Beautiful & Meaningful. Review on Kaiyoppu Movie

An outstanding film. That can be the one-line review about Ranjit’s latest movie “Kaiyopp”. It is about a writer, a poor publisher; the writer’s long lost lover and the impact of anti-national forces. Definitely one of the rare good movies made last year.

 Kaiyopp( The Signature)

Language: Malayalam

Written&Directed by Ranjit

Music: Vidya Sagar

Editing: Beena Paul

Cast: Mammootty, Mukesh, Khushboo, Jaffer Adimaly, Neena Kurup, Mamukkoya, Nilambur Aayisha, Nedumudi Venu, Jenni etc.

Plot

The sinking publisher Sivadasan(Mukesh) happens to meet Balachandran(Mammootty) an unknown intellectual in a function and develops a friendship.  Balachandran is living as a clerk of a fertilizer distributor. But really he is an M Phil. holder and an intellectual who lives only to read literature. He has some farm land in Calicut but he lives in an old lodge in Kochi. He has a subtle past like his unfinished novel. One day he gets a phone call from his old classmate Padma(Khushboo). Gradually we come to know that they had a closer relationship during the long lost college days. She often calls him and gifts a mobile phone. Actually she is divorced and living alone. Balachandran and  Padma gradually regain their dreams and are all set to start a new life. She and the publisher inspire Balachandran to finish his first novel which is about communal violences.

Mamukkoya and Nilambur Aayisha play an old couple whose grand daughter has a fatal disease and she requires a major operation worth a few lakhs of rupees. Balachandran is their only hope. He sells his farm land in Calicut and collects the sum. Now our protagonist has three goals in his life -to rescue the little girl, to publish his novel and to start a new life with Padma. So he returns to his home town from Kochi. But the worst happens.

Script and Direction

This is probably Ranjit’s best work so far. He has given immense care towards the slightest expression of the actors and the minute details of the premises. In the beginning, there are some long discussions about literature by Mukesh and Mammootty which are not so palatable for the normal viewers. Leaving it, the film is really a treat. Especially the way the old lovers regain their relationship is shown exceptionally well. The director has made the mobile phone a subtle but wonderful “character”!. The characterizations are brilliant. Balachandran often shakes his head slightly while talking. It is a very subtle, psychological thing and how powerfully it conveys the wounded past of the character!.The classic “Telephone-song” by Talat Mahmood from the Hindi film  “Sujata” is used in this movie without any BGM.(Jalte hain jiske liye, teri aankhon ke diye) . Gayatri’s mellifluous rendition is a treat.

Acting performances

Mammootty is the luckiest actor, one would say after watching this movie. Even though there are many better actors around, he bags every extraordinary role that happens once in a blue moon! His acting is superficial in the beginning shots but in the second half, when the situations change, his performance is convincing. Definitely his acting is far superior than his performance in the much hyped recent flick “Palunk”. The most memorable role in the film is that of Padma(Khushboo). This is her role of a life time. One can watch her career best performance in this. The highly talented actress should get an award for this role.But the surprise package is the character of the lodge manager played by new comer Jaffer Adimaly. His wonderful timing for subtle-humor brings the house down. But Mamukkoyaoutshines everyone in his small role of the poor grand father of the young painter.Mukesh, Neena Kurup, Nedumudi Venu, Nilambur Aayisha… all have done their roles well.

 So

Go and watch the brilliant movie …it will linger in your minds for a long time.