Totally Filmi

Malayalam Films 2012: June 29th

Three films this week, and I am very, very excited about one of them.  Let's save that one for last, shall we?

 

First, there's Namukku Parkkan, from director Aji John.  I'm actually quite curious about this one, because some of the press I read about the film (which tells the story of a man who dreams of building his own house) suggests it's inspired by the classic family dramas of the 1980s.  I'm always interested in a good story, simply told, and I'm hoping Namukku Parkkan will be one of those films:

 

 

 

Also opening this week is M. A. Nishad's No. 66 Madhura Bus, apparently involving lust, love and revenge.  Possibly not my cup of tea at all:

 

 

Finally, the film I am most excited about this week, and which I can hardly wait to see:  Anwar Rasheed's Usthad Hotel (which features a story and screenplay by someone whom I'm sure will not be long in becoming a Totally Filmi Casa Fave, Anjali Menon), the second film for actor Dulquer Salmaan:

 

 

Once again, I can hardly wait for the DVD release.

 

SIIMA: Best Film (Malayalam)

The nominees for Best Film are:

 

Salt N' Pepper ( Sadanandan Rangorath & Debobroto Mandal / Lucsam Cinema )

 

Melvilasom ( Muhammed Salim / Mark Movies )

 

Indian Rupee ( Prithviraj, Santhosh Sivan, Shaji Natesan / August Cinema )

 

Adaminte Makan Abu ( Salim Ahamed Ashraf Bedi / Allens Media )

 

Traffic ( Listin Stephen / Magic Frames )

 

You know how sometimes, you look at the Best Film category at certain awards functions, and you wonder how some of those films got there?  Not this time.  Five absolutely terrific, top-notch films.

These five films easily made my list of Top Ten Malayalam films for 2011.   A couple of these films easily could take top spot as my favorite film of the year. 

The problem?  They are all so good, that one minute, I think one is best; another minute, another film.

So, if you're looking for good Malayalam films to watch, you can do no worse than any one of these five.  Though I'd probably suggest you start with Salt N' Pepper.  Or maybe Traffic. 

No, seriously.  Go watch them all.  But I won't be surprised if Indian Rupee ends up winning the SIIMA for Best Film.

SIIMA: Best Lyricist (Malayalam)

The nominees:

 

Mullanezhi for "Ee puzhayum" from Indian Rupee

 

ONV Kurup for "Paattil" from Pranayam

 

Anoop Menon for "Mazhaneerthullikal" from Beautiful

 

Rafeeq Ahmad for "Premikkumbol" from Salt N' Pepper

 

Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan for "Theeye Theeye" from Chappa Kurishu

 

This is a category for which I don't feel comfortable having an opinion, simply because I can only judge the songs based on the subtitles.  I will say this though -- of all the songs nominated, "Mazhaneerthullikal" from Beautiful  was probably the most beautifully and poetically translated.  I'll be curious to see which of these songs wins the award.

 

SIIMA: Best Cinematographer (Malayalam)

 

Madhu Ambat for Makaramanju:

 

Santosh Sivan for Urumi:

 

Satheesh Kurup for Pranayam:

 

Jomon T. John for Beautiful:

 

Shyju Khalid for Traffic:

 

Holy cats, what a beautiful set of films.  Every single one of them is striking and deserving to win.  I can't help but note a certain irony in the fact that Madhu Ambat was not nominated for Adaminte Makan Abu (for which he won a National Award), and is nominated for a film that stars Santosh Sivan.

And novice Satheesh Kurup is up against a powerhouse veteran like Santosh Sivan, but his film is just as deserving.

Jomon T. John's nomination is for the beautiful Beautiful, but it could easily be for another film in contention for a SIIMA this year (in the debutant director category), Chappa Kurishu.  The same could be said of Shyju Khalid, who was also the cinematographer for the lovely Salt N' Pepper.

So.  Who will win?  I'd guess Santosh Sivan, and although the fangirl in me wouldn't  be unhappy with that, and Urumi was truly a very beautiful film,  I think it would be interesting to see it go to Madhu Ambat or Shyju Khalid (the latter partly because after watching the trailer again, I remembered just how much I loved Traffic and its crisp visuals).

