Chandranudikkunna Dikkil - Malayalam Video Review

Starring: Dilip, Kavya Madhavan, Samyukta Varma, Biju Menon, Lal, Jagadeesh, Innocent, N.F. Verghese, Pappu, Indrans, Sukumari
Directed by: Lal-Jose

This film bears quite a resemblance to Priyadarshan's Thenmavin Kombathu starring Mohan Lal and Shobana. The resemblance is not in the story or theme but in the mood – the way emotions are delineated and the juxtaposition of innocence and evil. While the earlier film was pure arcadian fantasy, this film is quite down-to-earth and realistic with flesh and blood characters. The directors, Lal-Jose, have to be commended for fashioning a fairly entertaining piece of work, without the help of superstars.

The presence of heavyweight actors would have actually hampered the narrative from attaining that spartan, rough edge it now has.
The hero Mukundan (Dilip), down and out on his luck and working as a driver for a travel agency in town, meets Hema (Samyukta Varma), a dancer who works in a ballet troupe. City smart and fast on the repartee, she is the family breadwinner, looking after her paralysed mother and elder sister.

Mukundan and Hema's lives cross once too often and he ends up as a tenant in her house.
One of the clients Mukundan has to escort happens to be an alcoholic lecturer (Biju Menon) who is running away from an unhappy domestic situation. Mukundan saves him from a suicide attempt only to discover that the lecturer's wife is none other than his former love Radha (Kavya Madhavan).

Mukundan was a bank officer posted in Radha's village Shravannagar, where the farmers were exploited by the local toughie called Thimmayah with the connivance of the bank manager Antony (Innocent). Radha, the only educated girl in the village, is drawn to Mukundan. But before she could get her brother Partha (Lal), who works as a cowherd, approve her choice of life partner, tragedy strikes.

Her cruel father, Chakrapani (N.F. Verghese) returns with a new wife in tow. Partha kicks them out of the house and in revenge, the father colludes with Antony and Thimmayah to create a rift between Mukundan and Partha. They also successfully frame Mukundan in a financial scam and get him arrested.

Radha is married off to the lecturer in her college who hails from a rich family in the city. Mukundan comes back from jail to take revenge on Chakrapani. But in the resulting melee, Thimmayah is killed at the hands of Partha.

Radha tries hard to become a good wife. But when she realises that Mukundan was framed, she becomes hysterical and seeks a divorce. Her husband, who deeply loves her, is a broken man.

Mukundan gradually tries to forget about his short-lived career and romance in Shravannagar by immersing himself in his work as a driver amid the squalor of the big town. Now Radha poses a challenge before him too. She wants to separate from her husband and come to him. Moral decisions have to be made and lives are at stake.

The directors Lal-Jose, who have penned the story too, find a satisfying denouement that does not tax our sense of fair play and credibility.

A major plus point, apart from the star cast who perfectly fit their roles, is the choice of music director. Vidyasagar has churned out a couple of hits, including the title song. The humour too is endearing, not over the top, as in most of the Malayalam movies.

The cameo by late Kudiravattam Pappu as Mukundan's parasitic room partner is brilliant. Dilip gives a controlled performance as Mukundan, while Kavya is absolutely radiant, while Samyukta thrives even in a lightweight role.
Two factors that detract from the overall impact of the movie are the many coincidences in the story and the use of flashback.
Video courtesy: Tetco Video