itsallaboutflicks

It is, in fact, the Panchayat of unadulterated comedy, astounding simplicity, endearing characters, influential life lessons and stimulating emotions, amidst the true to life backdrop of a pleasant Phulera. Its uncanny ability to penetrate into one's heart, employing a simplistic MO, is highly commendable. Don't think twice before approaching this council to alleviate your everyday stress.

Powered by an outstanding Indrans, aided by his unassuming and innocent demeanour, the flick has been enormously successful in driving Home a lot of valuable life lessons in this modern, digital era. While the incidents in the flick are relatable and heartwarming, it also brings Home the ill effects of obsessive use of social media on one's personal as well as professional lives and perhaps it helps one make amends to this effect in the future.

Spoilers alert:-

The incidents in the flick are highly relatable. All of us must have surely helped an older person understand the nitty-gritty of using a smartphone. I could relate Oliver Twist immensely to my grandpa. He too at first, had the similar habit of jotting down the procedures of using different apps/ features on a smartphone. He used to test my patience and I regret the moments where I wished I could have spent a little more time explaining things to him, but I would, just in an uninterested way, explain quickly and would then just take off to my own digital world. But eventually, with a will to learn, he now knows how to use most of the apps/features and spends a major chunk of his time exploring the social media, much to our dismay.

The well-executed flick is powered by a masterclass performance of Indrans. While his unassuming, innocent demeanor has surely helped, but to evoke emotions in the manner in which he was able to, it surely has to stand out as one of his best acts, if not the best. Others have chipped in too, but Oliver Twist is likely to stay etched on our minds for a long long time.

The flick also does well to spread some much needed and relevant messages in this modern, digital world. While, we are all familiar about the good things of social media, the ill effects have been brought up in an effective, yet a light manner. How the overdependence on social media can affect one personally as well as professionally has been brought out well.

Though it could be argued that there aren't any negative aspects about the flick, I, for one, felt the backstory was probably a little exaggerated. As Oliver Twist rightly said, it feels like all made up. The toxic relationship between Anthony and Priya too has not been dwelled upon, whereas, it has been adjudged to be quite normal.

Still, #Home is one of the best Malayalam flicks to have hit the screens recently, more so because delightful feel-good flicks are hard to come by nowadays. Home stands well apart from the intense, complicated and disturbing flicks that we are so used to now in Malayalam. With a simple, uncomplicated plot, having no twists or turns, it manages to capture the attention of the viewers.

Stirring up a novel yet a bewitching aura and supplementing with an enticing background score, a devilishly spellbinding Siddharth, a brilliantly reprehensible Parvathy and other intriguing performers deliver a exhilarating short on one of the Navarasa. They depict how one can never be devoid of (Inmai) fear, whatever heights one may have conquered dishonourably.

Spoilers alert:-

Inmai transfers one to a different world altogether with the captivating settings and the mystifying music. You will find yourself watching it again just so you could catch a glimpse of Siddharth's bewitched Djinn, Parvathy's reprehensible despair and an amazingly crafted flashback more than once.

One of the major things that stands out from the rest of the shorts of Navarasa is the novelty and the thought behind the storyline. Probably, it turns out to be the only short that could do complete justice to the rasa based on which it is themed. Do not miss it!

It starts off really well, encompassing an exciting screenplay and apropos, much needed content, binding aptly with the current times of our lives. Midway, it starts to sway away from the intended result and does minimum justice to an otherwise brilliant making, mostly due to unrealistic, quite over-the-top incidents and dialogues. It makes you wonder if you have been offered as a Kuruthi, having decided to continue watching the superficial flick.

Spoilers alert:-

The flick starts off brightly with a lot of promise, especially with respect to the content that it offers to present. It does ever so well to build up a tense atmosphere, making one anticipate an intriguing and thrilling chain of events. The message that the flick tries to convey is a much relevant one, fitting well with the unfortunate events that keep happening around us. The flick has been successful in bringing out almost all the commonplace topics related to the religious differences at various points and it offers a lot of elements to ponder upon and perhaps, bring about a desirable change.

