From my experience, I have learnt the fact that Movie making should never be a race against time. A typical example of what could go wrong when a movie becomes a race, is Prashant Maambulli’s 17 hour wonder, Bhagavan. The movie is centered on a terrorist attack in a hospital when Dr. Balagopal (Mohanlal) risks his life to save the day.
Analysis
It is after a long time that I am seeing Mohanlal so uncomfortable playing the lead character. He doesn’t seem interested and you cannot blame him as Bhagavan qualifies to be the worst movie in Mohanlal’s illustrous career. Direction by Prashant Maambulli is bad. I still can’t understand what was the need to complete the movie in 17 hours (though the movie wouldn’t have been any better even if it had been shot in 6 months).
The entire concept is ridiculous. For a movie to work with the audience, the soul of the movie (the script) should be good. But, in this case, the script (if ever there was one) and the story is silly with a childish screenplay. The manner in which most of the scenes are treated are silly and unexcusable. Be it the childish manner in which the commando units diffusing the bombs is portrayed or the closeups shown again and again, the movie throws at you a string of unthinkably ridiculous scenes. The dialogues are miserable and the word Bhagavan props up in Mohanlal’s dialogues every 100 words.
The director has wasted talented artists like Mohanlal, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. The film is dumb and drags on and on paying no repsect whatsoever to the audience. Every 15 minutes you see some type of countdown from 10 to 0 on sceen and occasionally when the time of events in the movie are shown, it is then you realised you have been sitting through this movie only for about a few minutes. The movie fails on all technical grounds. The music of the movie is uninspiring.
When young directors like Ranjith Shankar and Swathy Bhaskar have given us refreshingly different movies, Prashant Maambulli gives us one of the most unbearable movies ever. At a run time of a little under two hours, Bhagavan is a bad excuse for a movie. Even ‘Bhagavan’ can’t save this movie.
Recomendation: Not even for your enemies. Stay far far away.
Rating: 1/5 (1 for completing it in 17 hours and for nothing else)
In Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded, one of malayalam film’s all time favourite action character of Sagar from Irupatham Nootandu is reconstructed. The movie stars Mohanlal, Manoj K Jayan, Bhavana, Shobhana, Jagathy Sreekumar and others. The movie is penned by SN Swami and produced by Antony Perumbavoor. Amal Neerad of ‘Big B’ fame handles the camera and direction.
Synopsis
Sagar (Mohanlal) plays an international don who in a quest to save his friend Manu (Manoj K Jayan) ends up rubbing shoulders with Naina (Suman) and the Rozario brothers. After Sagar rescues Manu, Manu is murdered. At the request of Manu’s wife Indu (Shobana), Sagar searches for Manu’s killer.
Analysis
‘Never judge a book just by looking at its cover’. This saying is perfectly applicable to this movie. SAJR is a stylishly shot movie which stretches a little over two and a quarter hours aimlessly. The entire movie is constructed over one weak premise which actually begins and ends in the second half. The movie moves from one incident to another which have very little relation to each other.
The first half is simply wasted in introducing and setting up the characters. Mohanlal’s introduction scene is very well shot. But then onwards first half hurts badly due to slow pace. The movie wanders too far off track and by the time the movie is back on track, the audience have no patience left. The second half falls badly with an absurd climax which makes you feel silly.
Performance Of The Cast
Mohanlal plays the lead role well as one expects from him. He talks, walks and fights in style. But the dialogues written in this movie for him are childish. It is embarrassing to see an actor of the caliber of Mohanlal speak these words.
Bhavana has very little to do in this movie. She looks ok in the role of a TV reporter but her character has little significance in this role. Manoj K Jayan and Shobhana take their roles too seriously. Jagathy Sreekumar fails to impress. It is very rare that a director fails to use Jagathy properly. His character has no importance at all. Sampath who plays one of the Rozario brothers is someone to be noted. He plays the part with intensity.
Technical Analysis
Direction by Amal Neerad is wayward. The director is clearly confused in what he wants to show on screen. But his work as a cinematographer is what makes this movie one of a kind. All scenes are stunningly shot and the movie has a visual Hollywood feel to it. Maybe the additional role of cinematography distracted the director from his target. It is sad to see that a director who gave a powerful movie like Big B with intelligent dialogues delivers this movie.
I find it hard to believe that SN Swami scripted this movie. The dialogues are childish, screenplay is slow and the story (if ever there was one) is weak. Music by Gopisundar suits the mood of the movie. Background score is irritating mostly. Costumes are excellent, especially Mohanlal’s costumes. Action scenes are well coordinated. The movie has been made on a grand scale with very good production values but unfortunately, the movie fails in most departments.
Verdict
The movie is nothing more than a bunch of stunning visuals coupled with action. Mohanlal and the stunning shots (subjected to digital colour correction) are the only saving graces of the movie. The movie will find it hard to recover the investment.
Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded is Mohanlal’s Vishu release which is scripted by S N Swamy and directed by Big B fame Amal Neerad. This big budgeted movie is produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirwad Cinemas. The movie brings back one of malayalam movie industry’s legendry action charecter of Sagar alias Jacky from Irupatham Nootandu
I was very confused whether to analyze the film in the view of a critic or as fan. But, the makers had already told that the movie has been made with fans in mind. So here is my fan’s eye view of Twenty 20.
Twenty 20 is a superb masala entertainer from the word go. The movie is an intended thriller but half the things you see can be predicted 15 minutes into the movie. A special mention about the script writers. The Udayakrishna-Sibi K. Thomas duo have done a fantastic job in sketching out the characters. The characters of the superstars have equal importance. The comedy is what makes the film work apart from the trademark punch dialogues of the stars.
Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram and Dileep share most of the screen time, but the other characters also make their presence felt. For a Malayalam movie fan twenty 20 is a roller coaster ride. Suraaj Venjarumoodu and Salim Kumar steal the show in the comedy department. The actors look good and all of them carry the movie on their shoulders very well. This is the stron point of Twenty 20.
The music is a big letdown apart from ‘He Deewana’ which is colourful and youthful. Costumes of the actors are very good. Camera work and editing are excellent. Action sequences are also very well choreographed. Direction by Joshiy is also good keeping in mind the star power he had to handle. Another special mention of the man behind this well made venture.
The only complaint I have is the movie’s length which is nearly 2 hours 50 minutes.
For a fan, Twenty 20 is an absolutely enjoyable fare. With twists and turns, comedy, action and a truck load of star power, Twenty 20 has the potential to rewrite almost all the existing records in the Malayalam movie industry.
Better music and a 15 minutes less, this movie would have been an almost perfect entertainer.
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