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Bhagya Devatha is more of a medieval morality play and less of a cinematic expedition that befits its times. Sathyan Anthikkad has put up an elongated allegory in which the protagonist comes across embodiments of an assortment of moral traits who try to persuade him to opt for a chaste life over one of vice.
By VN  2 Stars
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2.5 stars Bhagyadevatha fails to make the kind of impact you'd expect of a movie from Sathyan Anthicaud. - Thomas T    Thu, 23 Apr 2009
Sathyan Anthicaud is a director we have come to respect. His movies have inspired us and we still cherish his early films. But of late the much sought-after director has been losing out on cinematic values and excellence, the stuff that made the man and his movies stand out. He seems to have thrust upon himself the role of a preacher or a teacher, and while emphasizing unduly on didactic aspects, he has been sliding down the scale of cinematic brilliance.

Though Vinodayathra and Rasathanthram can be considered good movies if we don't compare them with his earlier work, there were scenes in them that could be called even repulsive, if you looked at them impartially. And coming to Innaththe Chinthavishayam, one wouldn't be surprised if you dozed off at certain points. Bhagyadevatha seems to be an extension of what went wrong with Innaththe Chinthavishayam.

Benny Chacko who lives in Kuttanad is a cable TV guy and has a family comprising of his widowed mother, two sisters Sophie and Sali, and his paternal grandmother. In the fight to make ends meet, Benny often finds himself on the losing side. He needs money to make things tick, for him and for his family. But money isn't easy to come by.

It's then that Sadanandan, a tourist guide and a friend of Benny, advises him to marry someone who would fetch him a substantial dowry. Sadanandan even helps him find a suitable girl, Daisy. A dowry of Rs. 5 Lakhs is agreed upon. On betrothal day however, the bride's father Anto reveals that a loan that he'd been waiting for is almost sanctioned and that he'd be able to give the money before the wedding day. Benny and Daisy get married, but the dowry fails to materialize.

Benny, who had planned things based on the money that would be coming, and who had even paid advance for a fishing boat, turns desperate. He goes off track and does unpardonable things. His wife, the typical 'Sati Savitri' kind of heroine, is destined to suffer everything in silence. The story develops from here.

The key players have put in positive performances. Jayaram as Benny and Kaniha as Daisy are perfectly suited for their respective roles. The others, especially Narein, Innocent, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Mamookoya etc, do full justice to their parts. Technical aspects like cinematography and editing are good. The background score is good too. The songs however lack the kind of appeal that songs in Sathyan Anthicaud movies usually have.

Bhagyadevatha is replete with scenes typical of Sathyan Anthicaud. There are sequences where the master's touch is evident. And there are the kinds of characters you've come to love in Sathyan Anthicaud movies. But on the whole the film fails to make the kind of impact you'd expect of a movie from the director. There are flaws with the screenplay that affect the film as a whole. There is nothing new about the story (penned by Rajesh Jayaraman). In fact there is nothing about the film that would require someone of the stature of Sathyan Anthicaud to create.

Bottom line: We'd want Sathyan Anthicaud to re-invent himself and make the kind of movies he'd been making earlier, movies that we'd like to watch over and over again, and even pass on as kind of a legacy to the next generation of film-viewers. Leave didactics aside. Get back to cinematic values and excellence. You've got it in you. We've seen it time and again. Get back to that, and you won't go wrong.


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