Best Of Luck

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Mammootty (guest role), Prabhu, Asif Ali, Kailash, Urvasi, Rima Kallingal, Archana Kavi, Jagathy
Director : M.A.Nishad
Music : Euphoria, Rajamani (bg score)

Like other languages, the youth trend is slowly happening in the malayalam cine industry also. The shooting of many such projects are going on. The acceptance of movies like 'Apoorva Raagam' and 'Malarvaadi Arts Club' gave the extra energy for producers to invest amount on projects having young actors. Director of 'Pakal', 'Nagaram', 'Vairam' etc had come up with his new movie 'Best Of Luck' with many popular young faces introduced through 'Rithu' and 'Neelathaamara'; senior actors like Prabhu and Urvasi are placed in notable roles and more important Megastar Mammootty is doing a guest appearance, which makes the project big. Sanjeev Shankar is the cinematographer and Samjith is the editor.

Manu (Asif Ali) and Soorya (Kailash) are friends. Both of them are having their own ambitions in the life. They had got lovers (Rima for Manu and Archana for Soorya). Manu wants to enter the movie industry, Soorya is living with the small amount of money he gets monthly from his step brother (Prabhu). They are having some financial liabilities and wants to solve it by the help of Soorya's brother who is very rich. Soorya called him and told a lie that his marriage has happened. They thought that the brother will register the house in Soorya's name. One day, the brother decided to visit them when Archana was in abroad, Soorya had to show some one as his wife, Rima acted in such a role, there the confusion drama had started. Mean while Manu tells his story to actor Mammootty as a part of doing a movie and the star had asked him to work on it. How the friends achieves their ambitions, is told in a humorous way here.

'Best Of Luck' is not a fresh theme like the recent releases 'Cock Tail', 'Four Friends' and 'Anwar'. It is the remake of hindi movie 'All the Best' starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Fardeen Khan by Rohit Shetty ('Golmaal' fame) and some of the episodes reminded us of many situation comedies that came in Priyadarshan movies in the past. But the director had not succeeded in presenting the movie in an acceptable way. This is mainly due to the immaturity of the players who had participated in a game which is not at all familiar to them, even the refree. Asif Ali is ok. Kailash is not flexible, it is neatly evident in many areas especially songs. The performance of Rima Kallingal and Archana Kavi are not natural. Prabhu's heaviness in the character is not revealed as expected. Urvasi's dialogue slang is an over doze in some areas. Bheeman Raghu's role felt too funny at times. The role given for Jagathi and Suraaj Venjarammood are not creating a good comedy.

The combination scene involving four-five artists to create the comedy is filled with bad timing sense and hence too horrible most of the time. The dialogues involving chewing gum name had been told many times, which is good for an advertisement only. The songs given by Euphoria band are not good. Bg score by Rajamani is also affected as rest of the situations. Since the majority areas are straightly lifted from hindi, Vinu Kiriyath's task was only to write the dialogues, which is also not done in the best way. Mammootty's role in three scenes is an addition in malayalam version, which is good, but with in all the other instabilities it can't be highlighted alone.


If you are very particular about this comedy subject, it is good to take the dvd of hindi movie 'All The Best' and enjoy; those who want to watch Mammootty, try some of his good movies; At any cost no need to "die" for a bad remake like 'Best Of Luck'.


Rating : 2 / 10

Mummy & Me

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Urvashi, Archana Kavi, Mukesh, Kunjakko Boban, Lalu Alex
Director : Jithu Joseph
Music : Sijo John, Gopi Sundar (bg score)

'Mummy & Me', don't you feel, such a title for the new family subject is interesting, as it is in malayalam. Here Urvashi comes in the mother's role and Archana Kavi, who did the lead character in 'Neelathaamra', is in the role of the daughter. Mukesh comes as the pair to Urvashi (may be this is happening after a gap of around 20years, if i am right, they acted as pairs in the film 'Souhridham' by Shaji Kailas, before). Jithu Joseph, the director of the film had given a notable investigative film before, 'Detective'. Though that film with Suresh Gopi in double role, didn't do well, the output was good enough to evaluate the caliber of a creator. More over, the new film is distributed by Mohanlal's banner Max Laab and it was also heard that the actor himself was planning to do a guest role in the film, any way it is changed and the responsibility now came to the hands of the director's previous hero, Suresh Gopi. The cinematographer of maximum number of family subjects, Vipin Mohan is also in the team, as a good support for the director.

