Aam Admi or the
common man/woman is the flavour of the season in real life and reel life. The
ascent of AAP to power in Delhi and the challenge posed by a homemaker against
a meaningless blockade by the mighty Communists in Kerala are recent examples
of the power of the man/woman on the street. In reel life, the movie "Drishyam" portrays, with
great impact, how a common man and his family pull together when faced with a
crisis. Been there, seen that? I bet, not.
Drishyam is
the story of Georgekutty, a cable operator, farmer and film buff, and his
family. The well-knit middle class family with modest aspirations, goes about
its mundane life, until a crisis hits them like a bolt of lightning. The
setting of the story and the nature of the crisis is commonplace both in
reality and in films. However, what is unique is the way in which the family
rallies together to battle the might of the establishment to emerge wounded,
but not weakened. What is unique too is the craft of the story telling.
Dysfunctional and estranged families are easy fodder for storytelling. It is heartening to see a happy and loving family being the centerpiece of a gripping story, without appearing overly sweet and preachy. Another highlight of the movie is the distinction between knowledge and education. Georgekutty is barely 4th class pass, but has enough knowledge to take on the elite officers.
The impatient person that I am, I had felt that the story lacked pace in the first half. However, as the drama unfolds, the observant viewer can note that these routine conversations and events are "hyperlinks" to crucial events in the second half.
The real hero of the movie is the script, authored by Jeethu Joseph, who is also the director. Jeethu is hardly a few films old, but has crafted a masterpiece. If he can live up to this standard, then we can anticipate a bright future ahead for Malayalam Cinema. Mohanlal, who plays Georgekutty, delivers a superlative performance, justifying the sobriquet of “Complete Actor”. Playing the common man is his forte and as in many past movies, he has played it to the hilt. Apparently the role was initially offered to Mammootty, who had declined it. With due respect to Mammootty, I believe that for this particular role, Lalettan's performance would be a notch higher. Specially watch out for the scene in which he rushes in to form a shield in front of his daughter. Meena, playing Rani and the child actors have done admirably well. The surprise package is Shajon, enacting the character of a corrupt and vengeful policeman. He is known for comic roles, but has pulled off this villainous character fabulously. Asha Sharat, as the powerful IG and aggrieved mother was another revelation. Siddique as the IG's husband has done a great job too.
The experience of watching Drishyam can be summed up in one word - Intense. The spell cast by the movie on the viewers' minds lingers on long after they leave the movie halls. If Kahaani was the Hindi film that swept away the awards last year, Drishyam will do the same in 2014. Go, watch it.
Dysfunctional and estranged families are easy fodder for storytelling. It is heartening to see a happy and loving family being the centerpiece of a gripping story, without appearing overly sweet and preachy. Another highlight of the movie is the distinction between knowledge and education. Georgekutty is barely 4th class pass, but has enough knowledge to take on the elite officers.
The impatient person that I am, I had felt that the story lacked pace in the first half. However, as the drama unfolds, the observant viewer can note that these routine conversations and events are "hyperlinks" to crucial events in the second half.
The real hero of the movie is the script, authored by Jeethu Joseph, who is also the director. Jeethu is hardly a few films old, but has crafted a masterpiece. If he can live up to this standard, then we can anticipate a bright future ahead for Malayalam Cinema. Mohanlal, who plays Georgekutty, delivers a superlative performance, justifying the sobriquet of “Complete Actor”. Playing the common man is his forte and as in many past movies, he has played it to the hilt. Apparently the role was initially offered to Mammootty, who had declined it. With due respect to Mammootty, I believe that for this particular role, Lalettan's performance would be a notch higher. Specially watch out for the scene in which he rushes in to form a shield in front of his daughter. Meena, playing Rani and the child actors have done admirably well. The surprise package is Shajon, enacting the character of a corrupt and vengeful policeman. He is known for comic roles, but has pulled off this villainous character fabulously. Asha Sharat, as the powerful IG and aggrieved mother was another revelation. Siddique as the IG's husband has done a great job too.
The experience of watching Drishyam can be summed up in one word - Intense. The spell cast by the movie on the viewers' minds lingers on long after they leave the movie halls. If Kahaani was the Hindi film that swept away the awards last year, Drishyam will do the same in 2014. Go, watch it.
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