 

SIIMA: Best Playback Singer (Female) (Malayalam)

 

Another set of truly lovely songs:

 

Sujatha for "Anthimana" from Indian Rupee:

 

Manjari for "Chimmi Chimmi" from Urumi:

 

Gayathri for "Nin viral Thumbil" from Beautiful:

 

Shreya Ghosal for "Paattil" from  Pranayam:

 

 Pushpavathy for "Chembavu" from Salt N' Pepper:

  

 

I suspect Shreya Ghosal will win this one, and I wouldn't disagree with that.  I love all these songs -- the adorable "Chimmi Chimmi" is a particular favorite -- but I think if I really had to choose one, I'd choose Pushpavathy for "Chembavu".  That song just hooked me right into the film, and I love them both.

 

SIIMA: Best Playback Singer (Male) (Malayalam)

 

Probably the best way to judge this character is just to listen to the nominees, right?

 

P.  Jayachandran for "Premikkumbol" from Salt N' Pepper:

 

 Vijay Yesudas for "Ee puzhayum" from Indian Rupee:

 

Hariharan for "Amruthamayai" from Snehaveedu:

 

Unni Menon for "Mizhuneer Thullikal" from Beautiful:

 

 

KJ Yesudas for "Aaro nee" from Urumi:

 

An exceptionally difficult category, no?  All the songs are beautiful, quite honestly.  But I think my pick has to be Vijay Yesudas, his voice is just awesome, and that song makes me want to melt.

Malayalam Films 2012: June 15th

Today, a couple of heavy-weights face off at the box office!

First, the much-anticipated (by me, anyway) Ranjith film Spirit, starring Mohanlal as a journalist whose personal and professional life is affected by his relationship with the titular spirit.  There were three trailers for the film, and it's worth looking at all of them -- you can see Ranjith's sensitivity and sense of humour at work here:

 

 

 

 

And if a new film from Ranjith wasn't enough this week, there's also Bachelor Party, from director Amal Neerad (of the most excellent Anwar).  Asif Ali!  Indrajith! Rahman! Kalabhavan Mani! Vinayakan! Nithya Menen! John Vijay! Ashish Vidyarthi! Padmapriya! Ramya Nambessan! Jinju Joseph! LENA! Sunil Sukhada! Prithviraj!  As the film's Wikipedia page states:  "This movie has the potential to have a cult status in malayalam film industry."

 

 

Overshadowed a little bit by these two mammoth releases are a couple of films -- first, Kalikalam from director Reji Nair:

 

 

 

And, from director Syed Usman, there's Silent Valley:

 

 

Malayalam Films 2012: June 8th

Quick post (as I'm not at home):

 

Navagatharkku Swagatham, directed by Jayakrishna Karnavar, starring Mukesh:

 

 

Snake and Ladder, directed by V. Menon:

 

 

 

Vaadhyar, directed by Nidheesh Sakthi, and starring Jayasurya:

 

 

 

Malayalam Films 2012: June 1st

 

One film today:  Veendum Kannur, a political thriller starring Anoop Menon and directed by Haridas Keshavan.

 

 

I love political thrillers, but I'm willing to bet the DVD won't have subtitles.  We'll see.

May Movie Madness: Teja Bhai and Family in Six Words

 

Lots of slapstick.  Emphasis on slap.

 

 

Teja Bhai and Family (Malayalam, dir. Deepu Karunakaran, 2011)

Starring: Prithviraj, Akhila, Thalaivasal Vijay, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jagadish, Salim Kumar, Jagathy Sreekumar, Indrans, Nedumudi Venu, Kollam Thulasi, Rajeev Govinda Pillai, Kochu Preman, Vettukili, Manju Pillai, Kulapuli Leela

Worth Revisiting?   Um.  Well.  Um.  No.  Okay, I'm torn, because I think the Megastars have honestly reached the stage in their careers where they have to think about moving on from these kinds of masala action films that rely totally on the Megastar image.  So, it's probably about time that Young Superstar Prithviraj started making some moves to take up the torch, as it were, when it finally really does get passed on.  I'm just not sure Teja Bhai and Family was the best way to do it.

If you remotely have no patience at all for comedy uncles or aunties, you're going to find Teja Bhai a wee bit trying, since it features probably every comedy uncle and aunty currently working in Mollywood.  I found them funny at times, but they often wore thin, and I LOVE the comedy uncles and aunties. 