However, what doesn't work for me are the unrealistic events and dialogues that start to muster halfway down the flick. It could be argued that the makers intended the extravagant, over-the-top incidents to happen that way to offer a sense of excitement or zing into minds of the viewers. But I found them hard to digest, especially when we are used to being treated with true to life gems nowadays. I mean, how could one still show people not dying in spite of being subjected to a number of fatal blows or an aged, almost ailing guy becoming a superman all of a sudden. Prithviraj's character turned out to be highly exaggerated and artificial, so did his expressions and dialogues. Roshan Mathew and Srindaa sparkled though and were a delight to watch in spite of the extravagant proceedings.

It is a good watch because of the technical aspects and the message that it puts forwards, albeit artificially.

Charming Kriti Sanon's Mimi delivers a glaring message on surrogacy with a few amusing touches on the inherent Indian bias towards a baby boy and a fair skin tone, driven by a measured, sparkling Pankaj Tripathi in top form, amply supported by A R Rahman's mojo and some delightful performances. The message though gets slightly tedious towards the end, perhaps due to its length or execution.

Funny, emotional ride with Pankaj Tripathi at the wheels! (spoilers alert)

The flick is all about the wonderful message that it puts forward. It has been able to tackle the issue of surrogacy pretty well and the simple, light presentation could easily be comprehended by viewers from all walks of life. I liked how they brought up the inherent Indian bias towards caste, baby boy and a fair skin-tone with snide references here and there, depicting how silly these notions really are. It also makes a glaring cause for a large number of unfortunate orphans out there, and raises the question why couples do not resort to adopting an orphan and instead go frantically searching for a suitable surrogate mother.

The flick is literally driven by Pankaj Tripathi with flawlessly timed humour and impeccably measured emotions. Kriti Sanon is at her charming best and the others too have filled their shoes really well, especially Supriya Pathak. A R Rahman's songs bring in a special mood, that enhances the flick's emotions.

The flick though, loses it charm towards the end, probably because of its length or the execution. The boy's dubbing did not help either. Nevertheless, it should be watched for it's simplicity, impactful message and an incredible Pankaj Tripathi!

Fafa owns this flick and is rightly its Malik, showing immense versality yet again. The execution is sharp, effective and at times awe-inspiring. Even as the yesteryear scenes of this saga that connects a true event in the past have been accurately depicted in terms of the mood and settings, a few of the plot points seem to be a little exaggerated.

The transformation of Sulaiman into a Malik too lacks depth and happens almost abruptly.

Spoilers alert :

The flick starts with a well-crafted, long opening sequence, which sets the tone straight away giving out a glaring message that we are in for a treat. With a raw and an exciting screenplay, the flick progresses in a smooth manner. The depiction of the past and it's settings have been precise too. Fahadh Faasil delivers a stunning performance yet again with applaudable variations in body lmannerisms throughout his progression from a carefree, hot headed teenager to the aged, composed yet fierce Malik. Other actors have done their parts well too, but it is Vinay Fort who stands out with a stellar performance.

Yet, there are a few exaggerated scenes, so untypical of a Mahesh Narayanan flick, even for the mighty Sulaiman's crew like a boat turning into a minivan and a fishermen's vessel being refurbished as a mini-submarine to evade the attention of coastguard. Also, the becoming of Malik has not been well-established. Did he achieve the feat just by shifting a few trash bags?

Malik is nevertheless a riveting watch and should not be missed.

A fresh and noteworthy attempt at a techno-horror flick, it turns out to be a frightening Chathur Mukham for those who indulge in obsessive overuse of mobile phones. While it features ample tense moments and an engrossing plot laden with convincing technical solutions to combat supernatural happenings in the flick, the fourth face perhaps gets slightly soiled because of a few unrealistic scenes and loud filler performances.

Spoilers alert:-

A techno-horror flick, Chathur Mukham is perhaps the first of its kind in Malayalam cinema. Encompassing quite a few tense moments, it keeps us engaged with apt background scores and convincing visual effects. With a smoothly progressing storyline, I liked how the script tried to technically supress the supernatural happenings.

The ills of overusing mobile phones have been brought out well, amidst the events of the flick. The character of Manju Warrier has been portrayed effectively as a mobile phone addict, while getting constantly taunted by her friends and family for her overindulgence. It was a nice touch to show how Liza affected her physically in locations like her hands, which are supposedly the distressed spots because of an excess use of mobiles.

If you ignore a few loud filler characters like Basheer and a few unrealistic scenes like a fallen mobile tower not being attended by the nearby people or authorities even after considerable time of the event, it turns out to be a different and engaging watch.

