The Best Multistarrers in Malayalam

This month and the coming months will see the release of a slew of multistarrers in Malayalam - Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Sarathkumar, Kavya Madhavan & Kanihaa in Joshiy's Christian Brothers; Prithviraj, Arya, Prabhu Deva, Genelia, Amole Gupte, Vidya Balan & Tabu in Santosh Sivan's Urumi; Mohanlal, Dileep, Jayaram & Kavya Madhavan in Rafi-Mecartin's China Town; Prithviraj, Indrajith, Shwetha Menon, Parvathi & Rima Kallingal in Lijo Jose's City of God and many more in the pipeline. Malayalam Cinema has had much more multistarrers compared to any other industry in the country and most of our actors/stars are also very close friends and generally the industry is quite closely knit, with few exceptions of course. So here's looking at some of the best multistarrers we've had. I'm not touching upon movies before the 90s in the Sathyan-Naseer-Madhu era or the Jayan-Soman-Sukumaran era and not even the IV Sasi multistarrers. This is a list based on multistarrer films I've seen and enjoyed the most from 1990 onwards. :) 


Important - The ranking is not based on the quality of the movies. Its based more or less on how the dynamics between the stars have been utilized in the movie by the writers and directors. 

15. Thommanum Makkalum (2005)

Cast - Mammootty, Lal, Rajan P Dev, Salimkumar, Anand, Laya, Sindhu Menon

Director - Shafi

Writer - Benny P Nayarambalam

A cracker of a comedy from the super-successful Shafi - Benny P Nayarambalam team, this movie had the late Rajan P Dev playing a super-awesome father to the awesome Mammootty & Lal. A family of thiefs and the problems they get into formed the story of the movie. The chemistry between the three lead actors were crackling. Lal showed us a great new comic side of him and 'Smart Boys' became an epic dialogue. Mammootty was growing more and more comfortable in the comedy genre through such movies and he was a treat to watch. But the star of the show was Rajan P Dev who made Thomman immortal with his amazing act. Salimkumar provided comic relief, Anand was a good villain, Laya and Sindhu Menon played the female leads. The movie turned out to be a record breaking hit. 

14. Friends (1999)

Cast - Jayaram, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Meena. Divya Unni

Writer, Director - Siddique

Siddique's second independent directorial venture had Jayaram & Sreenivasan working with him for the first time and had his favourite Mukesh in a very important role as well. And when another favourite Innocent backed out, one of the best comic characters in Malayalam, Lasar Elayappan came to life through Jagathy Sreekumar. Jayaram played the flirt effortlessly, Mukesh played the sorted, level headed guy who'd die for his friends and Sreenivasan, the funny guy who keeps getting into trouble. Add them to Jagathy's band of painters, and we get some hilarious sequences inside a palace under renovation. Even though Friends is nowhere near Siddique's best works, it was still an enjoyable watch because of the dynamics between the three leads. 

13. Thenkasippattanam (2000)

Cast - Suresh Gopi, Lal, Dileep, Samyuktha Varma, Geethu Mohandas, Kavya Madhavan, Spadikam George, Salimkumar

Writers/Directors - Rafi & Mecartin

A blockbuster, Thenkashippattanam showed us for the first time, the comic side of Suresh Gopi and Lal in a full length film. (Even though Suresh Gopi had done the super-awesome Minnal Prathapan way back in Manu Uncle). But it was Dileep who was the star of the show. Thenkashippattanam made him a darling of the family audiences. His fantastic comic timing and lovable act floored each and every one who saw this movie. Salimkumar joined in and provided much more fun. Lal's friend-turned-villain act was great as well. And Suresh Gopi was rock solid. The ladies Samyuktha, Geethu and Kavya also played their parts very well. This movie sky-rocketed Rafi-Mecartin into the big league of directors. 

