The reel and the real plays out in interesting ways in Pranav Mohanlal’s second film ‘Irupathiyonnam Noottandu’.
Appu, the character played by Pranav, is someone who consciously strives to follow a path different from that of his father Baba (Manoj.K. Jayan), a “former” underworld don. He prefers a simple and quiet life, running their Goan homestay, minus the guns, goons and ill-gotten money. He even rejects an appeal for just one “quotation” job from his father, to save the family from debt.
- Starring: Pranav Mohanlal, Zaya David
- Direction: Arun Gopy
But, Pranav, the newcomer, is in the shadow of his superstar father all through the film, with viewers being contantly reminded who Pranav is. Even his first name comes on the title card as an after-thought, with the name ‘Mohanlal’ flashed across the screen first, and ‘Pranav’ arriving a few seconds later.
Unlike Mohanlal’s ‘Irupatham Noottandu’ though, this is no gangland thriller. It is a love story, which necessitates that the hero turns action hero in the latter half. Into Appu’s quiet life in Goa, arrives Zaya (Zaya David), a mysterious woman with peculiar wishes, like wanting to see the remains of a 12th century saint locked up inside a church, right around midnight.
In his second film, director Arun Gopy yet again attempts to make a mass entertainer, with equal mixes of romance, humour, action and jaded commentary on social issues. As with all formulae, the results are as expected. Gopy here is hardly ever in command, with an incoherent script that does not even attempt to bring in novelty or surprises. The initial focus on Appu’s promise to repay the money owed by his father to a clownish underworld doncompletely disappears from the picture after a point.
When the action inevitably shifts to from Goa to Kerala, another cardboard villain arrives, grimacing and shouting. This movie specialises in single shade characters who lack any depth, like the sidekick character who is a comic one-liner machine. Even when addressing various issues, like communalism or sexual abuse of children, the director chooses to talk than show. At one point, the protagonist gives a lecture on why women should speak up, even as barbs fly against feminism and gender politics.
For Pranav, his debut ‘Aadhi’ worked to his strengths, showcasing his parkour skills and helping him paper over the shortcomings in acting. Here though, he is expected to emote often, throwing him a challenge which he finds tough to live up to. When it comes to action, the below par visual effects, especially for a fight on top of a train, spoils the game for him.
The film’s title might have been a reminder to the self by the director about the century that he is living in, after making a film which clearly belongs to the previous one.