2d-life;

Android Kunjappan is a movie about loneliness at old age, but with many twists.  The movie is the story of Bhaskara Poduval and his loving son Subrahmanian (Chuppan).  Chuppan being educated and ambitious find it difficult to lead his life in rural Kerala.  Bhaskara Poduval, on the other hand, does not want to leave his home town.  Upon getting a lucrative job in a Japanese company, Chuppan leaves to Russia.  Initially, Chuppan appoints a couple of home nurses (one after the other) to take care of his father.  But, they all end up being comic disasters.  Finally, he brings a trial robot made by his company to take care of his father.  The rest of the movie is a story of companionship between man and machine.        Generally, in movies, the suffering of the elderly is caused by children who are complete jerks.  Such people certainly exist and it is worthwhile to portray their story.  However, it is important to rea...

Kettiyollaanu Ente Maalakha is the story of Sleevachan (Asif Ali), a good-natured individual ignorant of the ways of romance and sex.  Although he had avoided marriage until 35, he decides to marry to care for his ageing mother.  The rest of the movie is about his struggles in the journey forward. I would like to get a bit into the story as some of it begs discussion.  Thus, there will be some spoilers, but I believe they would not really spoil anything. Soon after fixing the marriage, he starts panicking.  He even confesses to the local priest that he is feeling stressed because of his ignorance.  However, the priest casually dismisses these worries.  After marrying Rincy, he is unable to initiate a physical relationship, causing even more stress.  Sleevachan's struggles were cracking up people all around me, and I felt, perhaps that was the director's intention.  Those very same scenes were, however, making me extremely uncomfortable....

Helen is the story of a girl's struggle as she is accidentally trapped in a life or death situation.  I did not enjoy the film because the girl's struggle disturbed me, proving that the movie was well made.  Anna Ben's (Helen) act was very convincing.  The movie certainly could have been better.  Certain cliches like Jayshankar's (Manager, Chicken Hub) character could have been avoided, especially because it does not add any value to the story.  The over-dramatised father-daughter relationship also falls into the same category.  In general, the bubbly character played by Anna Ben, in the initial segment of the movie, did not feel natural/convincing to me.  Although S.I Ratheesh Kumar (Aju Varghese) is a somewhat common trope in modern films, Aju Varghese's acting made it worthwhile.  By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62280395

"Jack and Daniel" is a robber-cop story with absolutely nothing new to offer.  The "grand" crime scenes which are supposed to excite, failed to make any impact.  If you are a fan of Dileep's comedy ( like me ) and that is what took you to the theatre, then again you will be highly disappointed.  The action though choreographed by some of the best didn't feel right.  The cameo by Peter Hein was one of the lowest points of the film.    I was so bored during the film that I dozed off for a few minutes in between.  This seldom happens with me and can be taken as a testimony of the film's quality.  I watched the movie with my cousin, and he jested I failed to enjoy the film because I missed those scenes.  So, if you are watching, make sure you don't miss any scene!

Ittymaani is a loving son living with his mother but is notorious for doing anything for money.  His neighbour, a woman of his mother's age, has three children who are his opposites -  they are well-respected in society but has abandoned their mother.  One day the neighbour has a heart attack and is hospitalised by Ittymaani.  Even after being informed of this situation, they choose to go for a trip to Munnar than attend to their mother.  To teach them a lesson, Ittymaani fakes marriage with his neighbour.  This key idea is novel and semi-interesting.  However, everything else is disappointing.  The comedy is especially stale.

Nakshatratharattu is a film having a very special place in my life, certainly a movie that deserves a place in my reflections on movies. I was an 11-year-old kid when the movie released and had watched it in the theatre with my family. The movie touched me so much that I was sobbing through a big chunk of the movie. When the movie was over, people around me were all pointing at me and murmuring "that is the sobber". To make matters worse, people in my circles had disliked the movie and thought the movie was anything but touching. Though I shared the feeling that the movie could have been better, I strongly felt there were some beautiful ideas in the movie. Nonetheless, I could not convince anyone. As an effect, I became very self-conscious whenever I watched a movie with others. In my own privacy, I still pour out my heart in tears. To the young me, the movie was about a couple adopting "parents". The pain of the couple as they did not have a family, an...

I recently read this wonderful book "Don't sleep, there are snakes" by Daniel Everett.  It describes the author's life in the Amazon with the Pirahas, their language, and their culture.  Apparently, he once missed the greens and asked for a shipment from his friend.  He was caught in the act of having Salad by one of his Piraha friends.  The Piraha was bewildered that Daniel Everett was eating leaves and enquired if he didn't have any meat.  When Everett said he had, but he loves these leaves the Piraha responded: "Piraha's don't eat leaves.  this is why you don't speak our language well.  We Pirahas speak our language well and we don't eat leaves". Notice the striking similarity with what I had talked about in an earlier post . Everett, being a scientist, was clearly aware that correlation and causation are not the same.  But apparently, the words continued to nag him as if they had something useful in it.  I believe, the respect he h...