Sara's message is loud and clear with the right amount of frequency to shatter the glasses of conventional thoughts harboured by an average Indian patriarchal society. The much relevant message is enunciated in the director's flamboyant style with a handful of sweet, fun moments, but there are long phases where it becomes unheard, perhaps due to an evident, unrealistic infusion of theme-related ideas and a lack of depth in Sara's character development.

The prominent thing about the flick is the message that is conveyed and a much needed one at that. I was apprehensive about how the Malayalee audience would receive it, especially the older generations, who are bound by the chains of patriarchal traditions. I was surprised to see the overwhelming response that the flick, especially its message has been able to muster, at least in the social media. But I am sure that if I were to ask my grandparents, they will be dead against Sara and her decisions.

With respect to the flick though, it becomes clear that the theme of the flick was decided first, understanding the pulse of the people. What resulted in the execution is a relatively large infusion of the theme-related ideas onto the screen resulting in a lack of authenticity. The character of Sara too seemed to lack proper depth. Had it been written better and included the influences that Sara had while growing up prompting her to move away from the "normal", the flick could have been probably a lot better.

Even so, in the director's usual flamboyant style of execution with quite a few fun, sweet moments, Sara's is a good watch and its message should inspire women to break free from the shackles of patriarchy and its unwavering conventions.

Operation Java is an engagingly crafted, true to life account of a series of investigations carried out by a Cyber Cell unit of the Kerala Police, whilst dwelling on its day-to-day activities too. Though it remains simple and uncomplicated in terms of the details of the investigations, it turns out to be emotionally powerful in projection of the plight of temporary employees, who work for the government.

Spoilers alert:-

Operation Java is a neatly crafted, realistically captured flick, focusing on the events happening in a Cyber Cell unit of the Kerala Police. Presented in an authentic manner, the characters are etched out nicely, providing a few touching moments as well.

The plight of temporary employees working for the government, which is one of the main themes of the flick, has been portrayed effectively. Having previously worked for the government on a temporary basis myself, I could abundantly relate to and feel for Antony and Vinaya Dasan. In spite of putting their best efforts, they do not get the deserved recognition, whereas they are subjected to sneering by their "permanent" colleagues. Perhaps, the flick could have ended on a more positive note with the government acknowledging their efforts and retaining them, thus motivating all the dejected and diligent temporary employees out there. But then, what happens is the harsh reality and there's no escaping the same.

With regard to the few negatives of the flick, I felt the details of the investigations, are perhaps, too simple to be true and it is as if solving them does not require much technical skills. Sending a newbie for a dangerous field task too, could raise anyone's eyebrows. In spite of such minor flaws, Operation Java succeeds in catching the attention of the viewers, because of its true to life execution, engaging cases and a few emotional elements.

It is abundantly cliched yet an entertaining watch, at least for the first half, but falls flat perhaps due to a predictable, over-the-top second half. In spite of a believable character development of Vikrant Massey and a relatively pacy chain of events, it fails to be Haseen because of a number of loose ends in the plot and unwelcome patriarchal ideas that it promotes.

Spoilers alert:-

The first half managed to grab my attention, mostly due to a credible cast and a relatively pacy chain of events, in spite of being abundantly cliched. Another aspect that I liked was the development of Rishu's character, from a charming, innocent bloke to a unhinged, scary geek. The shades of transformation were portrayed effectively, in my opinion.

There were far too many loose ends in the plot though. The police have been shown in a bad light throughout the flick, which seems to be quite far-fetched. Also, why on earth did the couple keep a big, raw, uncut mutton piece on their freezer, especially when it could bring back memories of Neel-Rani to an already delicate Rishu? And to think Rishu swam across the turbulent, mighty Ganges with an arm short, is ludicrous.

I also had a problem with the patriarchal ideas that the flick promoted. The plot was immensely biased towards Rishu. One got to feel sorry for Rani, who is forced to marry Rishu, having arranged by her parents against her better judgement. But an inadvertent mistake by Rani makes us feel sorry for a broken Rishu, who would then go on to cause her relentless physical harm. But we are still made to think that's ok because she deserves it?

I kept pondering why Rani wouldn't just leave Rishu, given the liberal thoughts she possessed, at least at the beginning. But then, she too may have been influenced by the society and its ill-conceived notions. Else, why did she even bother to cook for Neel, having previously abhorred the idea? I'm surprised that Taapsee Pannu of all people, found no problem with the script. But then, it is fiction and there should not be any questions asked.

