‘Love Action Drama’ a cocktail that has little to applaud for

By Mythily Ramachandran

Dhyan Sreenivasan’s directorial debut ‘Love Action Drama’ disappoints with an insipid and unconvincing film. Touted as a rom-com, ‘LAD’ came with great expectations with its lead pair-Nivin Pauly and Nayanthara,’ but ends as a case of talent wasted.
 

Dinesh (Nivin Pauly) pines for his cousin, even on the eve of her wedding. He has been in love with her since childhood, despite her making it clear that she was not interested. She is now marrying another man.

An incurable alcoholic who smokes too, Dinesh believes that life is a party all the time.  With a family business and enough wealth to bank on, he does nothing beyond annoying others with his uncouth attitude and irresponsible ways.  

So, it is really hard to believe when a beautiful and confident woman like Shoba (Nayanthara) who is managing an NGO in Chennai-falls in love with Dinesh. They meet at his cousin’s wedding in Kerala. Shoba is his cousin’s friend. 

When Dinesh’s ploy to take revenge on his cousin’s groom goes wrong on the wedding eve, it’s Shoba who ends injured and in hospital. Love was just waiting to happen or so it seems. Dinesh is entrusted to take care of Shoba. And, instead of being angry with him for her situation, she finds him innocent. On her return, she even sends him a ‘missing you’ message on Whatsapp. Reason enough for Dinesh to pack bags and reach Chennai to win her love. Assisting him in this endeavour is his friend Sagar (Aju Verghese)- playing accomplice and advisor in this love game.

The audience is forced to believe that love brews between the two. That this love story applauds stalking is another matter. Here love is more about impressing through deceit and less about honesty in a relationship. There is nothing compelling about the characters that makes you invest in their lives and their relationship. Clearly the script required better writing and seems to be hastily done with an urge to fill it with as many commercial elements possible. The resulting cocktail tastes insipid.

Pauly succeeds in making Dinesh as someone with no redeeming trait to be worthy of Shoba’s love. His scenes with Aju Verghese are often loud and drenched in booze banter.  Verghese’s expressions are exaggerated. Humour is completely forced and slapstick.

It is Nayanthara who keeps the sagging script afloat completely. Looking stunning in glamorous attires, it’s a change after her recent experiments in Tamil cinema, where she has played more performance backed characters. 

When Shobha slaps Dinesh in a scene, he tells her that even his mother has never done that. I was almost tempted to say aloud-‘that’s where she erred Dinesha.’ 

LAD gets long drawn out with scenes of barely any significance to the story. Like the scene where a foreigner consoles Dinesh in her accented Malayalam after he leaves Shoba. And, why are children shown in romantic relationships? Seriously it’s not funny.  

 
The screenplay is erratic, new characters surface to add drama to the love tale and there is action, as promised in the title-winding up the story in a hurried manner. 

LAD is all frills with little substance.

Hey Jude-A feel good entertainer that talks about accepting people for who they are

‘Hey Jude’ is a Malayalam romantic tale that does not fit into the regular template of love stories. Directed by Shyamaprasad and based on script written by Nirmal Sahadev and George Kanatt, ‘Hey Jude’ carries a sensitive message on Asperger’s Syndrome.

Jude (Nivin Pauly), a young software professional loves crunching numbers and leaves his father speechless when he mentally multiplies two five digit numbers-faster than his father’s calculator.
His other love is studying fishes. Jude can spend hours observing them. Finicky about his diet-he loves really crisp dosas and will not eat beans; Jude follows his eating schedule with a military regimen. There are times when child like he stomps angrily into his room. At work his boss considers Jude an intelligent worker. Jude’s candid nature and honesty- traits not at all appreciated by his father, Dominique (Siddique)-is what makes him lovable.

Dominique manages an antique- goods store and has no scruples about telling his customers-“This is the only piece available in India. There might be another one in London museum,” when actually he has several more inside. 

Jude’s mother Maria (Neena Kurup) is a homemaker spending time in prayers. Jude’s younger sister, the street smart Andrea finds delight in making her brother the butt of jokes. 

