(Crossposted at Movie Mazaa)

Blessy’s Calcutta News is a slickly designed film that unfortunately has very little to say. Well intentioned, but astoundingly unexciting, the film is a major disappointment in terms of content, concerns and convictions.

Ajith Thomas (Dileep) is a Senior Correspondent with Calcutta News who inadvertently runs into a Malayali couple, Hari (Indrajith) and Krishnapriya (Meera Jasmine), on the bustling streets of Kolkata, in the midst of a hectic Kali Puja shoot. When Hari is discovered murdered a few days later, Ajith along with Krishna, embarks on a perilous journey that would decidedly change both their lives forever.

Social satire has always been Blessy’s forte; one which has at times, vehemently displayed a fierce passion that is at once authentic and intense. The Blessian protagonist is hence quite at ease donning the spectator’s garb, be it Madhavan in Kazhcha or Monichan in Palunku. However, Calcutta News badly falters as the censure this time around is distinctly strained; arising out of a hoard of illogical and terribly specious sequences that are seemingly as disjointed as they possibly can get. And it doesn’t help a bit that the film has as its premise a done to death theme, albeit set in a different milieu.

This is a film that fervently aspires to be something but sadly turns out to be something else. It’s unbelievably unsure of itself. One moment it’s a drippy, dopey tale of romance and a psychological thriller the next; at times it’s a moral fable and a little later a surreal parable. It means to be seductive but merely progresses from the contrived to the manipulative. There is a frantic attempt to maintain an air of mystery through out, which falls flat on its face, since it gets increasingly wary as the minutes pass on. Bewilderedly led round and round along the street maze of Kolkata, you dolefully lose what’s left of your curiosity, when at the end of it all you find yourself stranded where you had set off a couple of hours back. And it does ultimately go overboard with a totally theatrical denouement that is clogged up with visually spectacular shots sans a reason or purpose.

It’s refreshingly wonderful to see S. Kumar back in action after a while. His camera generates sheer poetry on celluloid. Having realized that there is not much of a story to bank on, it assumes a life of its own and sets out on a voyage, capturing a host of dazzling hues, detailed portraits and outstanding moments in the process. Be it the hazy Kolkata rains or the star studded nights, the russet avenues or the raging river, Kumar is at them with a zealous vengeance and the results are nothing short of captivating.

I am appalled by the lead performances though. For, Calcutta News does neither of its leads any particular favors. Dileep in a journo act looks refreshingly modish, and yet it isn’t what I would term an effortless makeover from his usual Romeo roles. He staggers on quite a few occasions and essentially needs a few lessons in articulation. Meera Jasmine on the other hand runs the danger of being stereotyped as the damsel in distress; she looks a tad jaded and world-weary throughout and startlingly manages at times, in sudden spurts of eagerness, to ham to the hilt as well. Of course, there might still be some appeal to the outcome if there were any charisma in the leads or any chemistry between them. But that’s not the case either. There’s absolutely no spark between them, forget a fire, though they strive desperately to rub up some warmth.

The film has no particular result; rather it shoves a contrived ending down our throats as we still wait with several of those jigsaw bits dying to fit together. It remains caught up in its baffling rationale, and ends up looking scheming and gauche. The more intricate it tries to be, the less convincing it becomes and hence rightly invites ponderings about method over matter.

It was Meera’s tantrums that got more ink during the filming of this movie and the news of Dileep acting under Blessy’s direction took a back seat. The movie which was supposed to get released during Onam has been moved to Ramzan. Thankfully the movie has almost been completed, else we would have to wait for Dussera, Diwali or Guru Nanak’s birthday for the release.

Blessy’s movies are eagerly awaited by film aficionados since he is one director who does not play to the gallery. He tries to make movies he wants to make and gets the public to watch them unlike Shaji Kailas, Sathyan Anthikkad or Rajasenan who release the same movie over and over again, Blessy is creative with his theme and tries not to repeat them and this time the movie has suspense set in the midst of something relevant.

