Cute Lil' Film. Review on Mekha Malhar Movie

Malayalam cinemas….They are a breed apart and like a rainbow. At the one end of the spectrum, you have the moustache-twirling hero who performs super-natural stunts (can’t beat the other South Indian cousins in these genre, though) and lives in his own fantasy world where the “normal” people like you and me don’t exist. People are his sidekicks, villain/s, his goondas or the victims of his atrocities or the on-lookers of the heroic antics or any permutation of these. Then, there are a class of movies that come with an offbeat theme/plot to add more colors to the rainbow. Many award-winning films belong to this category. These too are far away, quite far away than they imagine, from the common wo/man. They remain in the ivory tower they build for themselves. Rarely comes a film, somewhere in between these two extremes, which seemingly opens up a chapter in a common person’s life and takes the story from there.

Megha Malhar is such a rare treat for the connoisseur of Malayalam cinema.

The Movie

The movie was originally produced as a tele-film to be telecast in Asianet, however, probably realizing a potential big grosser it was later released in theatres. This probably explains the fact that there are not too many characters in the film.

Cast, Credits

Character: Star

8------------------8-------------------8-----------------8

Nandita Menon: Samyukta Varma

Mukundan Menon, the husband: Siddique

Seemanthini Krishnan, the friend: Renjini

Father-in-law: Raghavan

8------------------8-------------------8------------------8

Adv. Rajeev: Biju Menon

Rekha, the wife: Poornima Mohan

Adv.Bhoominathan, the friend : Srinath

Ailing Brother : Sivaji

8------------------8-------------------8------------------8 Director: Kamal

Producer: M.V.Sreyas Kumar

Music Director: Ramesh Narayan

Lyrics: O N V Kurup

The Plot

Nandita is a budding writer who works with a leading newspaper and Rajeev an attorney. They lead their normal family life happily. The beginning of the movie is predictable, almost straight out of a teenage romantic flick (probably an after-taste of the director’s last movie). A mix-up in the cakes they ordered for their respective kids introduce the protagonists and their background. Then they meet again, and again. When Rajeev narrates an incident in his childhood bearing uncanny resemblance to Nandita’s short story, she realizes he is her childhood friend on whose shoulders she leant on in times of distress. (And no, they weren’t separated in a mela). A chemistry develops between them and Rajeev mistakes this to be love and expresses his feelings to her. She responds so predictably and tries to alienate him, ignoring him. But later she gifts her book “Megha Malhar” to him, revealing that she is his childhood friend. Rajeev agrees never to meet her afterwards and meet her for the last time. They travel together to Kanyakumari where they had spent their childhood together and they decide to part their ways and live as strangers. The justification given by Nandita is mature. If only, end of every relationship was so frankly stated. Depressing end, isn’t it ? Well, wait for the last scene, which is the masterpiece.

Comments

Director Kamal treats a sensitive subject in a mature manner, though constrained by the small canvas and the small-budget. Extra-marital affair as a theme for Malayalam cinema!!!! I was wondering whether it was a sales pitch to attract the average movie-goer to the theatres away from soft-porn in the times of crisis. I was sure the conservative Malayalam media would have cried foul if a dialogue was uttered out of line or if the director decided to focus the camera a lil’ differently. Admirable !!!!! Kamal has emphasized the undercurrents in the relationship of protagonists with great dexterity without giving a damn about the commercial compromises he could have made to make it a box-office success. But, there is no logical explanation as to why the relationship started – it is just put to nostalgia. The director adds a classy touch to end the movie without leaving the viewer in perpetual suspense (No, I won’t reveal the end).

The Samyukta-Biju pair turns up another sterling performance. Biju Menon adroitly tackles the cramped mallu-male ego, which can easily mistake some good vibes for love. Samyukta plays her part of a budding writer with aplomb and graces the movie with the mature touch. You have to watch their interaction in the hospital (where they meet second time) and you would believe that they really are strangers. Poornima Mohan and Siddique as their respective spouses lend credibility to their parts. Srinath shows flashes of his old brilliance as Biju Menon’s friend. (Did he purposefully mimic Balachandra Menon’s voice while criticizing feminist writers?). The way he handles the dialogues in this scene like measured punches coming from a seasoned boxer makes you wonder is it his second coming? (The allusions in the dialogues to a specific Malayalam writer – “lipstick grannies” – will make any viewer sit up and take notice).

Music by Ramesh Narayan is just average. The three songs dished out in the name of Hindustani/Ghazal are jarring. One of them rendered by Jithesh popular in the local ghazal circuits is the only one worth listening to. Others are just the average Malayalam songs. ONV is his usual fabulous self with the lyrics, though.

Verdict:

A ray of hope for the Malayalam cinema and another treat for the connoisseur.

© Nathan - October 2002