5 Sundarikal

The anthology tribute to the 100 year celebration of Indian cinema, 5 Sundarikal produced and co-directed by Amal Neerad is a surprise when you look at the works of the relatively unaccomplished directors. The directors who can be considered as the cream of the crop in the so called ‘New Generation’ trend proves that they are capable of doing more mature subjects. Every film has an identity, some fails to impress while others will make you clap.

Like the title, the five films traverses through the lives of 5 women. First film is about the innocent child Sethulakshmi. It’s a haunting story that will make us feel for the little girl. Second one is about the smart Esha. It’s a story that narrates the interesting relationship between a thief and his hostage.  The third movie is about that deep love between Gowry and Jo. Fourth one “Kullante Bharya” is about a dwarf man and his beautiful tall wife. It’s a beautiful film that in a way teases the attitude of the public towards relationships on the basis of mere physical thoughts. Last story Ami goes through the life of an real estate businessman who understands the value of his life and loved ones through various interesting circumstances.

Sethulakshmi from Shyju Khalid is a really haunting theme. The way the movie shifts from that pleasant feel to an anxious one is quite touching. Rather than going for a conventional drama, the film tries to create a disturbance in our minds and it worked big time. Esha is a movie that at the may remind you about that first meeting of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in Dhoom 2. But still the Sameer Tahir film is very different from the other ones in this package as it purely targets the straight forward entertainment. Gowry directed by Aashiq Abu was probably the one disappointed me. To show that deep love between the main protagonists they could have added something more to show their bonding. The lack of it definitely makes it uncomfortable for us to digest the “eternal love” side of it. Kullante Bharya directed by Amaml Neerad is the real gem in this anthology as it is a very fresh presentation. It’s a film that moves forward as a narration by a stranger in a colony. There are hardly any dialogs for other characters and the movie was never a dull experience, in fact it’s the most engaging content that had a clear vision. Ami from Anwer Rasheed is a film that scores mainly for its making and performance. It is not a completely convincing theme, but the idea of proverbs kind of makes it a good one.

Shyju Khalid makes a strong debut in the director’s cap. The way he used the child artists must be appreciated. Awesome cinematography by Alby. Sameer Thahir doesn’t really go for an experiment like he did in the case of Chappa Kurishu. It was a safe zone operation scripted for fun. Aashiq Abu couldn’t convince the idea in its depth. Introducing Rimy Tomy was a good attempt but never really giving her a close up short was a bit irritating. The movie’s art section deserves a pat on the back and thumbs up for using sync sound. Amal Neerad is the real star for his selection of idea and for presenting the engaging screenplay of Unni R with full conviction. Vivek Harshan’s slicing deserves a special mention here. Anwer Rasheed manages to present the idea in a somewhat convincing manner. Amal Neerad once again shines here with his cinematography. The technical side of the entire film is very sound. Music, cinematography and edits showed good standard.

In the performance end, the only film that had a challenging role for the actors was Sethulakshmy and I loved the way the little ones portrayed their characters, especially the girl. In terms of challenge the next person who impressed me was Fahadh in his malabari muslim avatar. Esha Shervani was also impressive in her smart role. Rest of the cast including Nivin Pauly, Biju Menon, Kavya Madhavan, Shine Tom, Dulquer Salman, Reenu Mathews, Jinu Ben, Chemban Vinod Jose and Honey Rose did their part nicely. Dulquer’s narration was really good as it had a good amount of expression. Breezy appearances by Jayasurya, Tiny Tom and Rimi Tomy.

Overall, 5 Sundarikal is a good one. Some couldn’t reach that mark but some really manages to make an impact on us. I am giving it a 3.5/5. 3 for the film and 0.5 for the attempt.