Chandrolsavam

Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Khushboo, Jagadheesh, Cochin Hanefa, Ranjith
Language: Malayalam
Banner: Damor Films
Director: Ranjith
Producer: Santhosh Damodharan
Camera: Azhagappan
Story: Ranjith
Screenplay: Ranjith
Dialogue: Ranjith
Lyrics: Gireesh Puthenchery
Music: Vidyasagar
Distribution: Damor Films Release
Year: 2005

Chandrolsavam is the zillionth cyclostyled copy of writer-director Ranjith’s earlier Mohanlal films like Devasuram, Aaram Thampuram, Narasimham, Ravana Prabhu among others. The milieu is the same old Varikaseri Mana with people speaking typical Valluvanadan style Malayalam and the typical characters seen in so many films.

We have Mohanlal playing Srihari, a larger-than-life hero who mouths punch dialogues in his inimitable style, has a way with women, enjoys and sings classical music, can speak Sanskrit slokas, has a battalion of friends, is an expert fighter and drinks everything from nadan kallu (toddy) to scotch whisky!!

Ranjit’s characters in Chandrolsavam has a predictable behavior like the police officers (Spadikam George, Raju), Sai Kumar and Oduvil Unnikrishnan's character. But the fans of the superstar still lap it up as the director has created a cast iron image for Mohanlal for the last 10 years which has worked at the box-office.

Chirakkal Srihari is a superman and an intellect who goes overboard at times. Ranjith’s failings in Chandrolsavam is that he has tried to create a mass masala with an arty touch that fails to impress.

As usual he seems to be inspired by Hindu mythologies like Mahabharatha and Ramayana. All wars are fought over women and the story of Chandrolsavam moves in that path. Indulekha (Meena) is the object of desire for three close friend’s right from school days. All three are crazy about her and want to win her over. But Indu loves Sri Hari and the other two Balachandran and Ramanunni (Renjith) hatch different plans to sabotage it. Balachandran manages to marry her but is killed (does not die) on the wedding day by Ramanunni who puts the blame on Sri Hari and sends him to jail.

Balachandran becomes paralysed for life and Indu believes that Sri Hari is behind it. She hates him and our hero goes off to Paris! He comes back after six years to settle scores with the person who is behind his miseries in life not before we understand that he is suffering from cancer! Kushboo plays a cameo role as doctor Durga who comes to the Tharavad to take him for treatment to Delhi (a la Kal Ho Naa Ho).

Meena sans any make-up has a meaty role as Indu and she has given an excellent performance. Tamil actor Renjit as Ramaunni is impressive and stands up to Mohanlal’s performance. The melodious songs of Vidyasagar are hummable and Dakshinamoorthy makes a special appearance as Sri Hari’s ‘guru’. Azhagappan’s camera has etched the lush green locales of Shornur and Ottapalam aesthetically.

And for Mohanlal fans his punchline is “Best Kanna Best”. Watch it just for Mohanlal, he is terrific.

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