Aug 01, 2006 08:54 AM
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Pacha kuthira literally means "grasshopper" in Malayalam. A grasshopper was a sign of prosperity in rural Kerala; seeing one meant that you were likely to come to some money. The name of this movie derives from this legend, with the hero, played by Dilip, looking at the arrival of his new-found brother from Germany as a harbringer of good luck for himself.
Dilip plays a struggling junior artiste in the film industry, with multiple financial woes. His life changes for ever when a travel agent approaches him with the story that his mother, who had run away from his father and emigrated to Germany had died recently, leaving behind a younger brother, who wanted to know whether he would be welcome if he came over to visit his elder brother. Dilip sees a potential deluge of Euros, and eagerly agrees.
His hopes die when the brother, Akash Menon (Dilip in a double role) arrives, and is revealed to be mentally challenged. Akash however carries a bag close to himself at all times, and turns violent if anyone tries to take it away from him. The elder brother assumes that it contains money, and a large part of the film follows his antics as he tries to separate the bag from its owner. What finally happens when he gets hold of the bag and see its contents form the climax of the movie.
This is a very watchable film, with lots of comedy, some of the slapstick variety, in the first half. While the second half is replete with emotional scenes, one gets the feeling that the director did not quite know how to finish the movie. Towards the end, I was praying that the movie would get over soon, as the scenes became very laboured and a pain to watch! However, my son enjoyed the film and I would suggest that anyone who has kids should give it a go!
