Eeda Malayalam Movie
Red and Orange are not too far from each other in a rainbow. But in Indian politics, the two colours are like night and day in what they represent. We see the same colours attack our ill-fated hero and heroine from each end in Eeda; a tale as old as time (it is practically an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, just by the way) but told with great sincerity and gravitas.
Eeda is one of those few films which balance their political and romantic tracks with equal tenacity. A resolve to be as unbiased and mellow in its criticism of politically motivated bloodbath, manipulation and defiance not just works in its favour but speaks out for the ones affected and whose voices are unheard.
Set in the district of Kannur, which is notorious for the kind of radicalism and violence that unspools every day in its jurisdiction, Eeda is about two young lovers who were merely brought up by the factional colours of Red and Orange, respectively, but hate the endless game of payback that their communities encourage with a passion. Nandu(Shane Nigam) and Aishwarya(Nimisha Sajayan), the aforesaid lovers whose romance is stuck between said rock and a hard place, crave redemption from their mutual nemeses- vengeance and violence. They are well-educated, aspiring youngsters who cannot compute the pointlessness of what they reluctantly witness in close quarters and no longer wish to associate themselves with such normalized terrors. In fact, it is when the couple spend time with each other at Mysore- another city in a different state- that their romance truly blossoms. The intimacy and blissful emancipation are short-lived, though, since they are always caught between two worlds. A loyalty for their roots and culture does not help matters either and only comes back to bite them ferociously.
B Ajithkumar, a frequent editing collaborator to the likes of Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Rajeev Ravi, writes, directs and edits Eeda with the kind of grit and patience we rarely see in Malayalam films. Being deeply involved in all three stages of filmmaking, Ajithkumar has a huge say in the soul of his film, which seems to be a highly personal project in nature. Neither the romance nor the politics of the film are glamourized. He respects the trauma that foreshadows his film's core values and themes. He also takes good care in establishing the overlooked world of fear and brutality alongside the vernacular and cultural idiosyncrasies Kannur is well-known for.
Lead actors Nigam and Nimisha, who are relatively fresh faces in Malayalam cinema, do a stellar job of bringing the candid and innocent romance to life. Ajithkumar is also blessed with a team of incredibly talented performers like Alencier Lay Lopez, Manikandan Achari, Surabhi Lakshmi and Sujith Sankar, among others. But, Eeda suggests that his editing is still slightly sharper than his direction, as the film suffers from some jarring visuals and pacing issues. It is at least twenty minutes too long, even though it never tries to do anything fancy or overwrought with the extra time.
Eeda has a sensational and seminal story, whose political ambivalence and profound sensibilities are instant fodder for thought. The intensely content-driven, simplistic storytelling will keep you hooked even if it loses some of its steam over time.
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