Kerala Cafe - Movie Review

It was with a lot of speculation that we started off to this movie. We were 8 of us. Perhaps the highest headcount for an MUA in the recent recession-hit times.

For one thing, the movie is hyped a lot. With Renjith (the movie "organizer") himself appearing in the promo videos. The promos were good.. Nicely done trailor. The song that accompanies has got a different feel to it.

As we have seen and heard umpteen number of times, this is not a movie - it is 10 stories, done by 10 directors. If you peep into the poster, you realize that you havent heard 60% of those names tagged as a director of a malayalam (or for that matter, any language) movie.

But then the 2.5 hours spent inside the screen was involving. Not that it was the greatest of the times spent in a confined space, but it was worth nevertheless. It isnt one of those Salaam-E-Ishq kinda movie. Not all the stories are interlinked. But they have a connection with the Kerala Cafe remotely or otherwise. Except for the big names (Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Sreenivasan, Dileep, Prithviraj, Siddiq) most of the other actors are seen sipping a coffee at the cafe.

Each story had a nice name - I can recollect some of them - Happy Journey, Off Season, Nostalgia, Lalitham Hiranmayam, Makal, Mrithyunjayam, Puramkaazhchakal (somebody pls complete the list!). The stories evolved nicely. Happy Journey brought smiles to many in the theatre - thanks to Jagathi. The girl, Nithya Menon did a good act too (Did we see her somewhere else ? In an ad ?)

Off season was an attempted humor. But it is a big flop. Rest of the stories were very nice. It is highly appreciated that an emotion or story be evolved and conveyed in a 10-15 odd min clip. Puramkaazhchakal was the promising one of the lot. It started off as a trivial oh-not-again type of old memories of an unfruitful love, but ended up giving everyone a heavy heart. This one is from Lal Jose.

Agonies of a Gulf NRI, recession-affected IT head, helplessness of a poor mother, negligence to the old, life-after-train-tragedy - all the themes were good.

In the end, when the last story was over, the crowd was still glued to the seats. They wanted to know whose creation was what. This, I think, announces the success of the venture.

Good job, Renjith. Good job, all the directors. But I sincerely hope, this doesnt become a trend. Or.....will it be good, if it becomes a trend ?!!! Who knows !

Tail:

1. At 100 bucks a ticket, it turns out to be one of the most cost-effective outings of recent times :P

2. CAT is a flop. RAT rules. Buhahaha :D

3. Interval break snacks were chocolates from Thailand. Thanks Sand Soo !

4. A word to the reviewer in contemporary news magazine "Kalakaumudi". You have no right to call the talent of Sreenivasan "mentally challenged". Get your act together, before you write a review. Reviews need to be constructively criticising.