But Teja Bhai and Family delivered up one moment of gold that I hadn't known was there!  It features a remix of the song "Oru Madhurakinavin", performed by Vijay Yesudas, son of the illustrious K.J. Yesudas, who sang the original version.  Here, enjoy it in all its disco glory:

 

 

It's not easy to find the original version of the song online.  It came from the film Kanamarayathu, a film I have wanted to see for a very long time.  This is the Malayalam adaptation of Daddy Long Legs, that was later remade in Hindi as Anokha Rishta.  The original version of the song features an almost impossibly young Rahman, and it was a huge hit:

 

 

So Teja Bhai and Family gets brownie points for reminding me about the original song.  Still not sure I'd want to see it again, though.

 

 

May Movie Madness: Swapna Sanchari in Six Words

 

Ajaychandran learns that money isn't everything.

 

 

Swapna Sanchari ("Dream Traveller", Malayalam, dir. Kamal, 2011)

Starring: Jayaram,  Samvrutha Sunil, Innocent, Harisree Ashokan, Salim Kumar, Bhama, Meera Nandan, Balachandran Chullikkadu, Jagathy Sreekumar

Worth Revisiting?  Sadly, no.  Kamal is a terrific filmmaker, but I think I'd probably recommend films such as Perumazhakkalam  or Gaddama (also from 2011) over this one.  It's a solidly made family drama, it has a good message about the perils of valuing wealth and status over other things in life, but it's a message I've heard before, and the film brings nothing really new to the table. 

 

May Movie Madness: Sankaranum Mohananum in Six Words

 

Mohankrishnan sees (and hears) dead people.

 

 

Sankaranum Mohananum ("Sankaran and Mohanan", Malayalam, dir. T.V. Chandran, 2011)

Starring:  Jayasurya, Meera Nandan, Rima Kallingal, Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sudheesh, Bijukuttan, Indrans, Kochupreman, Ambika, Rosilin, Sivaji Guruvayur

Worth Revisiting? Sadly, no.  I honestly did not like this film very much at all.  And that *is* sad, because it's from award-winning and acclaimed art-house director T.V. Chandran.  I would give my eye teeth to see some of Chandran's previous work, and I do search for the DVDs regularly.

But Sankaranum Mohananum  made me think of two French expressions.  The first, "rester bouche bée" which I'd probably translate as "gobsmacked".  But I realized part way through the film that I was honestly sitting there with my mouth agape at what was happening.

The other term it brought to mind is "quel gâchis" or what a waste.  A waste of talent, for sure -- two small performances by Suraj Venjaramoodu and Jagathy Sreekumar are lost, Rima Kallingal is practically not there at all.  The story made absolutely no sense to me.  Okay, I get the idea:  the dead take their worries with them into the great beyond, illustrated by the fact that Mohankrishnan's brother, Sankaran, who has died the day after his marriage, is obsessed with telling his wife that he still loves her.

However, I found the ghost of Sankaran incredibly annoying -- the only person who can see him is his brother, and he just keeps appearing in a series of strange avatars with no explanation why.  He is also incredibly selfish -- when a new husband is found for his widow (a situation which will mean her whole life won't be ruined by his unfortunate and untimely death), he insists that his brother go and beat the guy up and stop the wedding.  Later, he asks only that the wedding be postponed to a time when he will have lost his memories of his wife. 

And I couldn't figure out why Mohankrishnan just blindly went along with everything his brother told him to do, instead of taking a step back and thinking maybe doing what his dead brother is asking maybe isn't the best course of action.

If that weren't enough -- suddenly, and late in the film, Mohankrishnan starts seeing and hearing other ghosts -- this is to reinforce the idea that when someone dies, they are helpless to take care of things that need looking after.

So I think I shall pass on writing about this film any further, and keep my fingers crossed that I can find some of T.V. Chandran's previous films to enjoy.

 

Malayalam Films 2012: May 25th

 

This week, Young Super Star Prithviraj is back, in Hero, an action thriller directed by Diphan:

 

 

There's also Ezham Suryan from debut director Njanasheelan:

 

 

And finally, from director M. Padmakumar, there's Thiruvambadi Thamban,  starring Jayaram:

 

May Movie Madness: Athbhutha Dweepu in Six Words

 

Six words are not nearly enough.

