Velipadinte Pusthakam Malayalam Movie
Finally, the long wait is over for director Lal Jose to associate with Mohanlal. For a director, who began his career in a Mammootty film, "Velipadinte Pusthakam" is something that raises immense expectations. From a moviegoer's point of view, this film is expected to eclipse the director's other works in his filmography. Sadly, this film proves to be a letdown on all aspects. The premise begins to pall on you when the colorful cover of this book is unwrapped and you will find inside the baffling formula.
When you rifle through the pages of "Velipadinte Pusthakam," it's easy to identify the chapters that you have gone through on various occasions. The template for a Mohanlal movie is safe in the hands of writer Benny. P. Nayarambalam, except a solid tale. A befitting welcome is given to the character Michael Idikkula, the Vice-Principal, on the campus, and I wonder Lal Jose is following a custom while introducing an actor like Mohanlal in that fashion. In a jiffy, the director tries to establish a rapport between Mary and Idikkula. Like most of the college teachers in the film, Reshma Rajan's character behaves in a puerile manner.
The necessity of building a hostel in the college, which is located near a coastal area, prompts the teachers and students to make a film based on the true story of a deceased goonda, Viswanathan (Anoop Menon). Idikkula leads them from the front for raising fund through the film. The theme of the flick has tad similarities with the 2004 film "Kanninum Kannadikkum."
Mohanlal, in a tailor-made role, takes a stroll back to his former characters to portray Idikkula. Either Benny or Lal Jose can't prepare even a single scene to exploit his class. Idikkula may not satisfy your expectations as the character lacks the usual vigor of Mohanlal's lead roles. He shifts the mode later and it brings the smile back on your face, though temporarily.
The humor in the film meets a new low thanks to the antics of teacher Prem Raj (Salim Kumar). Hinging on social media and YouTube, Lal Jose finds reasons behind the immoral behavior of Prem Raj and some students on the campus. In his career, Lal Jose faced huge setbacks in the films "Randam Bhavam," and "Rasikan." Despite having riveting plots, those films bit the dust largely due to his frivolous treatment. But this film's uneven screenplay itself gums up all its possibilities of becoming an entertainer.
This book and the revelation in it show how a seasoned director can excel in uninspiring filmmaking.
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