Sthanarthi Sreekuttan Malayalam Movie Review
Sthanarthi Sreekuttan: A Childlike Tale with a Thoughtful Core
Vinesh Viswanath's Sthanarthi Sreekuttan blends the playful charm of a school drama with an underlying political commentary, propelled by natural performances from child actors and a compelling classroom narrative.As if written by an upper primary student, the deliberate mistake in the Malayalam title of this film echoes its childlike trait. 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan,' helmed by Vinesh Viswanath, has all the passable fun one can witness in a school milieu. But the film attains its proud moment when a classroom becomes a replica of society where a dictator oppresses those who raise questions and seek answers. Such is the underlying political statement of the theme that ensures equal opportunities for all by snuffing out traditional approaches. Apart from a school-based drama hogged by children, this simple tale pokes its viewers for grave thoughts even as this story's peripheral layers could have been bolstered well to make it more appealing.
Class VII C of KR Narayanan Memorial Upper Primary School, Karettu, Thiruvananthapuram, sets the stage for the conflict of the film. A gang of four students, led by Sreekuttan, played by Sreerang Shine, is considered a lethargic group in the school. Sreekuttan and his friends-- Anas (Darshan M), Anoop (Harikrishnan B), and Sarath (Bodhiq Jordan Asher) --- are typical backbenchers who hardly grab the attention of teachers with their academic merit. They loathe Ambady (Abhinav S), a studious boy in their class, as he apparently proves himself as the best student in studies and other activities. But the little heart of Sreekuttan will pulsate hard when he sees his classmate Meenakshi.
A fabulous screen presence by Sreerang Shine and other child actors nullify the deficits in 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan.' These actors with their organic performance give a distinct hue to the ordinary tale that ensconced in the regular template of a feel-good school drama. The film progresses with the familiar events that we expect from such a school premise. Most of the action takes place in the school where the fun and frolic of boys rule the roost. Still, the director is able to enhance the familiar plot with a fresh touch in his treatment; be the swag of the boys or the way he tackles the child actors for bringing out effortless performances from them.
Aju Varghese as a strict and stoic teacher Chakrapani aka CP amazingly ramps up the conflict, besides elevating the intended trait of the script. As a man, who aspires to be the next headmaster of the school, CP's presence itself creates terror among students and of course, it also makes the viewers intrigued about his next action. Sreekuttan's grudge towards CP prompts him to contest in the class leader election. Vinesh, who has written the story, also has co-written the screenplay with Anand Manmadhan, Murali Krishnan and Kailash S Bhavan. The writers have managed to break the trite situations in the story, aiding the director to present a different narrative rooted within a small world-the classroom. Here, the script meets its real visual language with the neat blend of ideas such as equality and inclusiveness.
Certain events including the subplot of shopkeeper Prabhakar, played by Anand Manmadhan, who is also one of the scenarists of this movie, and his one-sided affair with Maya teacher (Sruthy Suresh) have little impact on the plot. Yet, these sequences serve the purpose of deriving respite from the school scenes involving children. The cameo of Saiju Kurup has been leveraged well for buttressing the humour quotient of the film. In fact, characterization is tad riveting in 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' especially the superstition that tangles teacher-couple Gupthan (Kannan Nayar) and Chithra (Ajisha Prabhakaran) and the school gang 'Bhasmam' and its leader, played by Abel Twinkle. Johny Antony plays Koshy sir whose class session and short term memory loss are part of humour elements.
Music by PS Jayhari has really enhanced the scenes as the film navigates its crucial stages. Despite its simplistic content with limitations, this flick fulfils its intention in style, propelled by adorable outing by a clutch of child artistes. At a glance, the movie has childlike fun and frolic on its surface level, but it stands out due to its potential to transform itself into a thought-provoking affair with underlying layers in the content.