12. Harikrishnans (1998)

Cast - Mohanlal, Mammootty, Juhi Chawla, Kunchacko Boban, Innocent, Rajiv Menon, Nedumudi Venu, Cochin Haneefa, Venu Nagavalli

Writers - Fazil, Madhu Muttom

Director - Fazil

Dont go by the photo, Shah Rukh Khan was not in the movie. This was just a photoshoot done before an actual shoot of another climax for the movie where SRK comes for Juhi Chawla, but the shoot for that never happened. Harikrishnans saw Mohanlal and Mammootty, Malayalam Cinema's two pillars reuniting as main leads of a film after 8 long years, under the direction of long time friend Fazil. Mohanlal produced the movie which went on to become a rom-com where the 2 heroes were busy chasing the gorgeous Juhi Chawla instead of solving the case they were appearing for. The movie pitted the two superstars against each other in many comic scenes and the audience had some good laughs over them fighting with each other for the funny girl. A one film old Kunchacko Boban also had an important role to play in the movie. The movie starts with the murder of Guptan, played by ace cinematographer-director Rajiv Menon. The movie went on to become a big hit even though people werent fully satisfied seeing Mammootty and Mohanlal running behind a girl for an entire movie. And the movie ran into a whole lot of controversies for having two different climaxes as well. 

11. Chotta Mumbai (2007)

Cast - Mohanlal, Indrajith, Siddique, Manikkuttan, Bijukkuttan, Kalabhavan Mani, Bhavana, Saikumar, Rajan P Dev, Jagathy Sreekumar, Bheeman Raghu

Writer - Benny P Nayarambalam

Director - Anwar Rasheed

Set in Fort Kochi, this was one helluva roller coaster ride. Probably the most zany comedy to have come out in recent times, this film had superstar Mohanlal having loads of fun by giving space to each other member of the cast as much as himself. He played Thala so adorably. Then there was Bijukkuttan in his only good role as the sidekick Suseelan. Even Manikkuttan was quite okay in this film. Indrajith looked awesome and had a great role too. Saikumar effortlessly transformed into Mohanlal's father Michael Aashaan despite being much younger than him. Benny P Nayarambalam always reserves his best roles to Rajan P Dev and Paambu Chackochan was nothing short of epic. But it was Siddique as Mullan Chandrappan who stole the thunder from everyone else. Playing a comic role after so many years, Siddique just had some great fun playing this hilarious character and its hard not to love him in that role. Bhavana was cast perfectly as Parakkum Latha and Kalabhavan Mani's villain act would send a chill down your spine, one of his best acts ever. And to add to the fun, there was Jagathy Sreekumar playing Padakkam Basheer as well. Anwar Rasheed's kickass directorial skills made this into one of the most watched movies in recent times. 

10. Summer In Betlehem

Cast - Suresh Gopi, Jayaram, Manju Warrier, Kalabhavan Mani, Mayoori, Sangeetha, Janardhanan, Sukumari & Mohanlal

Writer - Ranjith

Director - Sibi Malayil

A beautiful rom-com, this one had Suresh Gopi, Jayaram and Manju Warrier playing lead roles with Mohanlal pitching in probably Malayalam Cinema's greatest guest appearance. A vacation at a farmhouse turns out to be much more than that with lots of comedy, romance and suspense unfolding through the plot. Jayaram and Kalabhavan Mani handled the humour department giving us some unforgettable comic sequences. Suresh Gopi played the silent lover with elan. Manju Warrier as the prankster with a sad secret was mindblowing. And then Mohanlal comes in those last ten minutes and just steals the show. He was just too good, for loss of better words!! Ranjith attempted a different genre and it worked fabulously along with Sibi Malayil's able direction. 

