Poppins Malayalam Movie
The structure of the narrative of V K Prakash's 'Poppins' is one of an anthology, and the stories keep appearing at regular intervals, one after the other. Matrimony, or rather the state of being together is what is dwelled on in all the tales that are sewn together, as couple after couple attempts to disentangle themselves from the cobwebs of intricacies that togetherness has spun around them.
This is exactly the suggestion that the very last frame of the film throws at you; that it's this togetherness that is the real tragedy of life. Separation, or even death is a comic end, assures Hari (Shankar Ramakrishnan), as he winds up the narration of his story, much to the surprise of the film producers before him. Hari, had been struggling for a long while to make the film of his dreams, and his wife Gauri (Mythili) had stayed put with him through thick and thin.
Now, what makes the film as a whole fall flat on its face and scatter the Poppins all over, is the fact that of all the stories that are told, there is just one that retains the viewer's interest. And this tale turns out to be spectacular, thanks to an actor who raises it way above the routine realms that the story itself is set on.
It starts off with a journalist (Ann Augustine) knocking on the doors of an actor (Siddique), whom she had been relentlessly pursuing for an interview for months. Visibly drunk, he seems to be in a miserable mood and tries to brusquely brush her off. She manages to walk into his room nevertheless, armed with three questions and leaves the room with more than probably what she had bargained for.
Siddique is barely there in the film for less than ten minutes, and yet I could affirm that it's the best performance that we have seen from this astonishingly talented actor as yet. It almost feels as if the camera refuses to let go of his face, capturing every tiny bit of expression that so effortlessly flashes across it. And this is why, Siddique remains the only reason why I do not regret having watched 'Poppins'.
The other tales are far from interesting, and some of them at least appear way too sketchy. Like the tale of endearment that the two kids (Dhananjay and Nayantara) share or the story of the two senior citizens (P Balachandran and Sreelatha) who decide to spend the rest of their lives together.
It's a circle that goes round and round as far as Kanthan (Indrajith) and Kantha (Padmampriya) are concerned. The rain has been wreaking havoc on their lives as it storms down their unthatched house, and yet a mole on the wife's chin changes everything for good. They soon move out to get drenched in the rain, as life takes a new turn.
A newlywed couple is all apprehensive about each other's sweet buds, since the woman (Nithya Menen) has taken to believing that her man (Kunchako Boban) is a Paayasam aficionado. She serves him Paayasam for breakfast, lunch and dinner which drives him nuts and raisins; the kind you abundantly find in Paayasams. 'The Mirror' is the film that Hari finally manages to shoot, and it tells the tale of a Tamil couple (Jayasurya and Meghna Raj) whose lives take a toss, when they see themselves in the mirror for the first time.
I guess there is no reason why any of these stories should essentially remained linked to another, but it could have been a different film altogether, if individually these tales had succeeded in keeping you focused. But it all appears haphazard, and before long you wonder why these humdrum tales have been tied together in the first place.
I couldn't really understand why these no-sugar, no-salt , no-flavor candies have been stashed together as an assortment. And thus, Pop goes the Poppins!
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