I was not impressed by Kumbalangi nights.  I don't mean to say it is a bad film.  It is certainly worth watching.  The cinematography is extraordinary.  Also, it has its moments - nice little dialogues.  But with all that, it is just an average film, or so I feel.  As I had explained in a post before , people expect explanations when you express dislike.  Actually, I wouldn't say I dislike, but I did not like it as much as others - the people I talked to.  And, in this case, I think I understand some of the reasons.  And I will be sharing those reasons with you. What do you feel when you hear someone saying "These impoverished people are so lucky.  Wish I had a skinny body like them"?  Movies like Kumbalangi nights elicit the same emotion in me.  The major problem poor people face is lack of money.  If you make a movie on the poor and completely take money out of the equation, that makes no sense.  Kumbalangi night...

It is not uncommon to hear criticisms of unrealistic feats accomplished by heroes in South Indian films.  People are offended by the disregard to physical laws exhibited in these movies.  More often than not, the victims of these criticisms are Telugu films.  In this post, I attempt to explain, how to make sense of (or how I see) these unrealistic, physics-defying acts.  Hopefully, at least some of you would be able to better appreciate these films after reading this article. Say, for example, we are watching a Superman movie and you see Superman flying.  Does that bother you? If yes, you can stop reading right now.  This article is most probably not for you.  If not, why?  I guess it is because the storyteller has given an "explanation".  Notice that this explanation need not be there in this movie.  Someone watching Superman is expected to know that.  Now, let us come to a South Indian film.  In contrast, it appears...

Kalyanaraman is a movie I really like and I have watched it countless times.  It is, of course, famous for its humour, which, however, is not the topic of this article.   In the movie, Jyothirmayi is a mute.  After various attempts, her marriage is fixed.  The groom, however, elopes the day before marriage with someone else.  The girl's father requests some of the relatives present at the wedding if one of their sons could marry her.  But, they were evidently uninterested and giving excuses.  In fact, they were trying to push it on to each other. Finally, they suggest that it is better to find another "disabled" person for her.  This infuriates him.  He says "It is better if she remains unmarried.  I will protect her till I am alive and after that God will". It is understandable that under such situations one might get hurt and angry.  I do not find fault in that.  At the same time, I feel the same is true about ...

I recently realized that the Malayalam movie Santhwanam (Consolation) is a remake of the Telugu film Seetharamaiah gaari manavaralu (Seetharamaiah's granddaughter).  The basic story is as follows.  After a love marriage, the relationship between a father and son goes bad and they never communicate afterward. Years later the granddaughter returns to meet her grandparents.  The movie is about the relationship between the granddaughter and her grandparents.   I confess I generally feel the Malayalam version is superior even when the original is not Malayalam.  This is especially the case with Priyadarshan films.  I feel he is a master at adapting films to Malayalam.  The comparison between these two films is however tricky.  I think they both have their merits, but the Telugu version is a bit better in my eyes.   To begin with, Seetharamaiah gaaru (the protagonist in Telugu) is a much deeper and laudable character than Rajash...

Revenge is a common theme in movies, books or any other form of storytelling but, most do not give a justification to the act.  They either take it to be the natural course of action or condemn it.  The fact that some condemn it, means there is scope for a discussion.  I think most people would have an issue with revenge when it is exacted not on the perpetrator, but on someone related to the perpetrator.  In the 2010 Telugu movie "Maryada Ramanna", which was later remade into Hindi as "Son of Sardar" and Malayalam as "Maryadaraman", they pose a question which can be translated as "If a son can get the property earned by one's father why cannot he receive punishments for his father's action?"   The surprising thing is, even after thinking for quite some while, I was unable to find a satisfactory answer. Apparently, this stance is inspired by our scriptures.  In the 35th shlokam of the 64th chapter in the 10th skandham of Srimad B...

Assume a teacher does the following things 1. He misplaces huge amount of money he was entrusted with 2. ‎Puts the blame for the above incident on a student 3. ‎Is married and having an extramarital affairs 4. ‎Is caught red-handed gifting floral undergarments to this other woman.  It is quite natural that the guy loses his job and is abandoned by his wife. And that is precisely what happens in Sherlock Toms to one of his teachers.  What I find very unnatural and weird is that throughout the movie he is ridiculed only for gifting floral undergarments.  I am puzzled as to what is so wrong in buying floral undergarments for your lover.  But, even if it is wrong, it would certainly be much lesser than his other crimes.  But, not so in the movie.  Not even once was he criticised for wrongly accusing his student, even though it is a grave mistake.  The crowning jewel in this irony is that this act of gifting floral undergarments is remembe...

"Hey, Jude" is the story of a man with Asperger's syndrome. I do not know much about the condition to comment on how accurate the portrayal is, but nonetheless, I loved the film. Apparently, I have a thing for movies about mental conditions. That said, I believe it is not just my bias, but the film is indeed a very good attempt. So, I urge you to give it a shot. The story is pretty simple and not unlike other films of this genre. There is a guy with a lot of issues, but by the end of the film, he succeeds to cope up and leads a happier life. Even more, this change is brought by a woman (person of opposite gender). That said, there are many factors which put the film apart from the others. Now that I think about it, Mili is another movie which shared some of these features. To begin with, there is very little focus on romance. In both these films, love and affection though important are not the only cause for the change. The necessary guidance comes fro...