9. In Harihar Nagar (1990)

Cast - Mukesh, Jagadish, Siddique, Ashokan, Riza Bava, Geetha Vijayan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Philomina, Paravoor Bharathan, Saikumar & Suresh Gopi

Writers/Directors - Siddique & Lal

A gem. A classic. One of those Malayalis would never get tired watching. It has insance humour weaved into a supremely thrilling plot. Siddique and Lal used to be such good writers back then and this was indeed one of their best works. The first half doesnt even give time for the audience to breather making them laugh every single split second with the antics of these 4 idiots - Mahadevan, Govindan Kutty, Thomas Kutty and Appukkuttan, played effortlessly by Mukesh, Siddique, Ashokan and Jagadish respectively. Jagadish's Appukkuttan was the epitome of dumbness and hilarity. The others were no less either. There was another story going parallel with theirs, which introduced a great villain John Honai through Riza Bava. Suresh Gopi had a great extended cameo along with Saikumar. Geetha Vijayan was very impressive in her debut. Philomina & Paravoor Bharathan were hilarious and Kaviyoor Ponnamma was very good too. Lal made two sequels to this movie. While the first one managed to capture some spirit of the original, the second sequel was pure torture, ruining these characters terribly and making Appukkuttan a Tintumon like figure. 

8. Keralavarma Pazhassiraja (2009)

Cast - Mammootty, Sarathkumar, Manoj K Jayan, Suresh Krishna, Suman, Kanihaa, Padmapriya, Jagathy Sreekumar, Thilakan

Writer - MT Vasudevan Nair

Director - Hariharan

An epic in all proportions, Keralavarma Pazhassiraja had a huge cast as well. Mammootty played the rebel king who started a revolt against the British, Sarathkumar played his ferocious lieutenant making his debut in Malayalam, Manoj K Jayan, a fearless tribal warrior, Suresh Krishna, a trusted accomplice to the king and even Padmapriya who played a fiery tribal warrior lady. Kanihaa played the beautiful queen and Suman was the treacherous landlord plotting against Pazhassi and his men along with the British. While Mammootty's character was more subtle and underplayed till the climax, it was Sarathkumar who shined throughout the movie ending in a brilliant fight sequence and a brave death scene. Manoj K Jayan was equally good as well. Padmapriya's act in this movie won her a special mention from the National Award jury. Sarathkumar's role was initially offered to Suresh Gopi, and it was only when Suresh Gopi declined the role, Sarath came into the picture. The rest as they say, is history, quite literally. Its not often that you get to see a movie of such epic proportions in Malayalam, with such a huge cast, MT Vasudevan Nair writing the script and Hariharan directing the film. 

7. Kalapani (1996)

Cast - Mohanlal, Prabhu, Amrish Puri, Tabu, Annu Kapoor, Delhi Ganesh, Sreenivasan, Vineeth, Alex Draper, Cochin Haneefa, Tinnu Anand, Nedumudi Venu, Shankaradi

Writers - Priyadarshan, T Damodaran

Director - Priyadarshan

Perhaps the best period movie to be made in Malayalam, Priyadarshan's Kalapani had a huge cast as well. Mohanlal led the cast with his effortless portrayal of Dr. Govardhan who's falsely accused of terrorist activity and sent to the Kalapani jails. He changed his look drastically and portrayed his part with such passion, making it unforgettable. Prabhu played the fiery rebel Mukund Iyengar spectacularly making it one of his most memorable roles ever. Tabu was lovely as Govardhan's lover waiting endlessly for him back home. She was sublimely beautiful in her first outing in Malayalam. Amrish Puri played the terror Mirza Khan so well that you hate him completely. Alex Draper was also brilliant as the British jailer. Annu Kapoor had a great role as Veer Savarkar. Others in the cast like Sreenivasan, Cochin Haneefa, Delhi Ganesh, Vineeth, Tinnu Anand and Nedumudi Venu were brilliant as well. Mohanlal produced this epic movie in association with Shogun films. 

6. Classmates (2006)

Cast - Prithviraj, Indrajith, Jayasurya, Naren, Vijeesh, Balachandra Menon, Kavya Madhavan, Radhika, Shoba Mohan, Anoop Chandran, Jagathy Sreekumar

Writer - James Albert

Director - Lal Jose

Lal Jose's contemporary classic must be one of the best movies to have used an ensemble cast in the most effective way. Told in flashbacks, this movie took us back to college campuses of the early 90s. Prithviraj, in his career best role, played the youth socialist leader Sukumaran with the exact intensity it required. Indrajith turned over a new leaf playing a wonderfully charming comic character Pious, who was also the hero's best friend. Jayasurya in a comic-turned-scheming villain role was excellent too. Naren as the talented soft-spoken singer who remains as a sorrow in his friends' hearts was adorable. Vijeesh played Jayasurya's sidekick to perfection. Kavya Madhavan in one of her best roles, was remarkable. Radhika rose to fame with her portrayal of Penguin Razia, the mysterious character in the movie. Balachandra Menon's professor was the pillar around which most of the story revolved. Jagathy Sreekumar as the hostel warden was hilarious. Lal Jose turned James Albert's brilliant script into one of the best movies to have come out in Malayalam. 