It would seem like a neatly worked out mystery thriller with a few effective scares. However, in the Cold light of day, the murder Case investigation falters because of keeping authenticity out in the cold. Artificiality and spoon feeding are too evident in the dialogues and execution, making it just an average flick that is not hot enough.

Cold case turns out to be an average watch, with two separate investigations of a gruesome murder, one involving supernatural elements and the other one relying on scientific findings. There are a few different and effective scares, which do help the flick's cause.

Overall, the flick appears to be organised, at least with respect to the plot points, but if you delve deep into its details, it comes through easily that the flick is not realistic on many fronts, especially as far as the dialogues are concerned. There are multiple instances where spoon feeding has been used, diminishing its true to life factor.

Though at the start, there were some occasions of unnatural acting, Aditi Balan makes up for it as the movie goes ahead and becomes a pleasant face on the screen. Prithviraj puts in a shift with a serious face throughout, without once relaxing his face muscles, which kind of becomes annoying as the movie progresses. Some scenes appear to be unnecessarily included to enhance his masculinity, be it the bullet ride on official capacity or a fully geared cycle ride.

Cold case could've been a hot affair had the execution been done carefully with some thought. Also, the different angles of investigation, albeit interesting at the beginning, converge rather blandly. The makers seem to have failed at drawing a conclusion of the whole "Faith v Fact" conflict or merging them for that matter, especially when there was huge potential.

It is a set of Ajeeb Daastans, well worth your time, at least for the genuine, galvanising Geeli Pucchi, adorable yet affecting Ankahi and the kooky Khilauna, if not for the mediocre, meretricious Majnu throwing light on a few relevant issues, by way of some touching tales.

Ajeeb yet touching tales!

. Geeli Pucchi comes first and stands out from the rest. There is not a single relevant social issue that has not been touched upon, be it the woes of casteism/sexism at a workplace or the ills of patriarchy. With an elegant portrayal coupled with some laudable body language adjustments, Konkona Sen Sharma's Bharti Mandal becomes unforgettable.

Ankahi finishes in the second spot. With lovely dialogues, warm presentation and delightful Manav Kaul-Shefali Shah chemistry, we are treated to a cute watch, whilst leaving an impact.

Khilauna, which finishes third, features one of the creepiest endings, the build-up to which is gripping. It is a glaring and chilling take on the existing class differences prevalent in our society, the dodgy tactics that the less privileged are forced to employ to lead a better life and the heart-wrenching repercussions that transpire as a consequence of their actions.

Majnu, which finds itself way behind, is one of the flicks that should not have been part of the other three gems. Majnu is too showy, be it the dialogues or the presentation, yet with no substantial content or takeaways.

I am surprised why they started with Majnu. Wouldn't there be quite a few unlucky lot, who decide not to watch further and stop at Majnu?

Abundantly Sweet and starting off slowly, albeit progressing with a smooth pace, it generates an impact as if bitten by a sharp Tooth, making one urge for a load more of Gus.

A first season that is filled with emotionally overwhelming moments, insightful life quotes and intelligent, fairytale-like execution, ends with all the engrossing plotlines seeming to converge towards an electrifying second season.

Sweet Tooth starts off slowly, clearly dwelling on the details, introducing us to a dystopian future. The characters, derived from a comic book, have been presented beautifully on the screen. The series is all about Gus, whose innocence and cuteness will surely win you over. Though the other threads are not interesting to begin with, I carried on with the show just to watch Gus, to know what would become of him.

Soon enough, all the plotlines become interesting, still they do make you think how they are all going to be connected. Little did I know that all the different storylines would converge towards the end of last episode, with an exciting second season in store for us. As the second season is yet to be aired, if you are someone who wants closure right away, this one might not be suitable for you yet.

Amit Masurkar takes us along for a riveting safari through the wilderness of the jungle, introducing us to an unexplored territory, unembellished ground scenario and an authentic glossary of the forest and its fauna. Like a Sherni marking her prey, the flick prowls in a steady pace, maintaining an air of intrigue at all times. It ends up with her grappling us ferociously, leaving a mark and releasing the grasp only upon enhancing our understanding of the importance of maintaining an ecological balance with a vow to make amends to this effect in the future.

