Malayalee From India Movie Review: A Winsome Nivin Pauly Tries to Salvage Dijo Jose Antony's Well-Meaning But Uneven Political Dramedy (LatestLY Exclusive)

Malayalee From India Movie Review: I must confess, I appreciate director Dijo Jose Antony and screenwriter Sharis Mohammed's bold stance against a particular political party and its divisive politics. Rarely do we see a mainstream filmmaker, even in Malayalam cinema, these days willing to confront these issues head-on and expose their impact on the masses. Whether in his previous film, Jana Gana Mana and now Malayalee From India, Dijo Jose Antony (who also has an acting cameo here) earns political credibility with secular and liberal audiences. However, both films suffer from heavy-handed treatment in their writing and direction. Nevertheless, Malayalee From India does exhibit a certain earnestness, especially in its second half, as it earnestly attempts to engage the viewer. If only the execution and writing had been a bit more refined. Malayalee From India Review: Netizens Hail Nivin Pauly and Dhyan Sreenivasan's Performances, Calls Dijo Jose Antony's Film 'Neat and Clean Script'.

Aalparambil Gopi (Nivin Pauly) is an unemployed, good-for-nothing fellow who shirks away from taking up employment and is a burden to his widowed mother (Manju Pillai). His best friend is Malghosh (Dhyan Sreenivasan), who is equally useless and politically radicalised. Gopi is a blind believer in religious politics and the tall promises of a 'central' party that doesn't manage to earn seats in Kerala (ouch!).

Watch the Teaser of Malayalee From India:

A certain incident, provoked by the daft Malghosh, creates a political furore in his panchayat and forces Gopi to go into hiding. His run for life makes him cross national borders and reach the Middle East, where he has to face his own bigotry and strike an unlikely bond with a person whom he never could imagine being friends with.

The Prithviraj Factor

The opening credits of Malayalee From India acknowledge Prithviraj Sukumaran, who starred in Dijo's previous film, Jana Gana Mana. Not only does Malayalee From India share the political essence of Jana Gana Mana, but also two of Prithviraj's films play heavy influences in its plot. One is the recent Aadujeevitham (although the film may have been released recently, it was in production for years and is based on a novel), but Malayalee From India takes a lighter, more optimistic approach to the theme. The other is Picket 43, which depicts the friendship between an Indian soldier and a Pakistani soldier, fostered by the isolation surrounding them.

Ironically, this heavily inspired segment of Malayalee From India is what I enjoyed most about the film. The dynamic between Gopi (is the name a nod to Suresh Gopi, considering the political connections they share?) and Jalal Bhai (Deepak Jethi), the Pakistani supervisor he is compelled to work under at a desert farm, transforms into a heartwarming tale of friendship, peppered with light moments and an emotional ending. It may be clichéd, but call me sentimental for appreciating storylines that promote friendships transcending borders and religions. Unfortunately, the remainder of the film does not get to embrace that same optimistic outlook of mine.

The Ham-Fisted Political Satire

The first half of Malayalee From India is particularly wobbly. It's also the arena where the makers get to make their political points, establishing Gopi's andh-bhakti. The issue lies in the presentation. Malayalam Cinema has witnessed some great political satire in the past, from KG George's parodical Panchavadi Palam to Sathyan Anthikkad's still-relevant Sandesham. Unfortunately, the satire in Malayalee From India doesn't hold a candle to these films when it comes to taking potshots at prevalent politics.

While some jokes are funny, most of the satire feels too blunt and hard-nosed to have a conscientious impact, even when the film takes digs at topics from 'Grand Promises versus ground reality' to IT cells and their workings. Malayalee From India also attempts to score mass points by serving crowd-pleasing moments. Salim Kumar's character demolishing a hate-filled speech by a Muslim leader works to some extent due to the strong and relevant dialogues, but Shine Tom Chacko's cameo, with the same agenda, fails to create the same impact. Jake Bejoy's score, however, turns out to be a saviour in many instances.

Muddled Ideology

And perhaps to play safe about its politics, Malayalee From India also tries to play both sides almost everywhere (like an unseen Muslim character shown to have joined IS). Despite the film's reliance on two people from warring countries learning to admire each other, its depiction of Pakistan is appeasing only to one camp, like Jalal telling Gopi he is jealous that the latter belongs to India, before we are served a scene that shows solidarity between a Hindu and Muslim character. Later Gopi finds the picture of Sachin Tendulkar in the room of a Pakistani boy, while he gifts a copy of DR APJ Abdul Kalam's Wings of Fire to a Pakistani girl. Jana Gana Mana Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu's Film Makes All The Right Noises in a Wobbly, Cramped Screenplay.

The climax that brings Gopi to a hamlet in Pakistan also suffers from the film's lack of subtlety. After a very decent and likeable saga of friendship in the second half, instead of ending the film on a high point, we get a stretched and contrived finale that doesn't create the impact the movie thinks it goes for.

Nivin Rocks

When it comes to performances, Nivin Pauly is in great form here. Initially, I found the actor a bit shaky, but he quickly settles into the character, delivering quips and one-liners like the seasoned pro he is. Even in the dramatic scenes, Pauly's charm shines through. Dhyan Sreenivasan brings humour to some parts, though he occasionally goes overboard and suffers from a lack of screen time in the second half. Deepak Jethi delivers a heartwarming performance that steals the show.

Despite ending with a message about empowering women through education, Malayalee From India seems to contradict its own message with its treatment of the female lead. Anaswara Rajan is, unfortunately, underutilised in the movie. The Krishna subplot not only feels unnecessary but also raises concerns with its light-hearted portrayal of stalking and harassment, compounded by the obvious age difference between the actors, even if the film attempts to make jokes about it.

PS: I have to mention a scene where a 'deity' crosses the moss-filled steps to bless a Muslim lady, and the theatre resounded with claps at that. Whatever the flaws may be with the film, Malayalee From India at least gave me hope that there are still people who cheer for solidarity when our much-treasured secularism is under threat of extinction. Later, a character in the film says, "A country that replaces its constitution with religion is doomed." Former a solid scene, latter a pertinent dialogue, but they only make you wish the film was equally solid to create a bigger impact.

Final Thoughts on Malayalee From India

Like With Jana Gana Mana, Malayalee From India aims to score brownie points with a liberal-minded audience tired of divisive politics, but falters due to its execution and ham-fisted writing. The political satire in the first half seems intended for viral moments and social media reels, but it lacks cohesion and sharpness to make a significant impact. While the second half, despite heavy influences, fares slightly better, it's ultimately hindered by a weak climax. Watch it for Nivin Pauly's likeable performance and some heartwarming moments.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2024 09:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).