Following the demise of his aunt, Dominique arrives in Goa with Maria and Jude. And, the miser, who counts every penny, cannot contain his joy on learning that his aunt has bequeathed her property to him and Jude.
However, his happiness is short-lived after he learns about the tenant living in the outhouse, - a retired psychiatrist Sebastian (Vijay Menon) and his daughter Crystal (Trisha). Dominique cannot evict them now since their rental lease expires only after two years. Dominique’s problem is compounded further when he sees that Jude is spending more  time at the Sebastian home and with Crystal. Get the drift.

The writing is fantastic. Every character is  distinctly carved with their own quirks. Crystal who runs a café on the beaches of Goa is an antithesis to Jude. A fun loving party-animal, this vocalist of a music band enjoys swimming while the socially -awkward Jude  is petrified of water.

The actors completely own their roles-Nivin Pauly in Jude’s shoes has gained weight. His nerdy appearance with glasses, shirt buttoned to the top and that perpetual anxious look on his face makes Jude real.
I loved Jude’s daily ritual of recording his diary into a video camera.
The scene between Jude and Crystal in an intimate moment is cute, with Jude running away when Crystal wants to kiss him. That was a class act by Pauly.

Trisha brings Crystal with an attitude that only she is capable of. If Siddique was the understanding father in ‘Aadhi’ his Dominique is a contrast to Aadhi’s father. Vijay Menon’s Sebastian is a nice surprise. Neat humour is woven into the story especially scenes involving Dominique and his one -upmanship with Sebastian. Aju Verghese also entertains in a cameo role.
DOP Gangadharan takes viewers on a visually appealing journey from Kerala to Goa.  

Drawing awareness to Asperger’s Syndrome and bi-polar disorder in the most sensitive manner without subjecting the characters to ridicule, ‘Hey Jude’ is a fun ride and not a story of pity and melodrama-rather a story of self-discovery by Jude and Crystal.

Nivin Pauly raises a toast to the cop in ‘Action Hero Biju’

Abrid Shine, shines again with his second film, proving that his maiden film, ‘1983’ was not just a flash in the pan

What’s a day in a cop’s life like?
Is it merely bashing up criminals with pent up anger?
Malayalam director, Abrid Shine’s cop tale also shows that a cop can be trusted with your woes. 

Biju Paulose (Nivin Pauly), a double post-graduate, quit his teaching job to become a sub-inspector. And, he loves his job. If Biju is not chasing criminals, he is resolving cases at his police station. 

Be it the young woman who lodges a complaint against her former employer for not paying her dues or the father who wants his daughter back after his wife eloped with his friend, Biju Paulose ensures justice. 

When it comes to dealing with criminals, Biju has a unique style. He picks up a coconut, wraps it in a towel and then thrashes them. It sure has earned him quite a reputation.
There is nothing larger than life in Biju’s role and that’s what makes this honest cop believable. 

Shine who bowled viewers over with his debut film, ‘1983,’ once wins hearts with a clean family entertainer. Shine has co-written the story with Md. Shafeeq. There is enough situational humour to bring in the chuckles. Look out for the scene where a human rights activist visits the station and confronts S.I Biju. 

There are a host of characters and each one has been well fleshed out carrying a distinct identity. Several new faces show promise. 

Suresh Thampanoor, was carrying loads on his head for a living until spotted by Abrid for his musical voice. Thampanoor plays a drunkard arrested by Biju. Thampanoor wrote the lyrics, composed tunes and sung the song ‘Muthe Ponne Pinangale.’ 

Suraj Venjaramoodu, a noted comedian, does a brilliant job as a wronged husband. His scene with his onscreen daughter leaves a lump in the throat. Rohini’s subtle performance is commendable. Anu Emmanuel as Benitta, Biju’s fiancée appears in few scenes, yet leaves a mark with her freshness. 

Although Nivin Pauly carries the film on his shoulders, every other actor is remarkable. This is Pauly’s first into production. 

Shorn of cinematic frills, ‘Action Hero Biju’ is a grounded cop tale that packs quite a punch.