Spoilers alert:

Sherni is a unique, noteworthy attempt to stand up against the forces harming our vulnerable forests and their faunae. Considering the rampant corruption prevalent in all the so-called prominent walks of Indian society, one can only imagine its impact on an "inconsequential" (at least regarded to be so) forest sector. The flick captures the ground scenario accurately, be it the influences/nuances associated with a Govt. Office or the manipulation of the system to fulfil the devious personal or politician gains. It is when these external factors come to play, the fine balance between development and nature gets distributed. The message is loud and clear and it makes a case for the voices of the wilderness to be heard.

There is something about Sherni and Newton, that makes them birds of the same feather, apart from the obvious reason of them both being created by the same team. Both flicks have the ability to make the viewers completely hooked, in spite of not boasting much thrilling elements. It has got to be the capability to exactly transfer the technical terms/actions associated with the concerned Govt. Department onto the screen. The conversations between the officers and the associated tasks seemed so raw, real and devoid of any masala, that we are usually accustomed to. The research done to this effect is commendable. The impeccable screenplay is a huge bonus.

Vidya Balan essays the role of a DFO, whose emotions and helplessness have been aptly captured. I liked how it ended, the portrayal of the chain of events leading her to want to quit the job and how she remained helpless. But I'm glad she didn't quit. Though she gets transferred to a lesser challenging role, she still seems to be duty-bound, sharp and honest, leaving a message to all the disheartened Govt. Officers out there. While it is too easy for the seasoned Ila Arun, Neeraj Kabi and Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala as the officer Bansal stands out.

Sherni should not be missed for its honest, unblemished presentation and numerous takeaways to make amends in the future.

The flick has been able to conjure up an unrushed narration, shrewd storyline with a relevant content and mystifying settings fit for a fascinating fable, but it is the face of Bulbul with her mesmerising aura that is likely to haunt you and stay with you for a long time.

Spoilers alert :-

The flick has been successful in transferring one to a mysterious world, one that's eerie and enchanting at the same time. The settings with a reddish shade turns out to be the striking signature of the movie. I was also impressed by the presentation of the story, the order of various events and how they were able to create a sense of suspense at all times.

Even so, the flick is not just a fascinating fable. It has more to it than that. It sends across a hard hitting message about the evils of patriarchy, relevant even today. Bulbul, who used to be so sweet and naive, becomes resolute and unswerving, having been subjected to the deplorable antics of men around her. But, the change is not welcome even by her loving friend, Satya. Most men only like to chain women up, who tend to act against the unholy principles of a patriarchal society.

The transformation of Bulbul into the dreaded witch because of the sinful actions of men near her, is delightful. It is actually the tainted society that labels such firm women as witches. But aren't these despicable men, blinded by the privileges of a patriarchal society, the actual demons?

In spite of everything good about the flick, it is Bulbul's catchy face with her charismatic aura that grabs all the attention and one that is likely to stay with you for a long time. Her innocuousness, helplessness and matureness will all remain etched on our minds. The other actors have also put in a good shift, at par with the unrushed, shrewd execution. The flick should be watched for its mystifying settings, intelligent storytelling, but most importantly for Tripti Dimri.

Before the interview with Sardar Ka Grandson, I had huge expectations of him based on the credentials. However, upon meeting him, I regret ever having shortlisted him. The first few moments with him were horrible, almost prompting me to dismiss him right away. There were indeed a few moments, especially surrounding the unique idea, that aroused interest. However, he lacked maturity, smartness and fondness that you normally associate with a feel-good role.

****

The flick starts off on the wrong foot, with shabby over-the-top humour intertwined with bland portrayal of romance and relationships, except maybe for certain one-off scenes of warmth between Sardar and her grandson.

The theme of shifting an old building as a whole across borders, did arouse some interest at the beginning. However, lack of proper research on the subject and the nuances associated with it were all too evident and whatever little attention that it managed to muster, was short-lived. The comedy scenes, amidst all the shifting imbroglio, too failed to create the desired result.

Overall, it turned out to be a lame attempt, which could've been a lot better had the interesting concept been executed with some maturity, intelligence and warmth.

It is a neatly executed, well detailed, amply engaging flick filled with catchy performances. It totters along in a moderate pace like the aged but stunning Biju Menon, leading to a puzzling question:

"Is it always God's plan all along or is it just convenient to leave it as God's plan?"

