Casanova Malayalam Movie
We would never get to know what the man's real name is. It doesn't matter really, and the confident Casanova (Mohanlal) assures us that the title was cast on him, and that he had decided to make it his own. He's the kind of man who flies across countries day and night; the kind who is lucky enough to have several beaming, pouting women in all forms and colors waiting for him breathlessly at the airports with 'Casanova' written on their placards. And one of them tells us that "he's the hottest guy in New York"!
So this man arrives in Dubai, at a moment when the Interpol is busy trying to track down a four member gang (Abhishek, Shamsi, Arjun and Vikram) that has been wreaking havoc all over, with their hi-fi robberies. Mr. Casanova, looks like he has a story or two to settle with these youngsters, and sets himself down to the task of bringing them to book.
Casanova gets invited to a TV show called Love Bytes that's faring miserably on the ratings, and in no time relaunches it as a reality show that he titles as 'Fall in Love'. and two of the four member gang fall prey to the pangs of love, thanks to the show, having found their love interests in Hanna (Lekshmi Rai ) and Anne Mary (Roma).
Thus nothing much happens in an uneventful first half of the film, and just as we wonder where all this is headed, writers Bobby and Sanjay insist that we alight the ride that we are on, at the moment. And off we hop on, to another bumpy ride in another direction, when the Casanova tells us that there is a reason for all that he does.
The man, after all does have a heart, and that too, one that beat a lot for Sameera Zacharia (Shriya Sharan), a Salsa dance instructor based in Dubai. He even matches a few steps with her, before falling hopelessly in love with her. The womanizer in him, had finally made way to the romantic.
I need to cut it off right there, so that the spoilers are kept at bay. But the point is, this romantic tale that's infested with very little real romance, takes up about an hour or more, and you start feeling sorry for the four guys in the first half, who seem to have mysteriously disappeared. And just as you are about to give up, comes the twist that finally ties up the two disjointed halves together. Phew!
Bobby and Sanjay must obviously have been working on this script for quite some time, given the time the film has taken for its making. So why is it that the script looks like a sieve with gaping holes in it?
It's indeed a huge team that has worked behind this mammoth film, and they are right perhaps, when they say that too many cooks spoil the broth. Even if it's Casanova's. Look at the musical score of the film - three composers, Alphons, Gopi Sunder and Gowri in charge - and you don't even have one decent track in the film!
The immensely slow pace of the film, could perhaps be even forgiven, when you think of some glaring glitches in the film.
The exorbitant budget of the film has been a hot topic of discussion for long now, but on seeing the film, one wonders where all this money has been pumped into? The majestic locations are there of course, and there are the ritzy cars, bikes, helicopters and what not by the dozen and hundreds of gorgeous women sashaying around almost all the time and yet the film somehow fails to strike as a budget biggie.
Mohanlal, in one of his most stylish avatars in recent times is the only saving grace of this wish-wash film, that's a disappointment whichever way you look at it. One thing is for sure. If he were made to sit through what the modern age Casanova goes through for a drawn out three hours, Giacomo Casanova wouldn't be pleased a bit.
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