Ee Adutha Kaalath

The lives of six get intertwined. As simple as it may sound, there is an underlying complexity in this, which makes this for a compelling watch.

The real success of this movie lies in the fact that no one really is the hero, or, if viewed from a different perspective, everyone is the hero in his or her own niche. Everyone is given a fair amount of importance which leaves no character in the blue.

As far as the acting goes, Indrajith and Murali Gopi shine and tower above the rest. But Baiju and Tanushree Ghosh work wonders and have been able to strike a chord with the discerning viewer! The director has also managed to extract superlative performances from the others.

The credit must go to the mastermind Murali Gopi and to a certain extent Arun Kumar Aravind, who have, without exaggeration, have crafted a masterpiece. The ease with which each the plot is untangled leaves one dazed.

Shehnad Jalal's cinematography may not be the best but it is good and the visuals are very soothing to the eye. Multi narrative screenplays demand top notch editing and that is exactly what the director, who has edited the movie himself, provides. With his interesting narration and editing Arun Kumar Aravind has given the best solution to the Rubik's cube-like screenplay (there are several references to the Rubik's cube in the movie).

An intriguing movie that will make you laugh, cry AND think.

Only flaw that was annoying more than anything was film's length which could've sorted out with clever editing. Film is about a lives of many people with different lifestyle and how their life get tangled with each other effectively conveyed through multiple narrative narration. The usual problem with multiple or hyperlink narrative is that they test your patience for awhile and ultimately rewarded as it reaches culmination(everything would be settled in its place). I believe all the actors have performed their roles perfectly. Standout performance seems to be coming from Indrajith. Murali G as a angry frustrated man was convincing. Other actors like Anoop menon, lena, Jagathy, Tanushree ghosh, Nishan etc done their part well. Although Tanushree lip syncing was a bit let down. None of the songs made an impact albeit background music was apt and perfectly placed. On technical side they should've trimmed the length. Pace of the film was making me yarn throughout. Second half was better than the first half. Overall film is a likable fare. Rating : 7.1/10

Interconnecting different story lines and characters are kind of a craze in the malayalam industry now. While things haven't really gone bad for this genre with so many people jumping aboard, in fact a lot of other genres are being brought into the mix in this genre and things are looking good in the form of a Cocktail. There are so many characters in the story but the film advertises only six of them. And each of these six characters are vibrant and colorful human blueprints. How these humans make their decisions and what kind of an impact it has on the others - that is the basic core of the movie. And in order to the set the ball rolling, the director takes his own time. It gets frustrating after a bit but I sit patiently thinking that everything happens for a reason. And voila, the inevitable twist happens and then it is on a roll. By the climax, how things lock down has been brilliantly done by the director and the writer. What struck me was the inclusion of dark comedy in the second half. It is just a minor level entry but was done very nicely. Performances by Indrajith and Murali Gopy was good. BGM was average. Acting by Tanushree and Mythili was pathetic. It doesn't quite bring out the pathos experienced by the characters to the forefront. Overall a good attempt. Rustic over here and there. It doesn't bring about euphoric moments but worked around quite well for me.

8 Points to note before watching the movie -

1. Movie becomes interesting only after 90 minutes.

2. Fab India, Domino's Pizza and Coca-Cola get publicity.

3. Nishan's character is creepy even to someone gay.

4. Karthika Balachandran and Dia Handrich play pivotal and uncredited minor roles in this movie.

5. Jagathy's character could have been played by a newcomer coz does not make a difference.

6. Why did Gimi George agree to do this movie?

7. Murali Gopy's doctor(?) character is frustrated coz he is unable to perform since many years.

8. Lena's wig is cheap and tacky. A feminist (a pseudo-feminist as well) does not require a 'boy-cut'.

Ee Adutha Kaalath knits in several pieces from many plots and spin it with all the twists, flips and turns just like we do it in Rubick's cube. You need all the patience and brain in the world to really like it in the end just the way you need to solve the Rubik's cube puzzle. Its really lovable only if you follow the game from the beginning with keenness.

The multi-plot threads are always gripping and thrilling, the character sketching being too substantial for this mode of story telling. "Ee Adutha Kaalath" doesn't come out good in that respect with some of its characters half baked, and some sub plots over dramatic. Though the dialogs were a bit rhetoric throughout the movie, the scenes in which the book titles explaining the situation were pictured rather smartly. Murali, the script writer who also played Dr.Ajay Kurien needs special mention for unveiling his character so rigorously. Indrajith as Vishnu excels. The casting wasn't the best to be, so was editing - Arun Kumar who is the editor & director had a dream debut with "Cocktail" - which went down at times. The background score by Gopi sundar saves the movie many a time from getting drowned.

The movie brings in many contemporary social issues in the plot, all very brilliantly knitted. But seldom do we really stay glued to our seats anticipating the next move for it falls in shades where it could have been neat. That said, the script needs appreciation for bringing in too many things which are connected making them all fall in place in the end. Had it been suave and shrewd, it would have been a class apart. Ee Adutha Kaalath is a diacritical attempt which stands tall thematically and philosophically. Watch it once or twice.