. The movie had also taken a lot of time to get to the main area of the tale, with a lot of time going on to find some interesting points. The idea of depending more on coincidences or far-fetched possibilities does not serve the purpose that much as compared with the more realistic happenings – this one feel more of luck-based rather than anything else. There is the feeling that this one is less natural and beyond the common man or usual smart man and something often forced.

The performers of the soul :: Mohanlal once again comes up with a masterclass in restrained acting which stands above the rest. He excels even when the tale seems to go in the wrong direction, and we see him keeping things in control. Meena does seem to have lesser jobs to do in each movie of the franchise, and seems to have to go through the same, but the same is maintained well. Ansiba Hassan remains good in the one role in which we remember her, and Esther Anil manages the character’s moving on to maturity well. Kalabhavan Shajohn’s return is good, but it also feels a little strange in characteristics, and not maintained well to the end. Siddique character change is not that much believable and feels forced, even though it is performed well. Murali Gopy is one person who remains solid and maintains the level of his character, and it is one work that feels perfect. Veena Nandakumar is wasted after a fine beginning, while Irshad, Santhi Mayadevi and Dinesh Prabhakar leaves a mark. Ajith Koothattukalum also has more to do here and he does even better than the earlier movie.

How it finishes :: The movie remains somewhat a good continuation to tale which has kept us interested with two entries in the franchise and also spawned so many remakes in different languages. There is still the fact that it could not meet the grand expectations which is always associated with this particular franchise. In between, Jeethu Joseph had come up with other thrillers, a superior Kooman and inferior Neru, 12th Man and Mirage. The movie succeeds in keeping audiences interested in its suspenseful narrative, emotional family drama and strong performances led by Mohanlal in another work to remember. The exploration of the long-term consequences of the protagonist’s actions and the psychological burden carried by the man who is determined to protect his family at the expense of others, also gets something extra here. Just like Lucifer 2: Empuraan, this one has scored with the initial collections so well that it does not need that much of opinions from the audience to become the fourth highest grossing movie of all-time in Malayalam movie industry, but one would feel that Drishyam 2 would have scored even higher at the box-office if it had released in theatres as the quality was surely much higher there. For now, Amazon Prime Video has this one ready for your eyes and soul.

Release date: 21st May 2026
Running time: 160 minutes
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Ajith Koothattukalum, Kirshna Prabha, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Murali Gopy, K B Ganesh Kumar, Veena Nandakumar, Shiva Hariharan, Irshad, Santhi Mayadevi, Anjali Nair, Dinesh Prabhakar, Antony Perumbavoor, Srikant Murali, Sumesh Chandran

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha

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What is the movie about? :: The story is set in a high range village and at an old style family which is left with one old motherly figure and the young son who hasn’t married yet even though he has reached the age of thirty five. Sleevachan (Asif Ali) is someone who hasn’t thought of marriage at any point of his life. Kuttichan (Jaffer Idukki) has brought profiles of many different women for him, but he didn’t even try to go and see a single lady, much to the dismay of his mother, four sisters and other relatives. Even his neighbours, friends and the villagers are looking forward to see him getting married, as he is a much loved person and a helpful man. But as he realized that his mother was getting older, and she needed help, he finally decides that he can’t manage all the farming activities and look after his mother, as he is always outside home.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: A new proposal comes, and this time, Sleevachan is ready to marry, and the girl is Rincy (Veena Nandakumar), daughter of the church vicar’s sister who lives at Angamaly. Even though Sleevachan’s sisters are doubtful in the beginning stages, the two are supposed to be ideal match, and there is no hesitation from anyone’s side about getting them married, except for Richard (Rony David), Rincy’s brother who also agrees to the union of two families. There is a grand wedding ceremony which is attended by almost the whole village, but on the very first day itself, Sleevachan ends up drinking too much alcohol, and falls asleep early. But from what is to follow later, this might be the better night for him. His own lack of understanding of what happens after marriage would land him in trouble. The question remains about how he can change his ways and adapt.

The defence of Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha :: The success of Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha depends on how its situation and idea is presented to make a story with lesser content far more interesting than how it would have been, if presented directly. The main characters are nicely written, and without any melodrama or insensitive dialogues, the movie takes on the family mode quite easily. There was some risk involved with this movie, and the movie even though does take it, never really venture close to danger – the balance is maintained effectively. The music is pretty good, even though not the best. The visuals of the place are nicely captured, and it serves as another good-looking movie too. The messages here are there to be taken, even though not for everyone, and not at the same dose.

