Mayanadhi- This mystic river directed by Aashiq Abu carries a beautifully made romantic thriller

‘Mayaanadhi,’ written by scenarists duo Syam Pushkaran  and Dileesh Nair is directed by Aashiq Abu. Cradled inside this crime thriller is a romantic drama. Many love stories have been narrated. ‘Mayaanadhi’ is a compelling watch with its exquisite writing and top notch performances of all the actors, I repeat all. 

Mathan (Tovino Thomas) a driver for a gang that deals with counterfeit currency is on the run after he accidentally kills a policeman. Close at Mathan’s  heels are a team of three policemen from Tamil Nadu. He decides to escape to Dubai but before that he meets up with Appu, (Aishwarya Lexmi) the woman he loves immensely.

Mathan’s idea of a dream life is sharing it with his beloved Appu in a beautiful home and with pups for company. That’s our first introduction to him. We only hear him talking. Whetting our appetite further is his friend’s reply-‘You are always talking about the future.’ Mathan replies-‘Because I screwed my past and the present.’

There is no hurry in the story telling. Little by little we peek into their past while observing them in the present.
Mathan arrives in Kochi to meet Appu, an aspiring actress juggling between auditions for that big break and doing ad films on the side. Appu is at a roadside eatery waiting for her order. Hungry and irritated with his presence, Appu retorts with a tight slap on his face when he asks her-“Is there hope in our relationship?

Bringing in characters from the fringe of their lives, the canvas becomes an interesting watch. Appu’s widowed mother who still believes in their rich past reveals her snob attitude during a family wedding, when she pushes Appu into emceeing the event-insisting that she speak in English; the chechi (elder sister) who shares accommodation with Appu and always has something to lament over; Sameera, Appu’s friend, a glamorous star who passes on the gown she wore for an event to Appu; the counselor friend (Darshana Rajendran) helping Sameera deal with depression.

Every character is finely crafted and the actors with their spontaneous performance bring them alive onscreen and convincingly.

Mathan, an engineering college drop-out, he began making money as an admission broker and later joined a gang. Belying his tough exterior, Mathan is a little boy at heart who craves for Appu’s love. And when on the run, he seeks refuge under his old boss, who is not happy as he has turned over a new leaf.

Tovino Thomas is splendid. He infuses Mathan with a child like charm. Not one to lag behind, Aishwarya Lexmi matches him for every step. Their onscreen chemistry roars. The emotions are profound. Aishwarya Lexmi deftly conveys Appu’s insecurity and her confidence too with a finesse seldom seen in newcomers.

Tamil actors, Ilavarasu as the Tamil Nadu police officer is at his best. Harish, who has been mostly playing negative characters that are loud and dagger- happy is a junior police officer here. His subtle performance is commendable. Look out for Lijo Pellisery, Soubin Shahir and Basil Joseph in amusing cameos.  

Several moments stay with you. The scene with the three friends, Appu, Darshana and Sameera bonding over wine is one. Darshana’s rendering of ‘Bavra Mann’ (a song from Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi) is a beautiful poetry under the night sky.

'Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ a hilarious tale 

By Mythily Ramachandran

What if you were a fly on the wall inside a police station or a bird perched on a tree in one of those small towns of Kerala? You could spend the entire day watching people around and their life stories unfold.

‘Thondimuthalum Drikshasakshiyum’ (The Mainour and the Eye Witness) is one such story that director Dileesh Pothan narrates in his inimitable style. Marked by realistic frames and exemplary performances, Pothan and Fahad Faasil return with another winner. Their last film, ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram,’ won two Kerala state and two national awards this year.

At the core of the plot is a simple knot, when a small time thief (Fahad Faasil) steals a chain from the neck of a young woman while travelling in a bus. Srija, (Nimisha Sajayan) the victim had dozed off but wakes up in time to catch the thief in his act. The thief outsmarts her by swallowing the chain. Srija raises a hue and cry. Her husband Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu) sitting on the other side of the row rushes towards her. The thief vehemently argues that he never took her chain. ‘She must have dreamt it while in her sleep,’ he suggests.

Co-passengers come to Srija’s aid. Some even slap the thief. Soon the bus is driven to the nearest police-station. What happens at the police-station over the next few days? Does Srija get her chain back? 

With a chain snatching plot one would expect a lot of drama that could have turned into just another thriller. ‘Thondimuthalam Drikshasakshiyum’ does not follow that route. It makes its own path as the story progresses and keeps you guessing all along. 

With hilarious situations captured inside a police station that is enhanced with touches of realism and natural performances from the entire team, director Dileesh Pothan proves that ‘Maheshinte Prathikaaram’ was not a mere flash in the pan.
 Sajeev Pazhoor has written the story and screenplay. Syam Pushkaran, who won the national and Kerala State Award for Maheshinte Prathikaaram, is credited with the dialogues.  

You can see the love with which each character has been sketched. The lead players, Srija is an ordinary young woman yet with a mind of her own. Her relationship with Prasad begins on a wrong note when he notices her purchasing a pregnancy testing kit. Through a common friend, he relays this to her father. An angry Srija confronts Prasad who is embarrassed on his goof-up and before they know it the young couple is in love. Srija’s parents disapprove of the inter-caste match and they leave town to make a new beginning in Kasargode.

Suraj Venjaramoodu is a brilliant performer whose talent only a few directors have explored. Dr. Biju revealed another side to the comedian in his national award winning film, ‘Perariyathavar.’ Pothan brings that out again here.
With his subtle acting, Venjaramoodu convincingly draws out the simple guy Prasad, who cannot harbor malice for anyone including his father-in-law.
No one could have been as convincing as the versatile Fahad Faasil. He is brilliant as a thief, cocky and confident even when in the wrong and takes life’s situations most casually. 

Newcomer Nimisha Sajayan matches step with the two veteran actors and is a bundle of promise. Her eyes are her strengths and she exploits them well. Her grim expressions, her anxiety at the loss of her ‘thali’ (wedding chain), her angry looks darted now and then at the thief are spontaneous. The Mumbai raised actress slips into a lower middle-class Srija’s skin with ease. 

A host of characters make up ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ and they stay with you long after curtains fall-Sudhakaran, the trouble maker who is confined in prison till the temple festivities are over, the writer at the police station who is always in mufti, the Sub-Inspector keen on delivering justice and the Head Constable (Alencier Ley), on a punishment posting. In fact, 23 real policemen have made their cinema debut.  Sibi Thomas as the SI impresses. The casting is so perfect. Even the chemistry between Srija and Prasad so well played out. 

The mystery around the thief keeps the story engaging too. He has no identity nor does he reveal his real name. He takes on Prasad’s name. And boasts about his paratha making skills in a nook side hotel that is greeted with asides and banter by the policemen. Fahad Faasil plays the wily trickster to the T.

Complementing the beautiful narration and seamless flow of the story is Rajeev Ravi’s brilliant camera work. The national award winning cinematographer hovers around the police station, now and then stepping outside, sometimes capturing a temple celebration mood in bright colours or lighting up in twilight frames when watching over Srija and Prasad in their home. The long chase scene through the woods that ends in a canal with Prasad holding onto the thief, whom he has finally caught is remarkable.

Realistic shots and attention to finer details add to the film’s strengths. When everyone is heading to the hilltop where the thief is being taken for his morning ablutions, Srija also joins her husband. Suddenly Prasad turns to her and tells her-‘you don’t have to accompany me here.’ You smile with Srija. Humour is squeaky clean.  

Bijibal’s music complements the narrative.
‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ finds itself a place among the beautiful gems of Malayalam cinema.