Chennai:
In this new age wave of remakes flitting in and out of theatres and with Onam round the corner, we'd like to take the time to handpick a select 5 regional movies that are worthy of a national, if not a global audience.
1.
Premam :
Image Courtesy: iflickz.comLong has it been since we had the chance to tread along in perfect synchronization with the thoughts, emotions, situations, follies; all encompassed by the three formative stages of our oblivious companion, George (Nivin Pauly); the protagonist who managed to show us an intricately worked yet mildly tainted mirror to our lives. Alphonse Putharen's
Premam traces the formative phases in George's life opening to a sepia tinged frame of a disheveled school boy who blithely believes that his classmate, Mary validates his existence to a bearded man with a rebellious streak in college who writhes in pain at the loss of his loved one to a grave faced George, successfully managing a cafe in his late twenties. Humour is never used as a filler here, rather it is organic to the extent of subtle jibes and mannerisms that are a part of our daily lives. George and his two friends share a rich camaraderie that's cemented through the various transitions in the film. When you watch
Premam, you tend to forget that those are roles essayed by actors. When George passes a simple statement weighed down by innocence, you cannot help but smile. When he sheds all his inhibitions and cries his heart out, you want to share the burden with him. When in the end, he finds his happiness, you crave to be a part of the celebration that ensues.
Premam is an amalgam of slices from all our lives. En route to being branded a cult movie, this film has many takers this year for a remake.(Also Read:
Malayalam Film Leak Probe in the Right Direction: Cops)
2)
Nee-Na:
Image Courtesy: iflickz.comDirector Lal Jose decided to take the unconventional route with his film,
Nee-na. It showcases an unrelenting alcohol addict, Neena (Deepthi Sathi) who falls in love with her boss Vinay (Vijay Babu). Her brazen advances are noticed by a very observant Vinay who dutifully conveys these mishaps to his wife, Nalini( Ann Augustine). Notwithstanding her addiction, her work at an advertising firm is beyond laudable. Vinay notices her potential and takes an extra effort to help her by taking her to the rehab much to his wife's dismal. This movie conveys a vortex of emotions. Neena is not your mainstream vamp with seething intentions of breaking a marital bond. Rather she's reeling under the effects of her addiction that prevents her from seeing in depth the damage her actions could cause. She's your modern day damsel in dungarees, caught in a web of cigarettes and alcohol while waxing creativity unconditionally. Nalini is a walking contradiction of Neena in terms of lifestyle but that doesn't make her throw a fit when her husband vouches to take Neena to rehab. She's every man's quintessential wife with a balance of traditions and modernity interplaying through her thoughts and decisions. She tactfully manages the friction created in her household with a calm demeanour and the wisest of words. Vinay, is the epitome of deep dormant feelings. His transition from the platonic reserved feelings to the fevered, slightly heightened attraction he experiences when he notices Veena's love for him waning, with the progression of her treatment makes one realise the complexity of the mind. Every character experiences a conflict within their minds, with Neena triumphing over the rest as the cured alcoholic who comes to realise her folly.
Nee-na might have seemed mismatched in parts given the cultural backing which is all the more a reason for it to be remade.
3)
Picket 43:
Image Courtesy:iflickz.comAt the picket at a line of control, an Indian soldier begins an unlikely friendship with a Pakistani soldier who has been posted at the other side of the fence. In a place defined by desolation except for the sudden bouts of firing, Hareendran Nair (Prithviraj) is already skeptical of his return, alive home. Having not a soul in sight, his dog Bacardi and his radio have to bear his wrath and emotional outbursts from time to time. With a mother and a betrothed at home, you come to realise the colossal sacrifice the man has decided to make for his country braving all odds. Musharaf's (Javed Jaffrey) presence initially results in a spray of bullets and an ammunition expo from Nair's end. What begins as a show of hostility between both the men hailing from belligerent countries leads to a mature camaraderie built over the common background, predicaments, concerns and worries of soldiers. The accruement of the relationship is laden with some smile inducing moments and clichéd flashbacks as well. At the end of the film you're filled with a sense of pride and admiration for the soldiers of our country. If not a very intricate insight into the life of a major, this film takes an alternate route by stressing on base elements like sacrifice, love, friendship, bravery and grit of two human beings which we tend to forget amidst all the finer technical aspects of war.
Picket 43 by Major Ravi is as good as a Hindi film already given its frequent usage of Hindi dialogue but being bound by the regional brand prevents it from being seen by all facets of the audience, for a film deserving a global audience.
4)
Oru Vadakkan Selfie :
Image Courtesy: iflickz.comAnother Nivin Pauly film that captivated the audience with its humour quotient and breeze-through script while skillfully interlacing the plot with a pressing social issue. Unlike other issue centric films, director G Prajith has decided to try a rather languid approach to the misuse of social media. By doing this, he has not bogged down the audience with the graveness of the issue, yet he has managed to convey the message crisply through a series of comical endeavours and mishaps that fragment from a simple act of taking a 'selfie'. Umesh (Nivin Pauly) is an engineering student who would have to forfeit his marriage and career in order to just acquire a degree. He spends his days in the verdant villages of Thalassery by goofing around with his childhood friends who are similarly placed. By chance, he meets his new neighbour Daisy (Manjima Mohan) who he supposedly falls in love with. Umesh, in a quest to break the shackles that bind him to his hometown, decides to leave in order to pursue his bleak future in filmmaking. Umesh, by some god given gift lands, is in the same coach as Daisy on a train to Chennai. Excited by the prospect of the journey with his muse, he tries to capture a selfie of himself with Daisy, who's oblivious to this. .The inception of this journey lights the already spun yarn in the first half. What ensues is sporadic track of events with sudden surprises popping every now and then, catching you by surprise.
Oru Vadakkan Selfie is already in talks for a remake owing to its huge success and uniquely tweaked script.
5)
Fireman:
Image Courtesy: iflickz.comAfter a lacklustre year, Mega star Mamooty is back with a decent package which was long overdue.
Fireman is a fast paced, racy thriller directed by Deepu Karunakaran which amplifies the unrequited services provided by the firemen of our country who place their lives at stake for the safety of the citizens. In the recent times, one has come across films devoted to various issues and causes but seldom that of firemen. The director has chosen the crux of his story wisely by not making it redundant. Vijaykumar (Mamooty) is the dedicated unit chief of a fire fighting squad. The film spans over the events of a day. The fire squad is called in urgently as an LPG tanker slips off at a crowded junction. The team lead by Mamooty, put themselves out there to stymie the casualties as much as they can. But, they soon realise that there's a lot more to what meets the eye with political vendetta at play. Mamooty has shouldered a role laced with many faces and has done justice to every one of them. The film steers clear of the sterile commercial recipe that usually underpins such stories. It can be lauded for its novelty as the story is something that has not been tried in the recent past.
Will 2015 see more of regional films' magic? Let's wait.
Happy Onam!