Ivide’ a crime thriller also carries an emotional story

Watch Malayalam’s fine talents, Prithviraj and Nivin Pauly lock horns ivide, sorry here

By Mythily Ramachandran

‘Ivide’ opens with a murder of an Indian techie, Nageshwar Rao. It happens in Atlanta. Following another techie’s murder, this time of Sunny Singh, Investigating Officer, Varun Blake (Prithviraj) believes that a serial killer is on the prowl.
Varun as his first name suggests is an Indian by birth who grew up in an orphanage but is later adopted by an American lady and her hippie boy- friend.
Raised in the US, Blake feels that his brown skin alienates him from the others. Consequently there is a deep seated anger that he is never able to let go.
Many a times, his anger gets the better of him. And, at one instance he is pointing his revolver at his wife, Roshini (Bhavana). That triggers the break of their marriage. Roshini leaves him taking along with her, their daughter, Trisha.
She takes up work at Infotech, an IT company where she meets her school mate Krish Hebbar (Nivin Pauly), a team leader much respected. Krish hailing from a middle-class home is an ambitious young man and his goal is the top post in the company. And, to achieve that, Krish will go to any length, even if it means manipulating situations.
Love blossoms between Krish and Roshini. While the main story probes the murders of Indian techies, underlying this is an emotional tale of three people, that of Varun, Krish and Roshini.
Ajayan Venugopalan’s script explores the lives of the Indian expatriates and the repercussions of outsourcing work to Indian companies. Naturally a greater part of the story is in English. Venugopalan’s crisp dialogues are the strength of the story. Shyamaprasad’s craftsmanship evident in every frame is well matched by cinematographer Eric Dickinson visuals.
The lead characters come with their own flaws and are more real. Prithviraj’s salt and pepper cool dude look will set many a heart flutter. The actor reinforces his talent once again with a brilliant performance. Bringing to the fore Varun’s insecurities and his cockiness, Prithviraj plays a caring father too. 
Matching step with him and playing the perfect tango is Nivin Pauly. Krish is a typical middle-class boy and a dutiful son who skypes regularly with his mom, but he does succumb to moments driven by ambition. Bhavana as a young mother brings out the independent streak in Roshini. Gopi Sundar’s music blends well into this tale of human emotions.
‘Ivide,’ takes viewers on a journey to the US where life is not as rosy as it appears.

Rating: 3/5 

‘Premam’ is a delightful entertainer with Nivin Pauly in the lead

By Mythily Ramachandran

‘Premam’ obviously is a love story, as the title suggests. Written and directed by Alphonse Puthran, viewers are treated to not just one love story but three love stories within one film. ‘Premam’ traces the life of George (Nivin Pauly) from his teens when he falls in love with Mary (Anupama Parameswaran), belonging to the same parish and how he pursues her to give her a love letter. This phase will connect with the young generation and takes others down nostalgic road of being in love and heart break.
George faces his first rejection when Mary introduces him to her lover and even seeks his assistance to keep her father at bay.
In college, George falls in love again, this time with Malar, (Sai Pallavi) a young lecturer, who reprimands him on her first day at college.
George is unlucky in love again.
George is well past his prime and in his thirties and managing a cake business when he meets Celine (Madonna Sebastian). Celine happens to be the little girl from the neighbourhood who accompanied Mary to school. Is she the woman meant to be in his life?
Puthran’s signature is visible from the minute the curtains rise and the credits roll. You are reminded of his debut film, ‘Neram,’ and the expectations for a good evening soar.
Puthran’s unconventional style of narration and the freshness in the humour that abounds in plenty throughout is amusing.
Nivin Pauly does a brilliant job. He transforms himself completely, going through each phase perfectly. Undoubtedly ‘Premam’ rests on Pauly’s shoulders. From a giddy headed teenager to a tough college goer who is edging for a fight to finally emerging as a mature and responsible man, Pauly has packed in quite a punch.
Vinay Fort plays a lecturer who is besotted with Malar. His scenes with Soubin Sahir as the PT instructor are a roar. Several new comers have acquitted themselves and are a talented bunch. Krishna Shankar and Shabareesh Varma as George’s close buddies lend the right support to Pauly. Their chemistry onscreen rocks. New find Anupama Parameswaran has few lines to deliver and conveys mostly through her eyes and her smile. Her curly locks give her a distinctive and attractive look.
On the other hand, Malar is talkative and brimming with energy with a smile always playing on her lips. Sai Pallai on debut steals the thunder. There is a positive air about Malar and Pallavi’s natural performance enriches the beauty of her character.
Madonna Sebastian as the third woman in George’s life is another talent to watch out for. Don’t miss Puthran making a guest appearance as Roney, Celine’s groom.
Cinematographer Anand C Chandran’s camera captures beautifully the small town ambience as well as the classy interiors of George’s restaurant.  
‘Premam’ is a fun entertainer, a simple love story of the boy next door. Like it’s tagline reads ‘nothing extraordinary in it.’
However ‘Premam’ stretches a tad too long, often indulging in itself, especially in the second half and with not so funny jokes. It called for better editing.   By the way, why bring Malar back just when all seems to be going well?

‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie’ a mere time pass 

By Mythily Ramachandran

What can possibly go wrong with a selfie?
A lot, especially if it is taken of a young woman and without her knowledge.
Umesh, (Nivin Pauly) an engineering student with a backlog of 42 arrears, (yeah you heard it right)  realizes that a bit too late. The young woman here is Daisy, (Manjima Mohan) his new neighbour who is least interested in his advances.
The first half of ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie,’ does not take itself seriously. Just like the characters, the young men in this story, rather boys who have still not grown up and have their college hangover still, it meanders aimlessly. Slapstick comedy rules and after a while you can’t help wondering what’s the joke all about.
The story picks up steam and braces itself on a serious note, when Umesh is determined to prove his innocence as far as Daisy’s disappearance is concerned, who is believed to have eloped with her lover.
What happens to Daisy? Who is her lover? Are questions bothering Umesh.  Helping him in tracking Daisy is his close buddy, Shaji (Aju Verghese) and Jack Tracker, (Vineeth Sreenivasan) a private detective from Chennai whom they hire.
Directed by newcomer G. Prajith and based on Vineeth Sreenivasan’s script, ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie,’ could have been made into a better film. The humour is loud and in your face. Aju Verghese’s talents has not been well exploited here. Verghese has delivered better hits and you can’t help remembering his ‘Peruchazhi,’ and the last Biju Menon starrer, ‘Vellimoonga.’ Shaji’s character has been poorly sketched.
Sreenivasan gently sends home a message on how vulnerable young women can be owing to the anonymity of the world –wide- web. There is some melodrama in the second half, when Umesh and company land up in Madurai in search of Daisy’s lover. How do the young men without a penny on them manage to survive on this journey and that too in a car. So long as you don’t ask questions and if you are not looking for something serious, you could check out ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie.’ 
An evening peppered with laughs and you don’t take back home any of the characters to dwell upon. Quite a predictable fare.