5. Manichitrathaazhu (1993)

Cast - Shobana, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Vinaya Prasad, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, KPAC Lalitha, Sudheesh, Ganesh, Kuthiravattam Pappu & Thilakan

Writer - Madhu Muttom

Director - Fazil, 

with the help of Priyadarshan, Siddique-Lal & Sibi Malayil

The best Malayalam movie ever!! Period. This was a super-effective multistarrer as well. Mohanlal and Shobana were at their prime and Suresh Gopi was already on his way to becoming a superstar. The movie clearly belonged to Shobana, but Mohanlal also managed to make it as much into his movie as it was Shobana's, with his unforgettably portrayal of the slightly eccentric but brilliant psychiatrist Dr.Sunny. Shobana's Ganga/Nagavalli is perhaps the most iconic female character in modern day Malayalam Cinema. Suresh Gopi pitched in one of his career-best performances as Shobana's loving and affectionate husband. The rest of the cast were no less either - be it the patriarch Nedumudi Venu, the hilarious Innocent and KPAC Lalitha, the senior priest Thilakan, 'kindi' Sudheesh and the prime suspect Vinaya Prasad. It was magic unfolding on screen. :) :) 

4. Traffic (2011)

Cast - Sreenivasan, Anoop Menon, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Saikumar, Rahman, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Krishna, Lena, Sandhya, Roma, Remya Nambeeshan, Reena Basheer, Prem Prakash & Jose Prakash

Writers - Bobby & Sanjay

Director - Rajesh R Pillai

The movie Malayalis cant stop raving about this year, also had one of the best ensemble casts ever. With no actual stars in the picture, the movie had a bunch of talented actors transforming completely into characters they were playing. Saikumar emerged as the best playing father to Vineeth Sreenivasan who loses his life in an accident. Kunchacko Boban proved that he has matured into a fantastic actor in his role with shades of grey. Anoop Menon was wonderful as the Commissioner who plans and executes the entire operation. Sreenivasan showed us yet again why we all love him so much. Asif Ali showed us that if used well, he could very well be the future of Malayalam Cinema. Rahman got his career best role as a Superstar who has no time for his family. Among the ladies, Lena surprised everyone with a mindblowing performance as the mother of a dying child. The rest of the ladies did a good job too. Jose Prakash pitched in a cameo and it is his words that inspires the entire plot of the movie. 

3. Dhruvam (1993)

Cast - Mammootty, Jayaram, Suresh Gopi, Vikram, Prabhakar, Gauthami, Janardhanan, Vijayaraghavan, Shammi Thilakan, TG Ravi, Rudra

Writers - SN Swamy, Sajan Babu

Director - Joshiy

A kickass movie in all respects. This was perhaps the biggest multistarrer of it times and if we look at the star value of its actors now, it looks much bigger now. Mammootty played Narasimha Mannadiyaar. He looked so bloody good in this movie and he was awesomeness personified in that role. Jayaram played his brother who gets murdered by Haider Maraykkar, played by Prabhakar. Suresh Gopi played Joseph Nariman, a pasteur turned cop and a young Vikram played Bhadran, Mammootty's trusted left hand. Jayaram was wonderful in his short role. Suresh Gopi was brilliant as the devoted cop. Vikram steps into Jayaram's shoes after his death and gives a brotherly support to Mammootty. Perhaps his best role in his entire Malayalam career during his struggling days. Tamil actor Prabhakar played the menacing Haider Maraykkar brilliantly. The beautiful Gauthami played Mammootty's lovely wife. Only Joshiy could have made this bloody brilliant movie. 