****

The flick, right from the start, has a soothing air about it, be it the light-hearted dialogues or the warm, relatable execution. Parvathy, as always, is reliable and puts in a performance that would seem like a cakewalk nowadays. Sharafudeen deserves a special mention and his portrayal of Roy turns out to be a breath of fresh air. But, it is the aged Biju Menon who grabs all the attention and delivers probably his best act ever, with at least the state award on the cards. Though the pace of the flick maybe argued to be slow, one would only be happy with whatever time they get to enjoy the stunning Biju Menon as Ittyavira.

The theme of the movie concerns a certain puzzling question - "Is it always God's plan all along or is it just convenient to leave it as God's plan?". As Roy is burdened with the task to help Itty in incinerating the remains of Augustin, he seeks out to the people who have known Augustin in the past. He wants to convince himself that Augustin is indeed deplorable as has been presented by Itty. Though he gets contrasting views from others, he is helpless and forced to help Itty, fully understanding that the monkey will remain on his back forever. For Itty, it was all part of God's plan, and he makes peace with the subsequent good times that he got to experience, especially in the life of Shirley. But, is it not always our convenience, and what right do we have to label it as God's plan?

The detailing deserves praise too. Small things like the transformation of the house and its surroundings from the present to the flashback, the reason for Itty's aversion to eating out of cut coconuts and Sundaran as a child have all been brought out in a subtle yet effective manner.

One other aspect that stands out is how well the whole COVID-19 pandemic has been documented, be it the PM's lockdown speech or the various nuances associated with it. It could be watched in the future to remember what life was like during the so-called COVID period and some of the associated incidents, that is if the pandemic were ever to get over.

It is well worth a watch for the catchy performances, neat execution and its ability to make one ponder.

Dibakar Banerjee takes us along for an engaging, unconventional ride as the hugely flawed and contrasting Sandeep Aur Pinky go Faraar, the scenes of which are gripping. The ride is filled with subtle, relevant, abundant messages on patriarchy, sexism and a few stirring moments, so much so that it stays with you and does not let you go Faraar from its grip.

****

The opening credits, with the right amounts of a haunting background score and dialogues, leading upto a chilling climax, set the tone for the flick. What follows is the Faraar of the hugely flawed and contrasting Sandeep and Pinky from their common enemy.

The interesting aspect about the flick is that both of them are not perfect. In fact, they are far from it. I liked their character development and how they remained flawed, in spite of a certain chain of events, when one would've expected them to mend their ways had it been a normal masala flick. Another aspect that drew my attention was the portrayal of a lot of instances bringing out the evils of patriarchy and sexism, while most of them in a subtle manner. Even during the climax, they managed to bring in a dowry truck to send across relevant messages.

Dibakar Banerjee's flick is unconventional and as anticipated, well worth your time. The Neena Gupta-Raghubir Yadav duo are, as always, extraordinary. The screenplay deserves a special mention, which turned out to be a standout feature. In all probability, it will remain in your head for a long time because of a few hard hitting scenes and it will not let you go Faraar from its grip.

With a bright start, it makes every effort to follow you like a Nizhal and tries to get into your head. It does succeed to some extent, at least during the first half with a few captivating visuals and unique, intriguing background scores, but Nizhal fades away gradually due to a cloudy, stretched script and arguably a dim, mindless end.

****

With a bright shining start, a conspicuous Nizhal makes a solid impression. It looks promising with an interesting premise, picturesque shots and intriguing background scores.

However, Nizhal starts to fade away gradually as it becomes evidently repetitive and stretched with the sole aim to arrive at a big reveal towards the end. The disclosure at the end appears to be immature, cloudy and unconvincing. Even for one night, had the child been awake, he could have woken his mother up and told her that she is blabbering weird murder stories while asleep.

Certain plotlines also appear to make no sense. No further details are shown regarding the people (the police, it would appear) who were following Magistrate John Baby and that particular plotline gets cut off abruptly. Also, Vishwanathan seems to be remorseful, having apparently been part of a group that murdered quite a few people, thus blurting out his sinful adventures to Sharmila's mother for mental peace and revival. If indeed, he had been too regretful, why would he go about killing her? It is even stupider to think that an aged and conscience-stricken Vishwanathan would then venture to kill Sharmila's daughter.

Nizhal had its moments but it falters due to an unconvincing script and a mindless end.