 

 

Athbhutha Dweepu ("Wonder Island", Malayalam, dir. Vinayan, 2005)

Starring:  Prithviraj, Mallika Kapoor, Radha, Guinness Pakru (as Unda Pakru), Jagathy Sreekumar, Jagadish, Bindu Panikkar, Kalpana, Indrans, Ponnamma Babu, Vettoor Purushan, Baburaj, Valsala Menon

Worth Revisiting?  Absolutely.  Athbhutha Dweepu has been described as Gulliver's Travels, without Gulliver or the travels.  And according to the film's Wikipedia page, the rights to the film have been bought by Ron Howard, who wanted to remake it starring Leonardo DiCaprio, with the 300 dwarfs in the film reprising their roles.   I am not making that up.  Frankly, I'm not convinced, but boy, is that a remake I would love to see.  The film is the story of an island where the men are dwarfs because of a curse, and the women are....um...."regular" size (in quotes because I recognize this is a bit of a minefield, and yes, I think it's worth pondering the whole thing about size and whatnot.  The film makes the point by the end that it's not the size of the package but the heart inside it.)  Four members of the Indian Navy end up on the island after their helicopter goes down, and the whole film revolves around how they have to escape from the ruling dwarf princes who want to kill them.  Seriously, there is no way to do this film justice in six words.  And it features a terrific performance from Guinness Pakru, so called because he's in the Guiness Book of World Records because of this film, being the smallest person to star in a feature length film.  All that said, I'm not sure I can stomache the rather gruesome final battle against the cannibal giants a second time.

Yes, I did just write "cannibal giants".  Truly, six words are not enough.

 

May Movie Madness: Sevenes in Six Words

 

Seven friends become a quotation team.

 

 

Sevenes, (Malayalam, dir. Joshiy, 2011)

Starring:  Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Rejith Menon, Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Vineeth Kumar, Rima Kallingal, Ameer,  Bhama, Ramya Raj, Nadia Moidu, Mamukkoya, Manian Pillai Raju, Shivaji, Sri Kala, Preethi Srinivasan

Worth Revisiting?  Perhaps.  I found the theme, about how these friends get roped into forming a quotation team out of desperate need for money to pay medical bills, rather compelling.  One job, they think, will be enough, but then there are more and more reasons to keep going, more bills to pay, until they find themselves in over their heads before they even realize it's happening.   But I didn't find myself emotionally engaged with the story -- the friends all seem likeable enough, but I didn't feel that I got to know any of them well enough to really care about what was happening to them.  Asif Ali's performance stands out for me (as it often does), and I dearly regret that there wasn't enough scope to give they very talented Rima Kallingal a bigger role.  That said, Nadia Moidu was terrific as the tough cop, and I do think there's some scope to revisit the film at some point.

 

May Movie Madness: The Filmstaar in Six Words

 

A village's suffering inspires a film.

 

The Filmstaar  (Malayalam, dir. Sanjeev Raj, 2011)

Starring:  Kalabhavan Mani, Dileep, Muktha, Rambha, Thalaivasal Vijay, Ganga, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar, Ashokan, Valsala Menon, Devan, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Baburaj, Sadique

Worth Revisiting?   You know, there's much to love about The Filmstaar.  There's a good honest story at the core of it all, with some excellent twists.  But I had the impression at times that the film wasn't sure what it wanted to be.  A simple man's story about how his village is destroyed by industrialisation backed by corrupt politicians?  Or a masala action film?  As a result, I'm left with decidedly mixed feelings.  Perhaps I should write about the film in depth to work through them, but I'm not sure I could face the scene where we find out how Nandagopan (Dileep) loses his leg a second time.

 

May Movie Madness: Venicile Vyapari in Six Words

 

Megastar Mammootty solves muddled murder mystery.