“Ajith Thomas, Dileep’s character, is the son of a former football player who has grown up in Kolkata. He now works as a reporter and programme producer for a television channel called ‘Calcutta News.’ While going through the footage of a sequence he had shot, he discovers some startling things that lead him to Krishnapriya (Meera Jasmine). She had moved to the city with her husband, Hari (Indrajith). Some strange incidents follow, which is part of the suspense that will be unveiled on screen,” says Blessy.[Assignment Kolkata]

With Ore Kadal, Meera Jasmine proved that she can handle very mature roles and can match the performance of any superstar. It would be interesting to watch her performance in this movie for Blessy extracts great performances even from new comers. After the disastrous July 4, Dileep badly needs a hit to keep his boat sailing. More than a hit, Dilip is trying to be known as a serious performer who can do anything from Kalyanaraman to Kathavaseshan. Blessy did not have a great run with Palunku and he would be the one biting his nails the most.

A good running running Kolkotta News could be therapeutic to Blessy and Dilip. As far as Meera is concerned, she might not care.

Photo courtesy: rediff.com

So who the hell is Meera Jasmine to say she can’t do Blessy’s rehearsal camp?

This is the question Moviebuzz has in an article titled Meera’s misdemeanors. Director Blessy conducts workshops for his actors before each movie in which rehersal’s are conducted and Meera refused to attend the camp for the new film Kolkotta News and hence Moviebuzz’s outrage.

The argument given against Meera is mostly juvenile. It says that it was Blessy who introduced Meera to Lohithadas and so when Blessy demands something, Meera has to obey. This kind of logic assumes that due to this obligation, Meera has to subservient to Blessy all her life and her present status or individuality does not matter. The present day Meera is not the same Meera Blessy saw many years back. If you need respect, you have to respect others and that is a lesson Blessy has to learn.

That said, if a director calls for a camp and all the actors including Mammotty attend it, there is no excuse for not attending. Yes, sometimes your true emotions may come only when the camera is rolling, but it helps the rest of the cast members. More than that it is just professionalism.

So the question troubling our mind is: If Meera Jasmine didn’t comply to Blessy style of film making, why didn’t Blessy fire her and sign up some other talented actress? Unlike what we would like to believe, talent is becoming a rare commodity, especially when it comes to Malayalee actresses. Moreover, the directors have to pick and choose from the export left overs. We are sure that Blessy understood this bitter truth and swallowed his pride and complied with Meera’s mood swings and tantrums.

One of the best actors in India, Mammotty was seen last in Karutha Pakshikal doing what he does best – enacting serious heart felt roles. Now he is back again with Palunku with another exceptional performance. This movie also gives a hat trick for Blessy who made a great entry with Kazcha and followed it with Thanmatra.

NowRunning.com writes:

Mammootty gives a stellar performance as Monichan and he proves that he is just irreplaceable as far as such roles are concerned. New girl Lakshmi Sharma as Susamma is a good choice. The children Nazrin (as Geethu) and Niveditha (as Neethu) have done full justice to their roles. Jagathy Sreekumar as Soman Pillai and Nedumudi Venu as the teacher are quite impressive. All the others in the cast too have done well.

Technically the film is superb without the cinematographer (Santhosh Thundiyil of Krish fame) or the editor (Raja Muhammed) having to indulge in any gimmicks. The songs too jell with the theme and the situations. The star of the film however, is the director himself. Blessy has done an excellent job with the script as well as the direction.

Every element finds its way into the film – irony, allegory, sentiment, and humour – all in good measure without ever tending to be melodramatic or overtly sentimental. Palunku is a slice of contemporary life and has universal appeal. It is rarely that such films happen in mainstream Malayalam cinema. Hats off to Blessy for coming up with such a bold initiative without falling prey to the demands of the box office!