The claws of flaw :: There is not much of a content in this movie that stretches to its full length, as some parts of the movie could have been cut down to make this one and half hours – there is not that much in there to take it to two hours and fifteen minutes. The story can be considered to be too simple, and the beginning half an hour or even up to forty five minutes doesn’t have anything to catch our attention at all, and goes through a struggle to get to the point, until it begins to change the mood. There are also moments when one feels that the movie is not that realistic, and due the lesser content out there, it does drag, and the struggle is visible. The ending, even though good, needed to pack a better punch – the feel-good has itself working all the way here though.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali has done a fantastic job here, and it him who gets to drive the movie forward effectively. Even though Kakshi: Amminippilla was a terrible and aimless movie, he had two fantastic movies, Virus and Uyare, as well as the one fine feel-good movies in the form of Vijay Superum Pournamiyum. He makes this simple, highland villager close to life, and also natural enough. He has some fine moments for us to remember, especially in the second half of the movie. This role of the simpleton from a village on a hill, stays safe with him from the beginning to the end. Veena Nandakumar who is best known for the movie Kadam Katha, comes up with a fine, controlled performance. She delivers the most with less dialogues and more from looks and action.

Further performers of the soul :: Basil Joseph, the director of two wonderful movies Kunjiramayanam and Godha has another good role to do after Manoharam. He plays the supporting role well once again, and it is once again the kind of role which Aju Varghese would do in a similar movie. The girl who plays the role of his lover also does a fine job here. Shine Tom Chacko is there in a small role which you would miss if you don’t look around at the right time. Rony David also has a smaller role as the brother of the heroine. Jaffer Idukki has a bigger role, and we get to see him handling a funny as well as matured side. Sruthi Lakshmi and Maala Parvathi are there for shorter moments too. It can be seen that the rest of the cast are also natural, unlike Happy Sardar which released this week, and keeps itself artificial throughout its run.

How it finishes :: Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha has done a pretty good job in keeping close to the family audience while providing a few messages. After the critically acclaimed and top level Helen, this is the movie which will grab your attention. Even with new releases coming this week, its number of shows remaining the same is a sign of the possibility of the movie to stay, even though with Mamangam coming up soon, there is no clear guarantee of the same. Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha‘s title won’t really symbolize the story, but the message does work out, considering the way the movie moves forward. Among the usual feel-good movies, this one strives to be different, and trying new experiments never get old in Malayalam cinema, as we work and seek more.

Release date: 22nd November 2019
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Nissam Basheer
Starring: Asif Ali, Veena Nandakumar, Manohari Joy, Basil Joseph, Rony David, Jaffer Idukki, Raveendran, Sruthi Lakshmi, Maala Parvathi, Shine Tom Chacko, Jayalakshmi, Sini Abraham, Jesna Sibi

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kadam Katha

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What is the movie about? :: Giri (Vinay Forrt) is running a textile shop in the city of Cochin without making much of a profit – he has lots of loans to repay, and even his last business venture was a failure, and has been making his life more and more difficult. The worst thing is that he had left a good job to begin a business, a decision which he keeps regretting. With no salary to pay his employees, and not enough cash to take more stock, he decides to close it down. But that was not to solve the problem, as everyone would end up believing that now he has absolutely no way to pay anyone anything. His wife Chandini (Srinda Ashab) is staying at her home, and he is staying in a small house for rent, and he is unable to pay the houseowner too. With the loan shark Sreekanth (Saiju Kurup) after him, he decides to attend an inspirational course which promises to change lives and make it a lot better.

So, what happens next? :: Cleetus (Joju George) is a mechanic who runs a car repair shop with two workers Josemon (Sinoj Varghese) and Thampi (Manikandan Pattambi), the three being more of a family than just friends working together. Cleetus also has to pay back his loans, as his repair shop keeps running into loss; the property is also going to be sold by its owner, ending the rent agreement. Therefore, he also goes to an inspirational course, and after the programme, they meet at a local beer and wine parlour. They become friends, and after Giri is thrown out of his house for not paying rent, Cleetus lets him stay with the three at the repair shop. Meanwhile, Cleetus meets a man named Sreekumar (Renji Panicker), whom he saves after being caught in a car accident. This new friend is among the richest men in the city, who has just returned from the Middle East. Sreekumar decides to give Cleetus an offer that he can’t refuse, and Giri also becomes part of it.

