Mazhavilkavadi

The problem with being a mallu growing elsewhere than Kerala is that you will, through your childhood, mock everything remotely related to coconut and the coconut land. Then karma strikes in the form of your parents sending you to college in Kerala. Suddenly a coconut drops on your head,metaphorically ofcourse, and you get enlightenment. The culture of the place piques your interest. You discover the gold mines of Malayalam cinema. You poke yourself with a kappa stick and ask self why didn't you watch them movies before instead of relying today on Asianet and SkipAdstube. I'm not kidding. I had to search over 20 different movie streaming sites to find a decent print of Mazhavilkavadi where I can see the actress properly ( mallus know their heros even in a dark well but the actresses are always forgotten !)

 Mallus if you love your muthassi, weird named cousins, Karimeen fry and mesmerising greenery, you cannot not like Mohanlal, Mammootty, etc. SO you gotta like classics esp 1975 onwards - (because anything before that is silent movie right? 10 on 10) - the kind of cinema which have been done (like Joe's well done steak) to death by mimic artists in All India Malayali associations' events in Dufai,Gelf (ya its time you segregate these areas) and Yumerica.

Mazhavilkavadi is an evergreen hit of Sathyan Anthikad. Anthikad's movies are not just about a particular story,formula or genre. He has unknowingly a genre of his own. One where the story is a simple white sheet of paper,but he takes the viewer through a journey of life.  A journey across paddy fields, thatched huts, sunsets, steamed rice, life of native folks, problems in common households, who eat kanji and the most happening thing in their day is the postman riding his cycle excitedly towards the tea junction. You have to watch his movies to understand the hidden shades in the paper.

 

So Mazhavilkavadi is about a love affair which is opposed by the girls family because of the boy's lack of wealth and plenty of attitude. The village is with the boy and against the girl's father. The movie is about just that. Though Anthikad has layers which slowly unfolds as you watch.

Watch Mazhavilkavadi with unniappam and tea before Asianet or Kairali stops reruns and resorts to 'macha' movies of today.

Sathyan Anthikad the director.

Manzil 1979

A Basu Chatterjee film starring Amitabh Bachhan and Moushimi Chaterjee.
Basuda is known for light movies sans formula or masala, almost attaining a cult status of his own. Like the light showers of a glorious evening, something you may not acknowledge but still lovely. Think Basuda and you will say Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt, actors you cannot help loving. You may not be mad fans of them but you will not bypass their movies without a warm smile. Mostly a nostalgic one.

Nevertheless, Manzil in my opinion, wasn't as brilliant as Chameli (1986) ,Shaukeen (1982) and my favourite Baton Baton Mein (1979). Probably because Amitabh Bachhan wasn't used to his potential. I felt Bachhan's acting wasn't deep as the character of a jobless, despairing yet aspiring entrepreneur. The romance seemed casual. The story and the message of the movie - why entrepreneurship needs more encouragement (then and now) - are all well shown, still the movie was a tad less Basuish. My only favourite was and is the evergreen song ' Rimjim gire sawaan...'

Maybe I missed Ramprasad Dashrath Prasad Sharma.

Athirathram 1984

The blockbuster of 1984,directed by I.V.Sasi which is claimed as one of the best crime thriller of it times.

Starring Mammootty, Mammootty and Mammootty.

No typo there. That's all the movie is about. So much panache and style by the dude that you will forget Mohanlal is in it.

Yeah we want to see more ;)

Though a super hit in that era, I'm sure we have better storylines in crime genre in Malayalam cinema now. Events and situation are just jumbled up in the movie together as if the 2 hrs just had to finish.

Nevertheless a nice watch if you don't mind the script. Great styling for the dude and lot of 007 type cinematography.

Adwaytham 1992

A Malayalam political thriller starring Mohanlal ,Revathy and Jayaram and directed by Priyadarshan.

I felt the 2006 film Vaasthavam had very similar beats. Nevertheless ,Mohanlal and Prithviraj,respectively have done a fantastic job of portraying human nature when exposed to political storms.

Mohanlal's character is one of friendly,caring person but gets embroiled in local politics. The story is about memories of a love affair gone bad, a broken home and amidst all this his only bright hope being his friend, played by Jayaram and his own ambitions,lay hidden,unknown to him.

All the lead stars do a great job and makes for a dramatic movie experience. Watch it to know the ever - rolling wheel of Kerala politics and the pieces of everyday life it loops in.

Nayam Vyakthamakkunnu 1991

Nayam Vyakthamakkunnu (English: Making Your Point Clear) is a Malayalam political family movie. Yes it is exactly as it sounds and also not. It is a family movie about a family of 3 and their resonances due to politics in the middle. 

Mammootty is the aspiring,active and busy political member of the local party which has all elements of a typical one. His wife is played by Shanti Krishna, the wife who slowly shows the effects of such a husband on her and on her son. The trials and tribulations in the presence of politics that a normal family goes through are shown in a non-preaching,witty way enjoyable enough as a movie.

Most of Balachandra Menon's movies are about family life and this is no less. Touching performances by the lead pair make it a movie you can add to your collection. Also the usual favourites of classic Malayalam cinema are there - Sankaradi, A.C Zainuddin,Jagadish and Karamana Janardhan Nair.

Nanma Niranjavan Sreenivasan 1990

Trust Jairam to take you to Kerala and then get you in the swing of localness. He is like the grandma who tells you stories with warm chocolate milk and cookies. That was an American metaphor but you get the picture right?

Jairam is the quintessential malayali. Almost all his movies are about the common Keralite guy who has common problems under coconut trees. He does such a fanstastic job of it that I can tribute a whole new genre of Malayalam movies about him.

Nanma Niranjavan Sreeivasan is a movie about a simple guy who is interested in local theatre and hanging out with his friends. A police job application changes the story towards a differnt village, new acquaintances ,romance and suspense. All mixed but not thrown about like some meaningless masala bag.

Excellent movies are those which can depict the same old formula but bring its own freshness by aspects like dialogue, cinematography and giving ample oppurtunity for other characters to flourish. In doing so, the viewer gets an idea about what the movie is saying indirectly and maybe more. In particular this movie does so by the ever brilliant Oduvil and Mukesh. Urvashi as usual is her best as the girl who battles her pretty eyes.

Watch it for naadan feel, old theatre life and some comfort time.

Director - Viji Thampi

Kallanum Policum

The art of storytelling is rare. Its easy to bring twists and plots in a basic story and keep people glued. But to create the basic story itself is something which only comes from a focus to keep things simple.

Movies are no less. I love movies and can sit and watch one or two everyday,depending on how many dishes dry in the sink ;) I love old movies specially and the reason I do is coz they had a lot of original thought process in their cinematography, plot and storytelling. Malayalam movies have set a benchmark in brilliance and have been coped by other Indian film industries (sadly without known credit). And amongst the pillars which hold Malayalam film industry ,I want to mention Mukesh.

Though Kerala is synonymous with Lal and Mamootty, there have been less precious but gems nevertheless such as Mukesh. Having mostly acted in movies which capture quick interest without concentrating on one-man-show gimmicks or cheap thrills, he has a foundation of himself.

Of his scores of movies, I love Kallanum Policum which I surprisingly missed inspite of Asianet Movies' ever running movie reruns. An engaging story,simply told without dramatic set ups or bends and still surprises at times. Or maybe its so well told that it surprises?

Mukesh's trademark confused-harrased look, KPAC Laitha and Innocent's banter, the wonderful bunch of side actors with their small but talented roles and the setting of Kerala greenery ( I'll call it as bonus ) all make it a movie you can watch on a monsoon day.