Kala is a majestically captured, intensely performed, brutally executed and a hard hitting tale of greed, arrogance, entitlement, egoism and narcissism. With each blow that gets landed on the antagonist, you feel the pain of your culpable traits with the climatic knock leading to a thought-provoking wound.

****

Kala starts off with one of the best opening credits that I have witnessed in recent times. It sets up the mood straight away. The first half brings out the unpleasant traits of Shaji in a subdued manner. His obsession with his looks and body, his arrogance of being privileged, his subtle control over his wife have all been portrayed effectively.

What follows is a bloody brawl between Shaji and the protagonist. Even as his chest gets cut and leg twisted, Shaji's ego and greed land him into further trouble. Subsequently, as the protagonist takes the fight into Shaji's house, his deplorable masks are slowly pulled out, leaving him exposed in front of his family, even as his ego does not let him call for help.

What irked me most is the fact that I felt for Shaji as the protagonist inflicted one blow after another on him. I hated myself for feeling that way. Is it because of the Kala that has outgrown in my mind?

The visuals are sublime, blending in nicely with the mood of the flick. The edits especially are praiseworthy, like the transition between scenes to convey subtle messages. The background scores and the aptly chosen location too have played their roles in setting up a tense atmosphere.

The action thriller is different, unblemished and hugely worth your time. The efforts gone into making the masterpiece is there for everyone to see, be it the intense performances or the hard hitting execution. One thing that could've been better was giving the characters a local (supposedly residents of a village in Northern Kerala) slang.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it certainly turned out to be a rejuvenator for me.

Silence is not so golden and turns out to be just an average flick, but one that could be watched through, because of Manoj Bajpayee alone. Loud attempts are visible to make a big deal of a juvenile murder mystery investigation that is not devoid of a few plot inconsistencies and logical inadequacies.

****

Silence turns out to be just an average watch with loud attempts visibly done to make the most of an ordinary murder investigation.

The clues were unravelled in a gradual manner, ensuring a smooth progress of the story, albeit appearing to take an enormous amount of time (than required) by the police to crack them. It surely seemed that the investigation could have been solved a lot earlier had the police been as efficient as they were portrayed. The location of the mysterious call that was made to Pooja took a lot of time to be revealed so much so that even the great ACP Avinash Verma seemed to have forgotten about it, after mentioning about it right at the very beginning. Interestingly, the mystery would have been solved the very first day had the police checked the contents of all the CDs.

Why on earth would Kia go to a stranger's place to confront Pooja, about whom she knew very little, but not Rishabh instead, as any person in his/her normal sense would have done. Also, why would one have the body disposed of at a tourist location, where it could be easily found. In spite of such minor logical inadequacies, it does put in a lot of attention to details so as to make the investigation foolproof. The fact about the latch of the door, turned out be a nice touch.

The woman inspector helping the wounded senior officer and considering rape as the only motive initially by the police are some of the cliches that could've been done away with. The flick could be avoided except maybe for watching Manoj Bajpayee. Otherwise, it stays average and is as bland as the basis of its title.

Karma goes on a Nayattu in this haunting tale of helplessness. The hunt is intense with detailed preparation, shrewd vision, skilful execution and sharp performances. Even if you criticise it for the political inaccuracies, in all probability, you will only be too glad to have fallen prey to this cold and fierce Nayattu.

****

The flick is about the rampant influence that the people in power have over the Kerala Police and how the once predators go on to become the prey. Manniyan has been with the police for about 20 years. The ease with which he goes about planting evidence on the orders of his superiors without any guilt, confirms that it is not his first time. The newbie Praveen also tags along, not protesting once. It goes without saying that Sunitha too is part of the corrupt system. However, as certain unprecedented events occur, Manniyan, Praveen and Sunitha find themselves on the run from their colleagues, after having been framed by the Govt to save its face in the upcoming elections. Karma would soon lay hands on them, leading to a spine-chilling climax.

There are many applaudable aspects about the flick. The presentation of minute details for one, is commendable, like the tattoo on the arms of Praveen and Hakkim, both of them being members of Kings Piravom and Manniyan's lungi that gets drenched in urine, upon his suicide. Man-management and true to life subtle portrayal of various events in the life of a police officer are admirable, like the mention of collection of cash towards an ex police man's son's wedding and the DYSP dropping his little girl for an excursion, right before taking off for an important manhunt.

