Cast : Fahad Fazil,Kamalini Mukherjee,Rima Kallingal
Director: V K Prakash
Producers: Aji Medayil, Joe Kaithamattam & Christi Kaithamattam
Written By: Shankar Ramakrishnan
DOP: Arun James
Editor: Mahesh Narayanan
Art Director: Ajay Mangad
Music: Abhijith
Lyrics: Anu Elizabeth Jose
Production Controller: Vinod Kalady
Stills: Vishnu Thandassery
Banner: Angel Works Release Through Good Company & Sagar Arts
Well, this movie has created a lot of buzz around here. Counted as an experimental movie, “Natholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla” enchants at many parts. Don’t know whether it could be called as a new generation movie or not.
Prem (Fahad Fazil) lives in a village and dreams to make something big in the field of writing. He has hit at the right block when the context was created by the Captain G Krishna (Sathar) who gave a job on the flat he lives in the city. Getting in to the role of caretaker of the flat apartments, he befriended with Vasu, the watchman (Mukundan). Receiving a double name “Natholi” during those days, his life was further deviated by the intervention of Prabha (Kamalini Mukharjee). He develops a story making the people around him as characters. He sketched a character called Narendran and transforms in to him. At some point, Preman aka Natholi doubts that whether he has lost his control over him. And this is where the movie starts to heat up.
What the movie has dedicated to us is a strikingly homely name that definitely has a link with the original story line. The sufferings of an underdog, which eventually force him to endeavor the situation has been one of the most popular themes of movies in the Indian context. First of all, we all want listen to the scripts of Shankar Ramakrishnan. One starts to think of the story of some unknown characters and following them in real life. He even lost his own personality to the character of his fancy. The kind of story could have deviated into a more unrealistic manner at any point of time. Shankar Ramakrishnan has lucidly narrated the story of Preman and his fancy world. His script never tended to be too serious and provided timely comics though at times was a bit of itching. Then too this one really deserves an applause right from the heart.
Next, obviously the director’s work of moulding the story comes to mind. VKP has done a reasonably nice job. “NOCM” has the kind of taste that we like to and was served without much frail by director VKP. This one would definitely stand with or above his “Beautiful”. But, the care given to the details of narration became verily a humdrum journey at some points. This has costed a lot of situations where the interest goes below the billow.
Then too, the raw of talent that the movie poses bestowed the flavor right in front of you. Movie poses not too many characters. Fahad looked convincing enough to portray those two entirely different characters with euphoria. He was there in front of you virtually in almost every frame. He and serial actor Mukundan shared a nice rapport on the screen. Slowly, you can find that the innocent smile of Preman is infringing the dashing Narendran. Kamalinee Mukharjee with her limited Malayalam dialogues steps along with Preman. Her cross – examination with Preman was a decent attempt of performance. The dubbing could have been a little better.
The fact is that, each one from Sathar to Chinnu Kuruvila, Krishna Prabha and even Rima Kallingal whose screen space was a limited to some minutes indeed looked sleeking. There were moments when we think that the servant character of Krishna Prabha got a touch of “Kanyaka” of previous VKP movies. But, as written by Preman in the movie, Shankar Ramakrishnan’s script never allowed the character going into any kind of vulgarity. But, at the same time, Aishwarya was given a slightly vamp kind of role.
But, the script really broke the rule as it proceeded to the climax. Some intervention of unnecessary philosophizing dialogues was unable to match the rhythm of its preceding frames. Like what M.T did at “Vadakkan Veeragatha”, he tried to give a new dimension to the characters of “Manjil virinja pookkal”. All the three lead characters, Preman, Prabha, and Narendran in a way or other related to the movie. Other technical departments like editing by Mahesh Narayanan Arun James’ Cinematography were satisfying. The songs by Abhijit Shylanath was average.
The story of of a man who clapped for “Manjil Virinja Pookkal” from the womb dared to go through those characters when he grown up is what “NOCM” is. At last, we question who the real blackguard here Prem or Narendran?
Verdict : AVOID