Darwinte Parinamam posterForced by external pressures and internal instincts, Anil Anto, a young technician decides to leave his home along with his wife and their 'son' in her womb on a not-so-fine rainy morning. And the young couple easily adapts itself to the new surroundings in a Kochi street, which is in many ways different from the village in Kottarakkara which they left behind. But adapting to the new circumstances is only one part of it. You need to survive there. And you not only have to undergo some evolution for that but also make your mighty rival change.
Darwinte Parinamam, Jijo Antony's latest work on big screen is all about this sudden shift in one's habitat and the ensuing unavoidable evolution one undergoes. And it's not just Anto, the hero (Prithviraj) but also Darwin, the villain (Chemban Vinod) who undergoes the evolution. Yes, Anto is the hero though the omnipresent third person narrator who has the voice of director Renjith tells us it's the other way.
Prithviraj in a still from the movie Darwinte ParinamamThough survival instincts of a commoner who comes across the evils of his life who are blessed to be rich by money and muscles and thus hold themselves above the law of the land is not something new to films across the globe. Jijo has tried hard and to a large extent succeeded to present it in an entertaining manner eying all classes of viewers. The film has a neatly packed first half in which Prithviraj portrays the struggles of Anto amid a slew of backlashes. As it seems to be the rule of the on-screen game, in the next half Anto turns the ball into his court taking Darwin, the local gangster and his gang of half-witted sidekicks for a ride in search of some household objects including a tea spoon. The ride offers some moments of laughter, tension and action. The why and how is all you have to watch out for.
A still from the film Darwinte ParinamamThe writer -- Manoj Menon -- seems to believe in the age-old rule of a perfect blend of all emotions. The movie has it all - drama, comedy, action et al. However, how perfectly they have been blended is a different question. The script looses its grip over the plot in the second half. The writer could have avoided some inopportune comic scenes and cliches in the end.
Performers are the film's major source of strength. While Prithviraj continues his matured acting which he has been doing in recent years, Chemban Vinod and Soubin Sahir steal the show whenever they are on screen. Chandini offers a promising performance as Anto's better half Amala. Sabumon, Sethu Parvathy, Shammy Thilakan and Balu Varghese are pitch perfect in their supportive roles.
Jijo has picked the right person, Abinadan Ramanujam, to handle the department of camera. His frames tread the path between the worlds of reality and imagination with striking lights and hues. "Ta Ta Ta Tang" and "Kathangal Kinavil" by Shankar Sharma are already in the hit charts.
All in all, the film must be a one-time entertainer for those who restrict themselves from expecting too much.
Rating 2.5 / 5