The lead performances of the seasoned Nimisha Sajayan, Joju George and Kunchacko are indeed praise-worthy. But, the performances of the highly relatable and charming IPS officer, Yama Gilgamesh, the unblemished and compassionate Vinod Sagar, the frustrated yet helpless ASHO, Jithu Ashraf deserve special mentions. Apart from a few supporting roles, who were slightly awkward in terms of dialogue delivery and screen presence, performances were by large, convincing. Only Jaffar Idukki, I thought, was a miscast. Perhaps, an actor with a more intimidating demeanour could have filled his shoes.

The portrayal of politics is maybe inaccurate in reference to the actual ground scenario and some of plot lines do close in on being a little exaggerated, nevertheless, this flick is to be relished and you would only be too glad to have fallen prey to this cold and fierce Nayattu.

It is certainly not your One of a kind flick, being heavily influenced by yesteryear political thrillers in terms of an exaggerated plot with One over-the-top protagonist. In spite of featuring a wide range of seasoned actors, the casually written and executed flick does not divulge deep into the specifically interesting concept that was intended to be portrayed, whereas it sways from One cliched plotline to the other in a disorganised manner.

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The slo-mo scenes of the protagonist striding along, draped in an extraordinarily white mundu and pitch-black chappals form a considerable part of the flick. The exaggerated plotlines glorifying the one protagonist remind us of the yesteryear fan favourite political thrillers, but fail to impress the modern audience, who are used to viewing true to life flicks.

The writing and execution have been casual and reek of glaring deficiencies. The contents of the "viral post" that shook even the Chief Minister's office, are not revealed. Albeit, the proposed "Right to Recall" law being the heart of the movie, the concept has not been brought up in greater detail as desired, which turns out to be a major flaw. Rather, the flick sways from one cliched plotline to the other in a disorganised manner, evoking no interest.

Despite featuring an array of seasoned actors, the flick fails to leave an impression, with the exception of probably Murali Gopy. Few of the characters do not sync in with the script too. For one, the cowardice of Sanal does not suit his inquisitiveness and firebrand writing capability.

One should not waste one's valuable time to watch One. There is nothing new, except maybe for the "Right to Recall" concept that has been poorly presented.

After attending Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi, you are likely to be emotionally overwhelmed with noble messages of invaluable family values, portrayed through familiar problems by his perfectly cast and realistically performed family in the true to life backdrop of an average Indian home.

The resemblances to Pagglait, as many have pointed out, are uncanny. Apart from the fact that both deal with the reunion of the family members upon a death in the family, the true to life settings and the authentic performances have too been strikingly similar and excellent. While Pagglait deals specifically with the hurdles faced by women in Indian homes, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi touches upon a broad range of commonplace family issues.

While in Pagglait, the intended messages were portrayed in a subtle manner, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi employs a more open approach. The loneliness of Amma, the love and tension between the family members, the helplessness of the eldest daughter, the avoidance faced by the middle sibling, the differences between a couple among others, have all been brought out in a convincing manner. All the characters seem familiar and so do their apprehensions. The scenes are touching and put forward some important takeaways, the biggest of them, perhaps being that a small sacrifice could go a long way in bringing about a change.

Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi turns out to be a ritual to warm your hearts and perhaps, make a difference, if necessary.

Dearth of The Priest (*spoilers alert*)

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The Priest definitely has its moments, moments of some fine camera work and credible scare (though appearing to derive heavily from popular Hollywood horror flicks). I could also stick my neck out and say that the twist at the end of first half was laudable, which managed to answer a great deal about what I thought were plot inconsistencies, up until that point.

But, it falls short at a large number of places. The selection of dialogues and their delivery seemed very juvenile and something that cannot be related to in real life. It can be argued that proper care was not taken while preparing the script. Else, for one, when a DYSP calls you, why would you not enquire what the issue is, prior to deciding to have a meeting only on the next day. Such instances galore in the flick.

In terms of the plotline, the backstory of the priest could have been highlighted a bit more, as to why he is so valued by the Police and how he went onto become a renowned parapsychologist. The fact that Ameya waited all these years to track Jessy or to extract revenge on Siddharth is also something one could mull over.

Thoroughly cliched and appearing to derive heavily from popular Hollywood horror flicks and Malayalam revenge dramas, the script and a few performances too come across as lame and close in on being distasteful.

Though it has its moments of scare and some admirable camera work, even The Priest would have found it difficult to perform an exorcism on the flick to oust its bad elements.