2. Twenty 20 (2008)

Cast - Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Jayaram, Mukesh, Indrajith, Kalabhavan Mani, Siddique, Manoj K Jayan, Shammi Thilakan, Bhavana, Kavya Madhavan, Gopika, Madhu, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, Lalu Alex, Salimkumar and almost the entire industry. 

Writers - Udayakrishna & Sibi K Thomas

Director - Joshiy

The mother of all multistarrers, this was a joint production by actor Dileep and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. The biggest blockbuster in the history of Malayalam Cinema had each and every actor (well, almost) joining hands to create a solid commerical entertainer. The writers managed to pull off the tough task of giving each superstar the right space tapping the best in each one of them. Mohanlal pwned the movie with his super cool role as Deva Raja Prathapa Varma. Mammoottty looked dapper and played the advocate Ramesh Nambiar with elan. Suresh Gopi breathed fire into his supercop Antony Punnekkadan's role making it the most interesting character among the stars. Dileep played Mohanlal's younger brother Karthik in a short role but charmed the audiences with his humour and wit. Jayaram didnt get a very substantial role, but he did his comic scenes with Mohanlal and Dileep really well. The ladies had nothing to do except for Bhavana who got a duet in some foreign country with Dileep. Nayanthara came in an item number along  with the young bunch including Prithviraj, Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya. Indrajith, Manoj K Jayan, Shammi Thilakan and Siddique perfected their villain acts. The best parts of the movie where the scenes where the superstars were pitted against each other. The court scene where Mohanlal makes a fool out of Mammootty, the fight sequence between Mammootty and Mohanlal, the bitter cold war between Suresh Gopi & Mammootty and the comic scenes involving Dileep, Jayaram & Mohanlal. Again, none other than Joshiy could have directed this mammoth movie. 

1. Number 20 Madras Mail (1990)

Cast - Mohanlal, Mammootty, MG Soman, Jagadish, Manian Pillai Raju, Ashokan, Sumithra, Janardhanan, Sreeraman, Jayabharati, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar

Writer - Dennis Joseph

Director - Joshiy

It may not have a number of stars like Dhruvam or Twenty 20 did, but when it comes to sheer awesomeness, that too, using our two superstars, No. 20 Madras Mail ranks first. Again, directed by none other than the master of multistarrers, Joshiy, this movie had Mohanlal playing the legendary Tony Kurishinkal, a demi-God for all the alcoholics in the state and Mammootty playing himself. Now, isnt that awesome or what!! Mohanlal's acting in this movie as a cheap, but lovable drunkard was so extraordinary that even Mammootty sat there admiring his colleague. Mammootty got a rare opportunity to play himself in a full length thriller film. Not many superstars have had such an opportunity. And of course, he made full use of it as well. Manian Pillai Raju, Jagadish and Ashokan had very important roles and they were brilliant as well. Nobody can forget Hitchcock Kanjikkuzhi!! MG Soman was the perfect villain for this perfect thriller which spanned across a speeding express train, film studios in Chennai, the Kottayam town, a church in Kollam and again, back to the same express train. The chemistry between Mammootty and Mohanlal was brilliant and we could actually feel a brotherly bond between the two great actors in this film. A film one never gets tired watching, this is, according to me, the best multistarrer Malayalam Cinema ever produced. 

There might have been many others which I may have missed out on. But these movies came to my mind immediately when I thought of such a post. If you can remember more such movies after 1990, please suggest them so that I can expand the list. And in the meanwhile, lets wish all the best to the new multistarrer Christian Brothers, by the master of multistarrers Joshiy, releasing this weekend all over the country. 

Traffic is an absolute triumph for Malayalam Cinema!!

