Malayali

Cast: Kalabhavan Mani, Niya, Murali, Madhu Warrier, Irshad, Sreehari, Saadique, K.R. Vijaya
Language: Malayalam
Director: C.S Sudhesh
Camera: P. Sukumar
Music: Mohan Sithara
Year: 2009

We usually tend to see a Kalabhavan Mani-starrer with preconceived notions. We know what to expect in a film with him in the lead, and usually we are right. Loud mouthed dialogues, fights, sentiments acted out in true Kalabhavan Mani style, a song rendered by Mani himself - these are the ingredients that we have come to expect from a typical Kalabhavan Mani movie. Some of those movies were OK, while others have been insufferable. Most of them however, follow a particular pattern.

If it is with these preconceived notions that you go to watch Mani's latest release, 'Malayali', you won't be wrong altogether. But there are differences in this film. Mani's character is not as loud as it usually is. There are fewer fights this time around. But the other ingredients, including the Kalabhavan Mani song, are there. Mani is a talented actor, who has delivered notable performances in quite a few films. But directors have been casting him in stereotyped roles, which hasn't done him much good.

'Malayali' is about a guy named Madhavan (Kalabhavan Mani) who is loved by everyone in his village. Madhavan is an old fashioned guy who loves Malayalam and the Malayalee culture, unlike his brothers Satheeshan (Irshad) and Rameshan (Madhu Warrier), who are very materialistic and selfish to boot. They (and their respective wives) don't like Madhavan playing 'big brother' and taking all the decisions. Madhavan's brothers-in-law (Sreehari and Saadique) too are against him.

Satheeshan, Rameshan and the brothers-in-law team up with plans of building a heritage resort on their land, which in fact is ancestral property being looked after by Madhavan. As can be expected, Madhavan resolutely opposes the move, but later when his mother (K.R. Vijaya) too asks him to yield to the requests of others, he decides to leave the place, letting others take the decisions.

Madhavan goes to Palani, to pray at the temple there. There he meets retired station master Viswanathan Menon (Murali), an acquaintance of his. Menon is there to get back the money that one Gounder owes him. But things take a twist as Menon is found dead in his lodge room. Madhavan is arrested on suspicion, but released after it's proved that the death was due to heart failure. Madhavan anyway decides to go to Viswanathan Menon's place. The plot develops from there.

Kalabhavan Mani is his usual self as Madhavan, delivering his dialogues with aplomb and more or less doing justice to the role. The others in the cast are also fine. Niya, who plays the role of Viswanathan Menon's daughter Meera, is OK. There's nothing much to be said about the technical aspects or the songs.

'Malayali' is a film that endeavours to convey certain messages and hence tends to be rather didactic, which however won't cut much ice with the average viewer. The film is made in a rather old-fashioned way and is not likely to appeal to today's viewers. To sum up, 'Malayali' is just an average Kalabhavan Mani film, and you won't miss much if you give it the slip.

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