 

 

Venicile Vyapari ("The Merchant of Venice", Malayalam, dir. Shafi, 2011)

Starring: Mammootty, Kavya Madhavan, Poonam Bajwa, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Janardhanan, Salim Kumar, Vijaya Raghavan, Guinness Pakru, Biju Menon

Worth Revisiting?  I would like to screencap the opening credits at some point, they are kind of wonderful and cracktastic.  But I'm having a hard time reconciling the fact that writer James Albert -- of Totally Filmi Casa Fave Classmates --- also wrote the script for this.  Venicile Vyapari  is a messy film that meanders all over the place before finally getting to the point, in stark contrast to the carefully crafted mystery of Classmates.  However, the film is set in Alappuzha (AKA Alleppey), described as "the Venice of the East" (hence the Venice of the film's title -- the merchant in this case being Mammootty), and the scenery is incredibly beautiful.  The megastar isn't given much to do except be the megastar, but there are some lovely performances in the film, most notably from Kavya Madhavan and Jagathy Sreekumar.

 

May Movie Madness: Snehaveedu in Six Words

 

Love trumps all, even blood ties.

 

 

Snehaveedu ("The House of Love", Malayalam, dir. Sathyan Anthikad, 2011)

Starring:  Mohanlal, Sheela, Padmapriya, Biju Menon, Innocent, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Mamukkoya, Rahul Pillai, Reeja, Chembil Ashokan, Lena, Urmila Unni, Arundathi, Sasi Kalinga, Appukutty, Praveen Premkumar

Worth Revisiting?    Yes.  A solid, decently crafted film from director Sathyan Athikad.  Some reviews have suggested it's too much of a familiar Anthikad formula, but as I've not seen any of the director's previous films, I rather enjoyed it.  A lovely slice of life in rural Kerala, an interesting theme, and some terrific performances from everyone in the cast.

 

Malayalam Films 2012: May 18th

 

Four films this week, two of which I really, really, really want to see!

First, from director Shyamaprasad (whose Ore Kadal I adored), there is Arike another adaptation from a story by Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay:

 

 

Yup.  Totally my cup of tea, I think.

Next up is Gruhanathan (or Grihanathan, depending on the source), from director Mohan Kupleri:

 

 

I quite like Mukesh, but family dramas generally aren't my favorites.  We'll see.

Then, from M. Basheer, there is Lakshmi Vilasam Renuka Makan Reghuraman.   I couldn't find a trailer anywhere, which generally does not bode well.  I'm guessing the DVD won't have English subtitles, so I'll likely not see this one.

However!  Saving the best for last!  I have been DYING to see director Anjali Menon's Manjadikuru ever since I first heard about it, and it's finally releasing this week!

 

 

Can you hear my squee-ing?  Squee!  I am so excited by this film that I have to share another snippet:

 

 

Oh, how I wish I could go see the film in a theater this weekend!  I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favorite films this year, I'm already counting down the days to the DVD release!

 

 

 

May Movie Madness: Perumazhakkalam in Six Words

 

So much rain.  So many tears.

 

 

Perumazhakkalam ("The Season of Heavy Rains", Mayalam, dir. Kamal, 2004)

Starring:  Meera Jasmine, Kavya Madhavan, Dileep, Biju Menon, Vineeth, Mamukkoya, Sadiq, Salim Kumar, Kalasala Babu, Yadu Krishnan, Mala Aravindan, Babu Nampoothiri, Sivaji, Valsala Menon, Ramya Nambeeshan, Ramu

Worth Revisiting?  Oh, yes.  In fact, I've seen Perumazhakkalam several times, and really wanted to write it up during Adam's Rib, but fell sick and couldn't muster the energy.  But it's a lovely film, and it will be interesting to compare/contrast it with its Hindi remake, Dor.  The film won a National Award in 2005 ("Best Film on Other Social Issues") and Kavya Madhavan, with her almost silent portrayal of anguish, won a Kerala State Award for Best Actress in 2004.  So, yes, I shall be writing further on this film!

 

May Movie Madness: Makeup Man in Six Words

 

Wife becomes actress; husband, makeup man.

 

 

Makeup Man (Malayalam, dir. Shafi, 2011)

Starring:   Jayaram, Sheela, Siddique, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Janardhanan, Jagadish, Salim Kumar, Jagathy Sreekumar, Shammi Thilakan, Babu Namboothiri, Saiju Kuruppu, Appahaja, Devan, Krishna Kumar

Guest Appearances:  Kunchacko Boban, Kamna Jethmalani, Prithviraj

Worth Revisiting?  The guest appearances are fun.  There are some good moments.  Jayaram is good (although slightly age-inappropriate again) the film is all right, although it starts to unravel seriously in the second half.  Once again, Suraj Venjaramoodu is a bright spot in the film. If I do write about Makeup Man more fully, it will likely be to consider the whole "hidden marriage so wife can become actress" and betrayal theme that runs through the film.