And, what is to follow next in this tale? :: Sreekumar who understands the two men’s need for money, promises them wealth beyond their imagination, and they will just have to do one job, and it is concerning his only daughter who is studying for MBBS as a reputed institution. This girl, Jeena (Veena Nandakumar) is in love with Maneesh (Roshan Mathew), a popular radio jockey at one of those prominent radio stations in the city of Cochin. It is with their relationship that he is most concerned about. Jeena has clearly told him that she is ready to marry nobody else, and they keep wandering all around the city together despite him warning her not to do so. Even Giri and Cleetus keeps seeing the two, or at least Maneesh at times in the city – it is as if they are everywhere and everyone knows about that relationship. Sreekumar is fed up with the same, and asks them to do just one thing. What is that? Can the two do the job?

The defence of Kadam Katha :: With some funny moments here and there, and having a good cast, Kadam Katha manages to go on and on with its two hours and a few seconds on run-time. The movie also depends on simple moments and simple people, and the complication only comes with a new generation and more money as the flick suggests. The message is still about retaining one’s goodness, as long as there has been something at some point – no matter what happens, always get to the bottom of things to know the ultimate truth. The visuals are good without doubt, even though not that much of the city’s beauty is not there on the big screen. The humour is present here and there, but we miss it at a lot of occasions when things seem to drag. Kadam Katha surely has the material inside it, and when we look there, we end up seeing more with a bigger potential – the lesser crowd at the theatre was a sign of movies not meeting up to the standard these days, and movie stars only making reasons the wrong way.

The claws of flaw :: Kadam Katha, for some reason, refuses to use most of its humour, and never extends its funny side to make it memorable. The theme has also been repeated for quite some time, and we keep seeing people who need to do something which their lives, and also those who are in need of money. The movie also doesn’t make best use of the talent, and the big list of characters to whom we are introduced. The songs are just not that interesting – they seem to drag the whole thing rather than do anything else. One has to wonder what has been happening with the Malayalam movie industry for some time, for there has been so many movies, but not many which have left the mark. With so many movies including Oru Cinemakkaran, Role Models, Avarude Raavukal, Sunday Holiday and others note able to go more than just above average, one can see the lack of trying the big variety except for a few like Tiyaan and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum.

Performers of the soul :: With Action Hero Biju being his most recognized role among the masses, Joju George remains one actor who never really disappoints us, and it is reflected here too. It is him who makes us feel like the hero in this one. Seen last in Role Models, Oru Cinemakkaran and Godha, Renji Panicker remains the one who keeps us interested, and he does his work in the usual style. Vinay Forrt whose last movies were Role Models, Avarude Raavukal and Georgettan’s Pooram, gets back to doing a fine job here. There is something about his performance every time. Veena Nandakumar who is known for the short-film Moonnamathe Vazhi makes her big screen debut in this one – it is a short movie that provides a beautiful feeling, and you need to watch it if you haven’t yet. She has less to do in this one, and is good with the romantic side; more to be tested in her next works. Malayalam movie industry keeps getting more and more heroines, I guess.

More and the bottomline :: Roshan Mathew is credited in Adi Kapyare Kootamani and was also there in Puthiya Niyamam, but it is with his role in Aanandam which made him a favourite and a popular actor – his next flick Viswasapoorvam Mansoor‘s short stay at the theatres didn’t help, but he has made a strong come back in this one – he plays the new generation lover character with ease. Hareesh Perumanna is wasted in his small role here though, and this might be one rare instance that his character doesn’t bring the laughter. Sinoj Varghese – Manikandan duo is the one that bring some of the fun instead. Srinda Ashab is another one who gets not much to do in this movie except for making phone calls – there is not even a big flashback to support her cause. Kadam Katha is certainly a story which could have done more, with better situations, comedy, and lasting romance as well as emotional side; but this one touches only a few and plays on the safe side. This one is worth the watch, but won’t bring anything huge.

Release date: 28th July 2017
Running time: 121 minutes
Directed by: Senthil Rajan
Starring: Roshan Mathew, Joju George, Vinay Forrt, Veena Nandakumar, Renji Panicker, Sinoj Varghese, Srinda Ashab, Manikandan Pattambi, Hareesh Perumanna, Alexander Prashanth

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Moonnamathe Vazhi

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Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there are three paths rather than two. It is indeed a strange world.

Vampire Bat: Yes, there is more than just the opposites – more than just life and death, good and evil, heaven and hell, black and white and so on.

Vampire Owl: Yes, there is time just before death, there is the neutral side, there is the purgatory and you also have grey in between.

Vampire Bat: Yes, there is more to it than what we usually have.

Vampire Owl: So, where does the third path lead this time?

Vampire Bat: Well, we are going to find that out soon. Lets watch it very carefully.

Vampire Owl: Is there the smell of romance?

Vampire Bat: It is just the biriyani. Remember that you had asked for it earlier.

Vampire Owl: Oh! Never mind then.