Godha is a good film; good enough to make you wish it was better.  The first half is very entertaining.  The humour is quite refreshing.  And, the various relationships are portrayed really well.  I highly recommend the film. The film is basically about a woman chasing her dreams, the right a woman has to chase her dreams, her freedom etc.  And I feel they have done justice to that theme.  I was slightly disappointed to see such a feminist film holding the idea that a man has to be better than a woman to get accepted.  This I think is a very dangerous stance, especially because this is the reason why many fear their daughters' achievements.  The more they achieve, the tougher it gets to find a groom.   I am not implying that marriage is or should be THE AIM in life.  But, the majority certainly desires marriage or at least a romantic relationship.  If achievements become detrimental to this desire, many woul...

Buddha told us about the existence of suffering, the cause of suffering and the path to liberation from suffering through his four noble truths. I feel that hidden in a famous comedy scene from the film " Vettam " is another noble truth about the nature of suffering. The volley of dialogues is as follows Hero: According to my horoscope, I have bad times till I am 20. Heroine: And, after that...? Hero: He said I will get used to it. This is a truth about the nature of suffering I have realised time and again. Namely, We get used to suffering. When I started having neck pain, I used to find it unbearable. After several years, now I can easily manage. I can even ignore it most of the time. Similarly, I have an artificial aortic valve. The clock-like sound it makes used to disturb me a lot initially. I used to find it difficult to sleep. Now, I cannot hear it unless I concentrate. In the famous book "Oru deshathinte katha ", S.K. Pottekatt portrays t...

Humans tend to seek causal link between events that always or generally occur together.  "Correlation is not causation" or "correlation does not imply causation"  is a phrase in statistics or science, in general, to warn against this fallacy.  Even smart people tend to make this mistake.  Hence, this phrase has gained importance. Due to its importance, people have come up with various examples illustrating the mistake.  Surprisingly, among all the examples I have seen, a movie dialogue did the best job, at least in my opinion.  This is a dialogue from one of the many brilliant comedy scenes from the Malayalam film Punjabi house. In the film, one of the characters says "I do not eat chapati and hence I do not know Hindi".  Eating chapati and knowing Hindi is certainly correlated.  Chapati is predominantly a food of North India and Hindi is a language of North India.  However, as is obvious to all of us, there is no causal link. ...

Mili is a film about an introverted, insecure, and timid girl slowly gaining the strength to stand on her own legs.  In her childhood, she found it hard to meet the expectations people had from the daughter of a reputed Professor.  On top of it, due to the early demise of her mother and the sickness until then, she missed the support of a mother's care.  It is hinted that, her nature and lack of confidence can be attributed to her broken childhood.  Amala Paul played the role of Mili and did a wonderful job. Mili seeks the help of her father (Saikumar) or Nancy (Praveena) even for trivial issues.  Her father, concerned about her and her inability to survive in the real world, forces her to solve her issues on her own.  The dilemma whether to help her or not is shown wonderfully in the movie.  Often, he helps her indirectly through Nancy, his student and Mili's local guardian.  Nancy is very supportive and like an elder sister to Mili.  At ...

Su.. Su... Sudhi Vathmeekam, is a simple movie about the life of a stammerer Sudhi (Jayasurya).  The movie deals with struggles Sudhi faces in his daily life. The movie is well made and Jayasurya has acted well.  This is noteworthy, as it is so easy to overdo the stammering. It is clear from the movie that Sudhi is a very smart individual with many skills, but years of mockery and ridicule killed his confidence.  Thus, he is forced to work like a slave for Kurup Sir.  Society's attitude towards an individual has deep impact in his ability to reach his potential.  This, I feel, is the reason why we need affirmative action. Sudhi is however blessed with some close friends and a very supportive family.  The dynamics of these relationships has a big role in making this film so enjoyable.  Greagon, Sudhi's friend played by Aju Vargese, is an exceptionally good character.  He is the antithesis of Sudhi, the ever confident individual always cha...

Snehaveedu, the 2011 movie from the duo Mohanlal and Sathyan Anthikad, though well received in theaters, was a big let down.  It takes a good 45 minutes in a 150 minute movie to even reach the main plot. This initial stretch is filled with overused village nostalgia pills with nothing new to boast.   In one of the scenes, Mohanlal boasts how he used to be a Casanova in  his youth. And the movie stops for the interval soon after the arrival of a young boy, who claims that he is Mohanlal’s son.  The interval is well timed and promises a good second half.  But, the main plot is complete nonsense, the truth behind the boy being the worst. (If you want to know, read the spoilers section in the end).  Mohanlal vehemently denies the fatherhood throughout the movie.  Sheela is shown as a doting mother in the first half, but her behaviour indicates that she does not believe Mohanlal.  Is not trust an essential aspect in love?  Whenever confront...