Puthiya Mugham

Cast: Prithviraj, Priyamani, Meera Nandan, Bala, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Jagadeesh, Saikumar, Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Shammi Thilakan, Sudheesh, Guinness Pakru, Vishnupriyan, Kalasala Babu, Manianpillai Raju, Manraj, Sona Nair, Shobha Moh
Language: Malayalam
Banner: Bathestha Productions
Director: Diphan
Producer: Anil Mathew, S. Murugan
Camera: Bharani K. Dharan
Story: M. Sindhuraj
Screenplay: M. Sindhuraj
Dialogue: M. Sindhuraj
Lyrics: Kaithapram
Music: Deepak Dev
Distribution: Time Ads Release
Year: 2009

'Puthiya Mukham' presents the changing face of Malayalam Cinema. Whether the change that this Diphan-directed film suggests is for good or for bad, only time will tell. On the whole 'Puthiya Mukham' is a tautly knit action movie.

Krishnakumar alias Kichan (Prithviraj), the son of pious Brahmin parents (Nedumudi Venu and Shobha Mohan), is a young guy with the best of tastes and habits. A lover of music, he is a master of percussion instruments, especially the 'mridangam'. His love interest is Sreedevi (Meera Nandan), who is the daughter of his father's close friend (played by Kalasala Babu). Their relationship has the blessings and approval of their elders and friends.

Kichan moves on to Kochi, to study in an engineering college. On the first day itself he wins over the hearts of his classmates with his talk and his playing percussion with the desk. And then, on Freshers' Talent Search Day, he dazzles everyone with an extraordinary performance using all kinds of percussion instruments. The one who is most impressed with him and his performance is Anjana (Priyamani), who is his classmate.

Sudhi (Bala), who is very close to Anjana's family and who is a senior student in the college, wishes to marry her. Sudhi and his brothers Mahi (Saikumar) and Giri (Shammi Thilakan) are goons who have been unleashing a reign of terror in the city. Sudhi misunderstands Anjana's admiration for Kichan as love and thrashes poor Kichan severely and heartlessly, leaving him a wreck. From here the story takes a twist and then on it's action all the way.

Prithviraj does a thorough job of his character and brings to life the two stages in the character of Kichan. Bala renders full support as Sudhi, while Priyamani is good as Anjana. 'Mulla' fame Meera Nandan as Sreedevi is good. The others in the cast too suit their respective roles and act well.

The film is an all-out action movie. The makers seem to have been obsessed with the idea of action, resulting in an overdose of it, with much of it being mindless. The action sequences elicit much clapping and occasional booing from front benchers. But on a serious note it has to be said that the film could have been made much better.

However, coming from a director who had earlier given us an intolerable movie called 'Leader', and a script-writer who has mostly penned below average stuff, this seems to be a well-made and well-written movie. Director Diphan and scenarist M. Sindhuraj seem to be well in control of things. The cinematography and editing too are in tune with the over-all mood of the film. While two of the songs in the film are good, two others - the campus song and the one shot abroad - are not up to the mark and could have been avoided.

Though 'Puthiya Mukham' has a number of defects, it is high voltage stuff and may appeal to the young generation. The action sequences are much better than what is usually seen in Malayalam films. The director and his crew have done a good job as far as this aspect is concerned. Diphan seems to be toeing the lines of his guru Shaji Kailas and could even emerge a hit-maker.

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