Vellathooval

Cast: Rejith Menon, Nithya, Seetha, Vijayaraghavan, Lalu Aalex, Seema, Jagathy Sreekumar, Swetha Menon, Ganeesh, Ambika Mohan, Ganesh, Kalabhavan Shajon
Language: Malayalam
Banner: Anugraha Arts
Director: I V Sasi
Producer: Raju C.M
Camera: Anandakuttan
Story: John Paul
Screenplay: John Paul
Dialogue: John Paul
Lyrics: Gireesh Puthenchery
Music: Johnson
Distribution: Mulakupadom Release
Year: 2009

Director I V Sasi has handled some heavy-duty themes in the past and in his latest outing, Vellathooval, he narrates a simple story. But the problem about it also happens to be the same; the storyline is so simple that it ends up being a silly one.

It is all about a callow gal named Jiya (Nithya), who is often overtly bubbly and painstakingly childish in her thoughts, talks and mannerisms. Well, as it is usually seen with girls from wealthy households in our films, she has everyone around her little finger but still the girl is yearning for true love! The main reason for her agonies, she believes is her strict mother, played by Seema.

Meanwhile Manu (Rejith Menon), her classmate who lives in the house next door, has a troubled life. His stepfather, who is always drunk, makes life hell for him and his hapless mother (Seetha). He decides to leave home for a better life, in an old motorcycle, which brings memories of his dead father. Jiya joins Manu as they go on a journey on the motorcycle, without a clear destination in mind. Now, there is this white feather or Vellathooval that follows the girl all along.

Things get serious when Jiya's parents learn that their darling girl has eloped with Manu. The kids are having a nice time riding across a picturesque land, where they sing songs in rain, come across occasional troubles and drink toddy to quench their thirst. The cops, who are often shown as mere jokers in uniforms, fail to nab them.

Unlike his yesteryear film, Ina, there is no romance between the lead actors. It could well be a change in premise, but there are no real surprises in the story and moves on predictable lines to the level that the viewer will crave for more, as things develop in a boring way. The lead pair fails to connect with the viewers generally and the result is that they never really succeed in taking the audience along in the process.

In all fairness, the fact that there is a storyline with some messages in the film. As you come out of the theatres, the immediate feeling will be that things could have been really different with better visuals, haunting music, and a tighter script. On simpler terms, Vellathooval would have been an okay movie, if it had come at least two decades ago!

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