Bheemante Vazhi Malayalam Movie
Ashraf Hamsa's Bheemante Vazhi is a quirky film about people in a village who want to get a road built through a congested row of houses for better accessibility. Kunchacko Boban plays Sanju/Bheeman, a bachelor who champions the public development move a bit for his own sake. Building a road requires some people to give up parts of their property, a situation that is ripe for dispute and comedy. While many will view it as a move for the greater good, some will oppose it for their own agenda.
The trailer of the movie itself makes it clear who the opponents here are. Do not watch the trailer if you have not already. The movie has character types rather than well-rounded characters. Some of their behavior is not explicable. There are many such people in society who act a bit inexplicably. For instance, my village has an old man who once kept running around a well after his contractual employee fell into it. The word in my village is that the man was wondering whether to call rescue people at that time or let the accident be an accident. Some people only think of their personal gains, even as the most appropriate move is obvious to them.
Some characters in Bheemante Vazhi have a clear plan to thwart development, whereas others want development somewhat for their own sake. Bheeman has a real interest in how road construction will affect his value in the way of dowry. Divya Nair's Council Member Reetha wants to complete the development project before another council election comes. Suraj Venjaramoodu's Darsus is also part of the whole set of events to keep a specific image among the public. Writer Chemban Vinod Jose also plays a character here who mainly offers just some comic relief. I particularly enjoyed an exchange between him and Kunchacko's Bheeman.
There is little depth or nuance to these characters, but I did not mind it too much. After all, they are all quirky in their own way and colorful. The performers infuse so much life into the characters they portray that they alone keep the film engaging. Jinu Joseph is hilarious as Oothampilly Kostheppu, and he holds the film together. In between all his outbursts, Jinu brings a fine balance between camp and serious acting.
Chemban Vinod's script has some genre-defying women characters in positions of power, such as Councilor Reetha and Megha Thomas' railway engineer. You see a genuine attempt to break away from conventions in the scenes where women characters drink alcohol. You wish Kunchacko Boban had more to work with as Bheeman, but he is not quite the protagonist and is a likable presence throughout. My only main issue with the movie concerns Megha Thomas' character, but it is worth noting that she has a sense of completeness.
I also like how the makers filmed the movie. The village is around a railway track where trains come and go now and then. All those train sequences are filmed in a way that makes them look authentic. Overall, Bheemante Vazhi is an engaging and entertaining film that offers us something to chew on. The movie plays to its strengths and thankfully never becomes preachy, serious or philosophical.
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