Godha Malayalam Movie
Basil Joseph's sophomore effort, Godha, is the celebration of a lesser known sub-genre in Malayalam cinema- sports comedy/drama. Its heart is at the right place and the light-hearted social commentary only furthers its downplayed genius.
Immediate comparisons with such contemporary blockbusters based on wrestling as Sultan and Dangal are inevitable for Godha. Those films had the extra cushion of being released around the 2016 Summer Olympics fever. Whereas Godha comes at a time when this seasonal hype is in hibernation. So, the context of a woman wrestler fighting all odds to reach great heights seems rather repetitive, especially after Dangal popularized said idea to a whole new level some months ago. So, what Godha does is make sure it does not succumb to naivety and cliches in its passionate idealism.
Godha's formula is atypical of classical Malayalam entertainers. The village backdrop, happy-go-lucky hero, goofy sidekicks and uptight family members are all tropes Malayalis know like the back of their hands. Such a familiarity indicates the film's realistic yardstick; to be a movie about simple messages and emotions. Tovino Thomas' Das says at one point, "Beef is not just a dish, it is an emotion." This very much illustrates the film's love for all things Malayali, particularly to counter the outsider perspective brought in by the female lead from Punjab, Aditi Singh(Wamiqa Gabbi). Such an abundance of crowd-pleasing moments are what keep Godha amusing for extended periods.
Tovino has his moments as the protagonist in this sports comedy, but they rarely arrive inside the Akhada(wrestling ring). Its his character's initial incompetency and inconsistent, if not untrustworthy, heroism that separate him from other characters of the same league. But credit where credit is due, the real stars of Godha are Wamiqa and Renji Panicker as two fierce wrestlers who give their everything for the sport. The former makes her casting count with a bold, physical performance that critiques the role of women in all walks of life and wants to make a difference with this opportunity, on and off screen. Panicker is only getting better and better with each serious role he jumps into. This time, his physical preparation has to be specially lauded for enhancing the majestic demeanour of his character.
One drawback of Godha is its lack of diplomacy. It clearly hurts the sentiments of cricket lovers by imposing its support for wrestling over the team sport. It gets dirty when a group of young people is completely brainwashed by the older folks into forgetting their modest dreams as gully cricketers. In the end, wrestling prevails and on a broader sense, the older generation. This rubbishes not only cricket as a sport but also the interests and views of the youth. Such.a conditioning was totally uncalled for in an otherwise sweet little film about dreams, ambition and determination.
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Kiran Allan