Movie - Traffic (Malayalam)

Director - Rajesh Pillai

Producer - Listin Stephen

Story, Screenplay, Dialogues - Bobby & Sanjay

Cast - Sreenivasan, Anoop Menon, Rahman, Kunchacko Boban, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Asif Ali, Sayikumar, Vijayakumar, Krishna, Lena, Sandhya, Roma, Remya Nambeeshan, Reena Basheer, Prem Prakash & Jose Prakash

Music - Mejo Joseph, Samson Kottoor

Cinematography - Shyju Khalid

Background Score - Mejo Joseph

Art Director - Saburam

Editor - Mahesh Narayanan

Release Date - 7th January 2011

Warning - This is going to be a fairly long post. So kindly bear with me. :) 

Well, I have no words. After a long time, I've had an overwhelming experience watching a Malayalam film and I'm proud of that. After being through endless criticisms, some people finally woke up and showed us what Malayalam Cinema is actually capable of. Traffic is a path-breaking cinematic experience with one of the most flawless screenplays ever written in Malayalam Cinema. Perhaps the first movie with an ensemble cast and no conventional hero/heroine, the script and direction are the heroes of this film. This movie took me through a complete emotional roller coaster. I experienced sorrow, tension, adrenalin rushes, anxiety and elation in those two hours I spent inside the hall watching this movie. I didnt even want the interval to happen, something which I've felt while watching only one other movie - Inception. 

Traffic follows a multiple narrative structure. It tells the tale of many people affected by a road accident at a traffic signal. Inspired by a true event, the entire narrative of Traffic is set in one day, 16th of September where fate plays a game in which the lives of many people become interconnected. A heart transplant surgery is to be performed and the live heart is to be transported from Kochi to Palakkad within a limited time of 2 hours. How this is done, essentially forms the core of this movie. It is a road movie, an action thriller and an emotional drama, all rolled into one. 

The screenplay by the brothers Bobby & Sanjay is flawless to say the least and it is certainly the backbone of this feature film. Traffic is just their third film after the very impressive and effective Ente Veedu Appontem and Notebook, and they've shown such maturity and innovation in their writing that many of our most experienced writers cant even imagine matching up to. There 2 young gentlemen are the future of the Malayalam film industry which was dying without good writers. Rajesh Pillai, who made a forgettable debut through Hridayathil Sookshikkan some years back, makes a thunderous impact with his second directorial venture. He has been able to do full justice to the excellent script by the writers and one can say without a tinge of doubt that no other director, however experienced he might be cannot do a better job than what Rajesh has done for this film. So Rajesh, Bobby & Sanjay, here's a bow from a film lover who feels proud seeing a masterpiece in his language after such a long time. 

Each and every member of the cast has his/her moment of glory in the film. The film does not have a hero or heroine and each character is as important as the other. Remya Nambeeshan who has evolved into a beautiful young lady makes a mark. Roma, acting after a brief gap, does quite well and does not overact. Sandhya also gives a decent performance. But among the ladies, it is Lena who plays the superstar Siddharth's wife who makes a solid impact. She shows that she has immense potential and no one had really bothered to tap into that until now. Her break-down over the phone in the second half leaves you stunned and disturbed at the same time. That scene alone can make all our top-line actresses put their head down in shame. The lady who played Vineeth's mother and the other new girls who made their debut through the film were also effective. 