‘Bangalore Days,’ a complete entertainer

When cousins get together, inevitably it’s a riot.
And that’s exactly what happens when childhood playmates and cousins Divya, Kuttan and Arjun, meet up in Bangalore.  There is loads of fun.
Divya (Nazriya Nazim) arrives in Bangalore following her marriage to Das, (Fahad Faasil) a corporate executive. Kuttan, (Nivin Pauly) an IT professional works there.  So does the other cousin, Arjun, (Dulquer Salman) a graffiti artist and a motor bike racer.
Living in a new city with her husband, who barely talks and is mostly away on official tours, Divya’s companions are her two cousins.  And the trio has a blast together. But once the picnic is over, they return to their own lives where they confront reality.    
Divya's vivacity is a contrast to Das’ aloofness and that comes in the way of their building a new relationship.  Her curiosity is piqued when Das pointing to a room in their apartment that he keeps locked all the time, tells her, “It’s all old stuff.” 
Arjun’s anger is directed at his divorced parents and the pain of loneliness is a constant thorn hurting him. Crazy over bikes, he has pinned his ambitions on the race track.
Kuttan is the typical Malayali rooted to his native soil and very traditional in outlook. When his father is seriously ill, he takes a flight home and on board he falls in love with an air-hostess (Isha Talwar).  It’s amusing to watch the love smitten Kuttan going through a make-over with spiked hair and a wardrobe change as he tries to fit in with the glamorous and beautiful air-hostess.
Anjali Menon narration is simple and straight. The bonhomie of the cousins is believable.  Nazriya, Nivin and Dulquer share a great comfort level together onscreen. Menon’s little touches add freshness to the story.  My favourite is the scene where Das meets Divya at her home the first time. It is the traditional boy meeting girl ceremony.  After the family introductions are done with they are left alone to chat. Das tells Divya that he wants her to know that there has been another woman in his life. And he would understand if she was not keen on the marriage. Did she have anything to share, he then asks her. Looking bewildered, Divya reveals to him that the sweets placed on the table were not prepared by her as claimed by her mother, a while ago. As the duo break into a laugh, Divya’s puppy runs in and the next scene shows the two bonding over the dog, much to the delight of the parents who enter the room at that moment.
With a multi-cast, who fit snug into their roles, Menon presents a story that will appeal to viewers of all ages. Every actor has put in a commendable performance. Yet one pair that remains with you for long is that of Arjun and Sarah, the physically challenged RJ, whose ebullience on air wins the heart of the ‘I don’t care a damn,’ Arjun.
Dulquer’s rugged charm matches his performance and Parvathy Menon is just brilliant. She is one actress whose eyes express before the words tumble out. Kalpana as Kuttan’s mom will have you in splits. Nithya Menon is a beautiful surprise. I even liked the bit about the Tamilian maid who does not seem to approve of Divya as Das’ wife.
Go for ‘Bangalore Days,’ a light hearted entertainer with family and friends. And if your cousins are around, don’t forget to take them along. 

Abrid Shine bowls the audience over with ‘1983’

By Mythily Ramachandran

In India, cricket is followed with a fervor unlike any other sport. 
This zeal is well reflected in the sports film, ‘1983’ directed by newcomer Abrid Shine. And on opening his innings, Shine clearly hits a sixer as ‘1983’ endears itself to the audience with a simple story told honestly. 
An erstwhile photographer for Malayalam magazine, ‘Vanitha,’ Shine   was inspired from his life and that of his friends, all amateur cricketers like the hero of ‘1983’ Ramesan.
Ramesan (Nivin Pauly) whose love for the game is rooted in the 1983 win of India at the World Cup, is a talented player and never misses out on a game with friends of the local club. His father, (Joy Mathews), who runs a machine repairing unit, dreams of the day when his son would become an engineer. 
With cricket dominating Ramesan’s life, studies obviously takes a back-seat and Ramesan manages to clear his class ten board examinations. Now he is left with no other choice but to help his father in the business. 
This is clearly a landmark film in Nivin Pauly’s career, who goes through different stages of Ramesan’s life: from a school student in love with his classmate Manjula (Niki Galrani) and a crazy cricketer to becoming a father who tries to realize his dreams through his son. As the scenes roll on, Pauly hits a four each time with a spectacular performance. 
Shine’s narration is brilliant. Capturing street cricket in real mode with players attired in mundu, Kerala style, this story immediately connects with his audience.
Clean humour keeps you chuckling now and then. I just loved the scene where Ramesan is dumbfounded when his new bride (essayed excellently by Shrinda Ashab) looks up at Sachin’s poster in the bedroom and in all innocence asks him, “Who is this? And seeing his astonished look, she immediately tells him, “Oh, I don’t watch Hindi films.” That was classic. Shrinda impresses in other scenes too. 
Another remarkable performance is from Jacob Gregory. Calling himself Sachin from Bombay and often peppering his conversations with Hindi, he joins in as a substitute in Ramesan’s team. And, Gregory keeps the audience in splits. Anoop Menon in the role of a coach encouraging Ramesan’s son is a natural.
With a story pegged around cricket, Shine brings about a change in the heart of Ramesan’s father, who lends a hand to Ramesan, who is trying to make a mechanized automatic bowling device for his little son, a cricket lover too.
Besides taking a dig at the present crop of parents, who are ambitious for their off-springs, Shine also points out the flaws in the selection procedure of the sports department. 
Produced by Shamsudheen, '1983' is enriched further by Gopi Sundar’s captivating music and Pradeesh Varma’s dazzling frames.