Sify says

Mammootty has slipped into the role of Monichan effortlessly proving that he is one of India’s best actors. In the first half he shows his gift for comedy and dramatic subtlety. The school scenes when he walks without making sound and his expression after he speaks his first word in English or the last scene when he has to convey the extremes of intensity and emotional fragility as he sees the body of his daughter, he is first class.

Blessy has scored a hat trick with Palunku (Crystal). He has once again asserted that he is a path breaking writer-director, one to be admired and applauded. Undoubtedly, he is the best director in Malayalam cinema who understands the social fabric and milieu of an average Malayalee.Blessy has also been able to derive top-class performance from not only his lead pair but also child artists and supporting cast. Mammootty as Monichan an illiterate middle class farmer with a sharp acumen who comes to the city and falls for its temptations is outstanding. And the new girl Lakshmi Sharma a model from Hyderabad looks fresh and steals the show with her outstanding performance as Susamma.

India Glitz and Sify seems to have got similar lines about Mammotty in the review

We live in a world of cynicism. But even in such times, sometimes a person or a film comes along and shows you a tiny crack in the fully lighted wall behind which you live, suddenly you get shocked on your late acknowledgement. One such film that makes you laugh, cry, and also makes you feel like a good human being is ‘Palunku’, the new film from Blessy. It gives a slice of contemporary life for people of all ages. With a narrative and theme, which are timeless and universal in appeal, it aims straight for the inherent hope and goodness in all of us. It shows things we have chosen to ignore in the run for greener pastures of life and makes you feel good about what you have. Told in an uncomplicated, sensible manner minus melodrama, cliches and glamour overkill, it is amusing enough to keep you in splits throughout, as the complex but simplified tale of life in two very diverse worlds collides.

Ratheesh writes

I have always felt that director Blessy is highly overrated. Immediately after his first film, Kazhcha, he was compared with Padmarajan. Kazhcha was a good-intentioned and well-made film with a lot of freshness, and I liked it very much when I watched it first time. However, when I watched this film second time, when it was shown on television, many of its shortcomings became obvious, and now I feel that it is just an “above-average” film. Blessy’s second film, Thanmathra, was a mediocre work. And now, Palunku is just barely watchable. There is five-second long scene in the film where they show a group of birds flying in the sky in background when Monichen talks about few things dreamingly. Except for this short clip, there is absolutely nothing in the film that is thematically new or fresh in its presentation style. Many a times, Blessy seems to be confused regarding what he has to say – Does he want to say that City Life is bad and villages are better? Does he want to portray the effects of greed on human beings? The sentences displayed during the climax scene indicate that Blessy’s main intention was probably to make a statement on the attacks on women in Kerala society. Haven’t there been far more better films like Kadavu and Bhoothakkannadi which have handled these themes in an artistically superior way? Blessy’s film doesn’t even entertain, and many times it stoops to the standards of a boring television serial.

If there is a director in Malayalam who has the most burden of expectations, it’s Blessy. After blazing a glorious trail with Kazhcha and Tanmatra, people expect the world from Blessy. This time he pairs up with the hero of his first movie Mammootty again. (Sorry Dileep, you will have to wait)

Monichan, played by Mammootty, is a farmer who was forced to leave school after his family lost their house and belongings in a landslip. Now, he lives with his wife, Susamma, and two daughters. To provide his children better education, Monichan decides to move from the village to a nearby town. The new environment takes a toll on the life of the naive farmer and his life changes forever. When he starts interacting with a consumerist society, he becomes ambitious and greedy. The film is about how the changes impacts on him and his family.

The other important role in the film will be presented by Jagathy Sreekumar who has not acted with Mammootty for a long time. The director, who is adamant in presenting new heroines into Malayalam through his films, has fixed Lekshmi Lahiri to play the female lead.
Blessy’s Palunku deals with problems faced by farmers

Blessy’s movies have wonderful music, this time too he has repeated Mohan Sitara for Palunku. You often wonder, in Blessy movies in which things move at snails pace, why do you need technically superior cameraman who was last seen in Singapore filming Krishh. Well, god knows and so we have Santosh Thundiyil cranking the camera for this one.