Among the men, there is the veteran actor and uncle of the writers, Jose Prakash making a film appearance after a really long time and his role essentially becomes the starting point and the inspiration for the main plot of the movie. The writers' father Prem Prakash also has a good role of that of a surgeon who makes the proposition of this heart transplant. Vineeth Sreenivasan's Reyhaan stays with us till the end of the movie as a sorrow. Vineeth gives a fine, natural performance in the very little screen time that he's got. Asif, who plays his dedicated best friend, is excellent and matches up to the amazing talent around him in every scene, thereby showing great promise. Anoop Menon plays the Kochi City Commissioner who takes up this extremely risky operation under his responsibility and I must say, that it is his second best performance till date after his award winning act in Thirakkatha. He represents the audience and their tension and anxiety throughout the movie and when his mission succeeds, we feel as happy and proud as he feels. Watch out for his performance in the single shot in the interval scene and the one towards the end where he stands there with tears in his eyes after his mission turns into a success. Rahman plays the arrogant superstar with elan and reminds us of one of our favourite superstars at many instances. He is super-effective in the scenes towards the end of the movie. Sreenivasan as the cop who takes up the responsibility of the mission to get back his lost pride and honour, is as bankable as he always is. He is someone whom Malayalis blindly trust, and that is exactly why his casting as the key character in this movie works big time. I've said this before and I'm saying it again - Kunchacko Boban is not the chocolate boy we saw in Aniyathipravu and Niram anymore. He has matured into an absolutely wonderful actor who can play any role with consummate ease. He proved that in Elsamma and with his performance as a doctor guilty of his own conscience  in Traffic, he has just reinstated that fact. This actor must be given due recognition and much more such opportunities to showcase his talent. He is just too good. And the best among the lot is none other than Sayikumar, who plays Vineeth's father. Each scene he appeared, he managed to make my eyes moist as I could feel the exact pain that his character was going through. An absolute triumph by the veteran actor in such a short role. Vijayakumar and Krishna were also good in their respective supporting roles. 

A lot of movies claim to be edge of the seat thrillers with nail biting action, but there would be nothing like that when we watch those films. But Traffic, despite being heavily loaded with emotions, is an action packed thriller which you can watch only with bated breath. My eyes were glued to the screen and many a times, I couldnt handle the tension and I remember clutching on to the seat, literally sitting on its edge. Inception did that to me last, and I dont have a memory of a Malayalam film doing that to me, ever. Apart from Rajesh Pillai's deft direction, this is also a result of the excellent work by the technical crew of the film. The movie is so engrossing and engaging that it is difficult to pay attention to the technical aspects of the film in detail. Camerawork by Shyju Khalid is the best this movie could have asked for. He takes us in between the action with his shots and editor Mahesh Narayanan confirms that the audience feels right in the middle of the entire action of the plot. The movie is so tightly scripted and edited that even a minute lesser or extra would have done a lot of damage. After going through all these emotions, action, tension and anxiety and reaching a finale, Mejo Joseph plays the soul-stirring theme music of the film and we cant help but feel elated just like the characters feel at that point. The song right at the beginning of the film was also very good and gave a peek into the lives of all the characters. 

Traffic shows how a disaster can be turned into a noble deed when good people come together and work towards it putting all their heart into it. It starts with specific characters and by the end of it, the entire society becomes involved and concerned about the situation and tries to do whatever little they can towards making this mission a success. A rock solid screenplay with no loose ends, impeccable work by the director and his technical crew and awe-inspiring performances by the actors make this one of the best movies ever made in Malayalam Cinema. The screenplay of this movie should be studied academically by people who are interested in making innovative cinema. People who've been complaining of the deterioration of Malayalam Cinema can feel relieved now, our cinema is in safe hands with the likes of Bobby, Sanjay and Rajesh Pillai. Traffic is perhaps the only movie in the last 5 years to be unanimously liked by people across the state, after Udayanaanu Thaaram & Classmates, and I can proudly say that this movie is even better than those two also. So once again, Hats off to Rajesh Pillai, Bobby, Sanjay and the entire team of Traffic. You've done us proud and given us reason to believe that there's still a future for Malayalam Cinema. I'm proud to say that I know many people who were associated with this film. Thank you for this movie!! 

Rating - 4.75/5

Apoorvaragam

Movie - Apoorvaragam (Malayalam)

Director - Sibi Malayil

Producer - Siyad Koker

Cast - Nishan, Asif Ali, Nithya Menen, Santosh Jogi, Vinay, Shruti Menon, etc.

Music - Vidyasagar

Cinematography - Ajayan Vincent

Background Score - Bijibal

Art Director - Prasanth Madhav

Editor - Bijith Bala

Story, Screenplay, Dialogues - GS Anand, Najeem Koya

Release Date - 16th July 2010

Apoorvaragam is the classic case of an idea sounding great on paper, but turning into a disaster when translated on to the screen. Touted to be the comeback vehicle of veteran director Sibi Malayil, the film fails to engage you despite having an interesting plot. When a middle-aged person 'tries' to make a 'youth' film, it ends up being his/her perspective of the youth and their lives. So the young people act according to how he thinks they should act, not like how they would behave actually. The film, promoted excessively as the next defining, youth film, disappoints tremendously.

