Pattinte Palazhi
Cast Meera Jasmine, Revathy Menon, Manoj K. Jayan, Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Sreekumar
Director Rajeev Anchal
Rating G
It has been a while sinceI saw a film whose core plot centres on music and, yes, lyrics that sound like lyrics, and not deafening din. Rajeev Anchal's Malayalam movie Pattinte Palazhi literally sails on musical notes ably orchestrated by Suresh Manimala. Some of the numbers are bound to top the charts.
The film has yet another high point: it marks the return of Meera Jasmine to Malayalam cinema after a long hiatus. Unfortunately, as a playback singer Veena, whose dream turns into a nightmare, she does not seem to have quite put her heart into the role. Clearly paling in comparison to both Nedumudi Venu, who excels in a brief performance as a Hindustani classical singer, and Jagathy Sreemumar who plays her father, Jasmine depicts rather half-heartedly the pain and pathos of having taken a wrong road in life.
With her heart set on playback songs for movies, Veena finds a vehement critic in her father, who thinks movies merely corrupt music into cacophony.
When a rich businessman, Ameer (Jayan), comes along and sweeps her off her feet with a promise to get her lucrative film contracts, Veena in her delirious, though foolish, joy elopes with him. But the path ahead has a barrier that she finds impossible to overcome.
The plot begins well, but Anchal loses track midway and wanders into familiar and clichéd avenues like marital discord and psychological problems. This seems totally unnecessary, at least this last one.
Performances, barring those of Jasmine as the younger Veena and Venu, do not lift our spirits either, and in the end a promising storyline seems to have been wasted on inanities.