Blessy introduced Padmapriya and Meera Vasudev in his previous movies, for this movie it’s Kannada actress Lakshmi Sharma, all non malayalees.After delivering a fantastic performance in Karutha Pakshigal, with Palunku, Mammootty must be expecting to claim his stake on his 4th National award. Along with a tense Blessy, a tenser producer Howly Pottur must be awaiting for a favourable outcome at box office so that the he could get rid of Photographer related nightmares.

(Picture courtesy Sunday Kaumudi)

Kavya steps into Meera’s shoes. This was the top news in one of the news sites recently. “Hope they both have the same shoe size” was our immediate reaction. But the story was about how Kavya is going to replace Meera in Lohithadas’s new movie.

When Balram vs Taradas was being filmed, the story behind the movie made bigger news that the movie itself. That pattern seems to be repeating with various new movies. Few months back, Lohithadas announced a new project in which Jayaram was the hero. Normally most of his movies have Meera Jasmine as the heroine and it was a shocker when Lohithadas announced that Kavya Madhavan would be Jayaram’s heroine. He also mentioned that Kavya is a talented and sensual actress.

Then one day Meera came back. Then she quit again and now Kavya is back. The hero of the movie has also changed. Now it is Dileep. Maybe Lohithadas should start filming the movie and depending on Meera’s mood, she can come and act one day. The next day Kavya can act. If Jayaram wants to act, he can come in. Finally at the end of the shoot, Lohithadas can look at the daily rushes and see if anything worthwhile can be made of it. Even with such a khichdi, it might be better than movies of the Karan Johar genre and could win some awards at the IIFA. Else it can be shown as a mega serial on Kairali TV.

Seems like Lohithadas is not the only one with this problem in finalizing the cast. Blessy was supposed to do a movie with Suresh Gopi in the lead and he then it changed to Mohanlal. Now it is Mammootty. It is as if Blessy rounded up all the three heroes in Malayalam and did an “inky-pinky-ponky” with them.

Earlier we had written about issues facing Moonnamathoral, where the director was at the receiving end. That makes tantrums, whims and fancies universal in this industry. It also reveals the problem when you have a handful of actresses and actors and it is difficult to find a replacement. The only way to elegantly solve this problem is to find people with matching shoe sizes so that when one steps into another’s shoes, they are comfortable.

Ever since the movie was released, Thanmatra managed to remain in news. Initially the movie did not do well. Then it got awards. Then there was flak from medical fraternity about the characteristics of Alzheimers disease. The movie also contributed the word Rameshan Nair syndrome to Malayalees. Then came the revelation that Mohanlal did a full monty in Tanmatra.

Now in a recent interview director Blessy has revealed that Mohanlal had expressed his displeasure at the deletion of full monty scene from the movie.

In that scene, the husband is distracted by a lizard on the wall while making love to his wife; he suddenly gets up to shoo it. I felt the scene was absolutely necessary for the film, as sex is an act when a person concentrates the most. To skip that shows his mental state, and I approached it with honesty. I didn’t feel the necessity to keep any superficial coyness in the bedroom between the husband and wife. But a section of the audience could not digest it, so it was taken off. Maybe in future, when the audience’s appreciation grows, scenes like this may work.[Blessy explains]

We think that both Mohanlal and Blessy did not have problems with this scene, but strong objection was raised by the lizard. (We were told so by the fly on the wall). The lizard said that he was not portrayed in favourable light and was not sure if family audience would accept him in a full monty scene. The lizard then spoke to the horse in Kilukkam Kilukilukkam and found that animals had more power these days to block a film. When notified of this, the film makers decided not to take a chance and instead delete the scene.

Postscript: We heard that the lizard ate the fly on the wall.