It tells the story of Roopesh (Nishan), Tomy (Asif) and Nancy (Nithya). Roopesh and Tomy are two lonely souls in the college, without any friends. They try to befriend Nancy and her gang, and Roopesh gradually reveals his love for Nancy and Nancy also falls for him (very conveniently). After a silly song and some romance, things start getting complicated, when Nancy's father gets calls giving information about his daughter from none other than Roopesh's best friend Tomy. Nancy and Roopesh register their marriage at a registrar office and knowing this, her dad gets royally disturbed. What happens after he meets Roopesh and Tomy forms the rest of the story. 

The film starts as a usual so-called 'campus' film with students who never go to class, who sing gibberish in the name of songs, and do break dance in groups in the college campus. (All these became outdated in the 90s itself). Then a slight romance is added and pretty soon, an element of suspense is brought. But the pre-interval scene, which is supposed to be a shocker, doesnt really come across as one. But still, even when the first half ends, you still feel that the movie has some potential. From then on, the movie keeps giving twists and more twists, until a point where it gets totally irritating. And the worst part is that one can already sense those twists, and there's no surprise when those twists come in the movie. The climax is the most terrible of them all, and is unintentionally funny. 

Nishan who impressed with his performance in Shyamaprasad's Rithu, gives a very confused performance here. He had to do the same things in the initial college portions of the movie, but when his character underoges a change, he becomes a complete failure. A person who does not know the language can hardly carry off the lead role of the film very easily, especially when his character goes through a lot of changes. Asif Ali performs much better than Nishan, but he also ends up overacting towards the climax. He has everything going for him - looks, acting, screen presence, but his voice is a big minus. (Just like Jayam Ravi in Tamil). He has to do something about it before getting into the big league. Nithya is the most beautiful leading lady we have seen on the Malayalam screen in a long long time. She has proved that she's a very good performer earlier itself. But in this one, she also overacts in the climax, after being restrained throughout the movie. Vinay, who also appeared in Rithu, gives a fantastically bad performance, where he had to be the strongest of them all. Even Sharath's good dubbing can't save him. The man who played Nancy's dad, made the movie worth watching with his extremely funny acting. The scenes where he cries are gems. I dont know why Shammi Thilakan agreed to dub for him. They could have actually cast Shammi Thilakan in that role instead of him. I'm sure he would have done a deadly job. The guy who played the comic sidekick Firoze in college, was the only good performer among the newbies. The late Santosh Jogi comes in an impressive cameo. 

The way the three leading men behave looks extremely pretentious and wannabe. They're supposed to be cool dudes who dont care about anything or anyone around them. But their trademark gestures and stuff look far from being cool. Their interactions look like they have some orientation problems. Extremely weak characterizations and situations kill the movie in the second half, after a watchable first half. 

Vidyasagar's music is bad!! Period. The composer who used to make out-of-the-world songs once upon a time disappoints completely here and reminds us of his and Sibi Malayil's glorious past each time Nancy's ringtone 'Ethrayo Janmamayi' is heard in the movie. The only good song in the movie is the promotional song 'Athira' done by Bijibal who has also done a great job with background score. But the straight rip-off from 'Fashion Ka Jalwa' during the fashion show scenes could have been avoided. Ajayan Vincent's camerawork is great and is one of the few positive aspects of the film. He gives some really interesting frames and angles in the movie, making it visually appealing. Prasanth Madhav's artwork also supports the visual appeal of the movie. 

On the whole, Apoorvaragam is a massive disappointment from the veteran who gave us gems ranging from Mutharamkunnu PO to Ishtam. Despite having an interesting plot, he failed to bring it out effectively on screen, thus making the movie a tedious watch. Hope he comes back with a bang the next time around, with a subject more suitable to his style of filmmaking. 

Rating - 2/5