Director: Sathyan Anthikkad
Cast: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Innocent, Lena
Sathyan Anthikkad’s much awaited Ennum Eppozhum offers too much to resist. Mohanlal in his comic best in recent years; Manju Warrier in yet another power-packed role after How Old are You ; screenplay by Ranjan Pramod of Meesha Madhavan and Manasinakkare fame; and the film-maker himself at ease at the helm with the additional burden of scripting taken off his head.
A family drama sans the drama, Ennum Eppozhum is notable for its characterisations. Advocate Deepa, played by Manju, tells his friend that she will bring her daughter up to be a bold, courageous woman with the right attitude, as we find her to be as the film progresses.
A journalist past his prime, Vineeth N. Pillai (Mohanlal) reminds us of a predicament many a middle-age professional may face.
Then there is Farah (Lena), an entrepreneur and a vivacious presence in Deepa’s life.
Renji Panicker as the real estate king with underworld connections harks back to the comic villains of yore, lending an air of nostalgia. There are no high-pedestal sermons or free gyan dished out at every juncture, a tendency Anthikkad films pandered to in the recent past.
Contrary to expectations, the worlds of the protagonists — journalism and litigation — lead to no intriguing plot and the pace is leisurely set, interspersed with songs.
The story allows us a peak into issues ranging from a declining print media and pompous politicians to marital discords and real estate fraud.
It is refreshing to see a film ascribing no stigma to divorce and mentioning menstruation in a casual conversation. At the same time, blaming women’s attire for causing unwanted attention and having a dig at a particular community for what apparently is an extra-marital affair reek of distaste. Man looking for his mother in his life partner is as clichéd as a foreign-educated boss bullying her subordinates.
Ennum Eppozhum is buoyed by its star cast and a host of light moments though not particularly funny. Its romance is subtly treated, making one feel it may last ‘forever, always.’
Rasmi Binoy