 

May Movie Madness: Oru Marubhoomikadha in Six Words

 

This is a very silly film.

 

 

Oru Marubhoomikadha  (Malayalam, dir. Priyadarshan, 2011)

Starring:  Mohanlal, Mukesh, Shakti Kapoor, Innocent,  Mamukkoya, Nedumudi Venu, Lakshmi Rai, Bhavana, Suraj Venjaramood, Maniyanpilla Raju, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Sreenivasan

Worth Revisiting?  Yes. I should probably not admit it, but yes.  I laughed, loudly, and often.  Mohanlal is brilliant, Mukesh and Bhavana are terrific, and even though the story is a cobbling together of bits from other films (including Serendipity, the film that was remade in Hindi as Milenge Milenge) somehow, here Priyadarshan makes it all work.  It's not great cinema.  It's highly silly and full of slapstick.  But I'm not surprised it ended up a hit, and not surprised it's another film slated for a Hindi remake.   A rumour that it might star Salman Khan sort of fit eerily with the original six words I wrote for this film:  David Dhawan, here's your Partner sequel.  I know that particular ship has sailed, but oh, it would be so funny with Salman Khan and Govinda.

 

May Movie Madness: Orma Mathram in Six Words

 

So much of loss and sadness.

 

 

Orma Mathram  ("Memories Alone", Malayalam, dir. Madhu Kaithapram, 2011)

Starring: Dileep, Priyanka Nair, Master Sidharth, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu,  Salim Kumar, Harishree Ashokan, Dhanya Mary Varghese

Worth Revisiting?  Yes.  If my heart can stand breaking twice for the same movie.  I do think the film tries to tackle too many serious issues and never really deals with any of them, and I am troubled by some of the moral issues the film sets out, particularly the guilt around the abortion Safiya (Priyanka Nair) has and the idea that somehow her son's disappearance is some kind of karmic retribution for it.  Still, perhaps that's worth further thought and exploration.

 

May Movie Madness: Doctor Love in Six Words

 

Failed writer turns campus romance consultant.

 

 

Doctor Love (Malayalam, Dir. K. Biju, 2011)

Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Bhavana, Ananya, Bhagat, Aju Varghese,Shraavan, Manikuttan, Prakasaan, Hemanth Menon, Rejath Menon, Shari, Nimisha Suresh, Gimi George, Vidya Unni, Innocent, Bindu Panicker, Nedumudi Venu, Salim Kumar, Vijayaraghavan

Special Appearances:  Lal, Asif Ali

Worth Revisiting?  Oh, Kunchacko Boban, you and I don't have a very good track record this month, do we?  Another example of a film that squanders a lot of terrific talent.  I like Kunchacko Boban, I really like Bhavana, but they're both wasted here.  There are blink-and-you-miss-them performances from Innocent, Salim Kumar, and Nedumudi Venu.  The two special appearances, from Totally Film Casa Favorites Lal and Asif Ali, are both tucked into the film's first five minutes, so that's likely all I'm going to want to see again.

Oh, wait.  Unless I decide to do a post on filmi love gurus.  There's a little scope for comparison, say, to David Dhawan's Partner.  Maybe one day....

 

May Movie Madness: Doubles in Six Words

 

Today, I'm going to let the movie speak for itself:

 

 

 

Doubles (Malayalam, dir. Sohan Seenulal, 2011)

Starring:  Mammootty, Nadia Moidu, Taapsee Pannu, Suresh, Saiju Kurup, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Salim Kumar, Anoop Chandran, Avinash, Y. G. Mahendra

Worth Revisiting?  No.  Most emphatically no.  The writing team of Sachi-Sethu were purported to have broken up over the failure of Doubles.  Not even the Megastar himself, Mammootty, could save this for me.  If there is the smallest of bright lights, it's in the performance of Salim Kumar, but I think that's just me trying to be generous.