Vampire Bat: Biriyani is also love though. A lot of people have fallen due to this desire for the food item that couldn’t be resisted.

[Gets some vegetable biriyani and three cups of ginger tea].

What is the movie about? :: Lenin (Rahul KP) is a taxi driver in Cochin who is in quick need of money as his mother is in the hospital and requires urgent surgery – there are also pending bills which are to be paid. He asks for loan from a lot of people, but none of them, including his good friends provide him with the amount – some don’t have the money and the others are just reluctant to provide with the same. He already has some loans which are to be repaid, and with this situation, he has been wandering around everywhere to find whatever money he can arrange. He decides to keep going, and tells the staff at the hospital that he will be returning with enough money, and it is going to happen soon. But he is still aware of the truth that there is no real hope and falls asleep in the car. It is then that a girl calls his taxi for a journey to Kakkanad and around.

So, what happens next? :: This girl Nadiya (Veena Nandakumar) is living at Palarivattam who is facing financial problems, and the house of her parents where she had spent her childhood is going to be taken over by the bank. She asks her brother as well as her grandfather for help, but even as they are rich, has no plan is saving the old house. It would also mean that Nadiya would have no place to stay. She has no more hope, and wishes to end her life. It is during his search for help that she enters the taxi and life of Lenin. While they go through the journey together, certain truths about life is revealed, as we witness how it flies without direction, like kites on the sky. The hopelessness of common man gets to find hope by random acts of kindness, and togetherness, which becomes the reason to live at a time when fate plays a sadistic game.

The defence of Moonnamathe Vazhi :: With some of the beautiful music and some great visuals of Cochin and its surroundings, there is more about this movie than you feel in the beginning – it has quite a slow start when you look at it; but there is no denying that we remain interested all the time with what is one the screen and what we listen to. The movie’s progress is so smooth, and very much real that we keep going with the flow, like mermaids in an ocean. There are so many good moments, and dialogues in this short flick that we do feel the need for a longer movie, not ending this with the run-time just over half an hour – we want this to go on and on, as we have already loved its protagonists. The feeling that the final moments provide is also too good, and we are left with the same feeling for quite a long time even after the movie finishes. A simple, realistic tale with love is often so hard to find.

Soul exploration 1: Life and its collection of sadistic twists :: There is this thing about life coming under the effect of fate – the jokes that it plays on us are rather too many. If personified, it is nothing less than Grimm Reaper with his scythe. But being the one who likes to play, fate only chooses to make it slow, as Joker would say, guns are just too quick. We look for hope to escape from this play, but it is difficult to find, and it is just to faith that we hold on. It is when we hold on that there is something worth living for in the end, as it is depicted in the movie, and if we give up, it is the game of fate which is for us to lose. As the protagonists in this movie finally get the directions in the last moment, we realize what it means to stay in the struggle, and follow the righteous path. Poetic justice should follow, no or at another point.

Soul exploration 2: A new path that opens when least expected :: There is always more than one, or two paths ahead of us, but we don’t see that many. Death is always the easy option, and it has been the harbinger of relief and peace for so many people who decided to embrace it instead of life, which has been the tougher choice to make during turbulent times. It takes courage to move on, and only when we go on through the road that we see more of the diverging paths – it is only then we can take that road that we really need to travel through. Here, the path also has that side of love, even though it is not that visible – what we see more is the kindness and empathy which runs right in the middle of this flick. It is the same feeling that we had seen in London Bridge, a less appreciated realistic love story. So, it happens here.

How it finishes :: The short-film undoubtedly has a wonderful cast, starting with Veena Nandakumar who is going to make her big industry debut with Kadam Katha which stars Joju George, Vinay Forrt, Roshan Mathew and Renji Panicker. In the debutant director Senthil Rajan’s flick, she is supposed to be playing an MBBS student. It was great to have her here, as she looks amazingly good in this role. At the same time, Rahul who plays Lenin brings a serene and wonderful performance. The movie rests on the shoulders of these two, and combined with all those elements which makes the right short-film, Moonnamathe Vazhi is the one thing which you shouldn’t miss on Youtube. It was released by Media One television channel earlier last month.

Release date: 8th June 2017
Running time: 32 minutes
Directed by: Gopakumar GK
Starring: Veena Nandakumar, Rahul KP, Pala Aravindan, Girija Venugopal, Saina Kakkattil, Simi Sethy, Akhilesh KT, Shaji Nalpadi, Vineeth Thoyakkavu, Akhil Vishnu VS, Rajith Anirudh, Soorya Panicker, Afsal, Baby Carolin, Master Benchamin, Master Nihaal Saade

Watch Moonnamathe Vazhi here with all its beauty:

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.