Unni Mukundan’s ‘divine act’ is the saving grace in this timepass entertainer

Regardless of her repeated makes an attempt, eight-year-old Kalyani by no means will get to understand her want of visiting Sabarimala. However after a private tragedy, she lastly decides to undertake the journey, within the firm of her classmate Unni. What risks await the 2 kids and the way does the arrival of a stranger assist them?

Director Vishnu Sasi Shankar’s Malikappuram is scriptwriter Abhilash Pillai’s third Malayalam launch this yr after Vysakh’s Evening Driver and M Padmakumar’s Pathaam Valavu. The similarities by way of how he has structured the three screenplays are evident, within the sense that each one films had disjointed halves and really come into their very own solely within the latter parts. However what works in Malikappuram is that it does not include any hefty concepts or layered storylines. Actually, it is a easy story of an eight-year-old woman’s want to go to Sabarimala, and the makers have not tried too many issues with it, as soon as they determine to go the route. 

The primary half of the film serves to solely lengthen it. We get a backstory of the woman, Kalyani, and her father, who retains promising her to take her to Sabarimala however by no means fulfills it due to the varied challenges he has to endure. The drama in these parts are acquainted and it solely stretches the movie. Nonetheless, as soon as Kalyani and her good friend determine to go on the journey, it turns into a extra pleasant affair, with Unni Mukundan’s character serving to to maintain the viewers engaged. 

Unni, as Ayyappadas, is pleasant on this function, which requires him to shuttle between being playful and in addition painting a restrained bravado. The makers have tried to incorporate a couple of ‘massy’ parts to spice issues up – particularly an motion sequence that has his character performing roundhouse kicks and thumping punches together with doing cartwheels and capturing arrows. It is virtually like Malikappuran activates its head in these jiffy and assumes the guise of a Telugu movie. To his credit score, Unni does pull the scene off nevertheless it does really feel a tad violent, given the character he’s assumed to be. 

Among the best scenes within the movie additionally comes within the latter half when Unni’s character guides Kalyani in direction of the 18 steps on the Sabarimala temple. Youngster artiste Devinandha does an excellent job together with Sripadh. The opposite supporting forged of Saiju Kurup, Ramesh Pisharody, Renji Panicker and Manoj Okay Jayan get restricted display screen time within the film.

Vishnu Narayanan’s cinematography takes the viewers via the pilgrimage, sans the claustrophobic feeling that often accompanies the packed journey. Ranjin Raj’s songs additionally go alongside nicely with the movie, barring the thumping beats in the course of the motion scenes. 

Malikappuram qualifies as a timepass watch, because of its first rate second half, elevated by a pleasant efficiency by Unni Mukundan.