Now, more than ever, the anticipation for a movie seems as much fun as actually seeing it. And sure enough, the makers of KL 10 Patthu have played their cards right: they got people talking about this movie with a one-and-half-minute-long trailer. But judging a movie by its trailer, however, is more or less like judging a book by its cover.
Go beyond the cover and we reach Malabar. And Malabar is mad about three things – Football, folk and food. So is everyone in KL 10 Patthu.
Written and directed by debutante Muhsin Parari, the film employs a multi-stranded narrative to tell a coming-of-age tale, seasoned with a pinch of fantasy and a war between good and evil. Yes, set logic aside.
It’s evident that Muhsin has keenly worked on the script to highlight the varied hues atypical to Malappuram. Be it for the communist philosophies or for the surreal romance, it has the innate Malabar flavour.
While the premise is amusing, the plot meanders between various loops, like a confused time traveller. But then, it gets better, or rather we get used to it. The screenplay goes back and forth, serving a purpose at its best – confusing viewers. And voila, cheeky humour punctuates the proceedings.
A genie (yes, you read it right) played by Sreenath Bhasi takes you through the story. Nevertheless, Sreenath establishes his character so well and stays till the end with an apt rendering and a neat portrayal. As the genie is jobless on earth, he tells the tale of a small village and the ‘virtuous’ youth, Ahmed, essayed by Unni Mukundan. Ahmed and his lady love Sadiya (Chandini Sreeharan) are on their way to get married. What follows is a series of dramatic twists.
The movie seems flooded with characters, out of whom only a few grabs attention. Saiju Kurup shines as Ajmal singing lullaby Vaapachide Chullan Chekkene. Aju Varghese as Faizal and Neeraj Madhav as Aftab are at their usual best in adding comedic spin to the story every now and then. The rhythm and slang peculiar to Malappuram is brilliantly captured by each character even as they demonstrate team spirit and camaraderie in their love of football. Making her Mollywood debut, Chandini Sreedharan gets it straight. At times, she reminds us of Swathy Reddy in Amen and Isha Talwar from Thattathin Marayath. Though the movie lags at certain areas, the story sets its pace in the second half. Unlike other sport movies, this fails to set the tone of excitement.
The beautiful camera work by Vishnu Narayan goes in sync with the non-conventional style of filmmaking. The frames and the angles looked fresh and it indeed is a positive contribution to the movie. Bijibal deserves a standing ovation for the music that goes well with the backdrop of the movie. With very less instruments used in the background, it’s the soothing BGM that breathe life to the movie.
KL 10 Patthu is not a great movie. Yet, with a multi-layered screenplay and an excellent cinematography, the film treads a road less travelled.
Rating: 3/5