Without doubt, 2011 has been one of the best years of Malayalam film industry in recent times both in terms of quality & hits. Starting with "Traffic", there has been a varied array of films enticing the audience to the theatres. With Priyan making a comeback to Malayalam after a hiatus, there has been a huge hype surrounding his latest venture with his friend & favourite star Lalettan in "Oru Marubhoomi Kadha". So can they recreate their magic & cap off a successful year for the industry & Lalettan???
Whenever Priyan is at the helm of things the audience can be assured of a couple of things namely it would be inspired from some film, lots of helter skeltering, mistaken identity etc. As expected, this venture also treads along this very path. Madhavan Nair (Lalettan), is the Chief Accountant of an Arab Company who has made it to the top through hard work & dedication. In due time, he meets up with his better half Meenakshi (Lakshmi Rai) & gets engaged, only to realise that she has been double crossing him with his boss. Heart broken he makes a bid to end his life, but destiny had other plans for him as he ends up with his jobless friend, Abdu (Mukesh) & a kidnapped girl, Aleena (Bhavana). So how is he going to get out of this mess???
After having enthralled Bollywood, Priyan is back on his home turf to replicate yet another memorable hit with Lalettan as they had done innumerable times in the past. Shot almost exclusively in the Gulf, "Oru Marubhoomi Kadha" showcases Priyan's time & tested formula. The plot is inspired from "Nothing to Lose", starring Tim Robbins & Martin Lawrence with the first 15 mins being a rip off from "Serendipity". The first half doesnt pack a punch until Mukesh makes his entry after which it becomes a laugh riot. However, the second half fails to maintain the tempo as the laughs were far & few culminating in a decent climax. The biggest drawback is undoubtedly the length as it runs close to 3 hours which takes a toll on the audience at times. If it was crispier by 20 mins, it would have done wonders!!!
Lalettan's caliber as an actor has been proved beyond doubt & he has definitely rendered an impressive performance. But the star of the movie is undoubtedly, Mukesh who still lights the screen with his witty one liners & "tharikida". Bhavana was equal to the task with the veterans with her flair & haughty attitude. As for the rest of the cast, they do their jigs aptly. Surprisingly, the camera work by Azhagappan left a lot to be desired especially in the wide angle shots. M.G Sreekumar's music were hummable but the title track & BGM were a blatant rip off from an Arabic song & "The Good, Bad, Ugly" respectively.
Verdict: The hype & track record of the duo will ensure a thunderous opening for the movie. Though the promos reminded one of "Kakkakuyil" & "Chandralekha" and the length being a deterrent for many, it should be able to hold its own. In short, I believe it's gonna be a hit & definitely worth a one time watch!!!
Rating: 3/5
Regards...Ben
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