Rathri Mazha Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2008
Critics:
Compared to the trash dished out these days in the name of Malayalam cinema, Rathrimazha indeed is 'class' stuff.
Oct 7, 2008 By Thomas T


From a director who has given us memorable films like Chillu, Meenamasaththile Sooryan, Vachanam, Deivaththinte Vikruthikal, Mazha etc, we can't but expect well-crafted and sensitive movies. And that's what Lenin Rajendran delivers with his latest release Rathrimazha. Compared to the trash dished out these days in the name of Malayalam cinema, Rathrimazha indeed is 'class' stuff.


Harikrishnan and Meera are happily married. On the night of their marriage, lying in one another's arms, they go down memory lane and recollect how they got to know each other and how they eventually fell in love. Meera, who was born and brought up in a hill-side village and who was in the city doing her job, had in fact responded to Hari's matrimonial ad placed on the Net, just for curiosity's sake. Hari responded promptly and soon they had regular communication going on, even doing video chat once in a while. A romantic affair blossomed between the two, though they had never met each other in person.


When the day came for the two to meet, Hari failed to turn up. Meera naturally felt as if she had been cheated. But the truth was exactly the opposite. Hari had no intention of cheating Meera. The fact was he didn't want to keep her in the dark about a rather unpleasant truth about him. And when he disclosed that to Meera, the world itself changed for the young girl who had been intensely in love with this romantic looking guy, who earlier had been a dancer working in a troupe run by an acclaimed danseuse named Mohini. For Meera, her sincerity and love for Hari itself came under the clouds. For Hari, things seemed to have reached a point of no return. What all happened then forms the rest of the plot.


It's indeed a pleasure to see Vineeth handling such a meaty role as this, and that too a dance-oriented one, with so much ease and style. Meera Jasmine as Meera gives a good performance. Chithra Iyer, whom we had known mostly as a singer, is the big surprise donning the role of danseuse Mohini with the ease of a natural actor. Laloo Aalex as Mohini's husband Balashankar is good too.


One of the main highlights of Rathrimazha is the excellent cinematography by S. Kumar, who had mesmerized us with his works earlier too. Add to this the songs composed by Ramesh Narayanan (who incidentally won the State Award for the Best Music Director in 2006 for this movie) and the excellent dance choreography, and the film seems to be poetry on celluloid at least in places. The way the film explores the realm of complicated human relationships deserves special mention.


Lenin Rajendran, who has scripted the movie as well, needs to be appreciated for giving such a cinematic dimension to the short story (titled 'Website') penned by writer P. Chandramathi. Rathrimazha is a film to be seen and remembered.


Thomas T

   

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