The story focuses mainly on the happenings in the family between Clara (Urvashi) and her daughter, Jewel (Archana Kavi). The mother is too possessive about her teen aged girl and she is very strict also. This is not liked by Jewel, which causes a break in relationship between the two, many times. The girl is also attached more to her father, Joseph (Mukesh), a bonding character between Clara and Jewel. His diplomatic approach has helped to maintain a tension free atmosphere. Jewel was comfortable with his best friend and college mate, Rahul ( Kunjakko Boban). While spending at the internet, Jewel got a chat friend, Ameer, with whom she always shares the problems. Their relationship had grown and her aggressive attitude gradually changed. Rahul wants to express his love to Clara, on the other side Clara was having some other plans. Thus goes the incidents of 'Mummy & Me'.

The writer-director had chosen a subject which is common in many families, these days. The relationship between each and every members in the family, felt real, especially the younger brother of Clara creates laughter in many areas. Urvashi has done excellent with all her experience. Archana Kavi was good in her debut film, but here, in the modern outfits, she is not looking stable and also felt awkward in few angles. Mukesh has also done well to create the lighter mood. Master Jeevan, as the younger brother, is also suited well for the role. Kunjakko Boban doesn't have much to perform.

The chat friend and the associated scenes reminds us of the film 'Mitr - My Friend', by Revathi. The problem in using a familiar voice without showing the character has happened here, while showing the chat friend from back and side views, it was clearly evident that it was not the owner of this voice (either that portions or the climax part should have been avoided). The visuals of films like 'Aniyathipravu', 'Nakshatratharattu', 'Niram' etc came to mind when scenes involving Kunjakko Boban are shown. Sudheesh, nearing his age of 40, is still placed as a college student and Arun as the negative character is also a cliche. The scene in which mother and the son dancing, felt cinematic. Songs by debutant music director Sijo John goes with the mood, bg score by Gopi Sundar is ok, it got some english songs also, might have been incorporated to register the attitude of the daughter role. Cinematographer Vipin Mohan gave colorful visuals, editing by V.Saajan is also good.

I don't know, why the creators are still practicing the idea of using voice overs for the introduction of each and every characters in the beginning; no need to under estimate the audiences as they are brilliant enough to understand the nature of each role, when story goes on. By placing a doctor (Anoop Menon) on the mother's side and a chat friend through Suresh Gopi's voice on the other side, the director had delivered too many messages at a time, even the character of Lalu Alex tried some...

Dont expect big from 'Mummy & Me'; It is a true family film which doesn't have much un realistic situations or wasted comedies, as witnessed in these day subjects.


Rating : 7 / 10

Neelathaamara

Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Kailash, Archana Kavi, Rima Kallingal, Sredevi Unni, Samvritha Sunil, Suresh
Sript : MT Vasudevan Nair
Director : Lal Jose
Music : Vidyasagar


Director Lal Jose is a prominent name in the malayalam cine field. He has given notable films like 'Oru Maravathoor Kanavu', 'Meesamadhavan', 'Chandranudikkunna Dikkil', 'Chandupottu' etc His last few films like 'Achanurangaatha Veedu' and 'Mulla' were not hits. Now he has got a golden chance to direct the legendary writer MT Vasudevan Nair's work. In the last 20years, MT had written script for directors like Hariharan (films like 'OVV', 'ESJ', 'Parinayam' and 'KVP'), IV Sasi ('Midhya'), Bharathan ('Thaazhvaaram'), K.S.Sethumadhavan ('Venalkkinavukal'), Sibi Malayil ('Sadhayam'), Harikumar ('Sukrutham'), Ajayan ('Perumthachan'), Venu ('Dhaya'), Kannan ('Theerthadanam') and also a couple of them for his own direction ('Kadavu' and 'Oru Cheru Punjiri'). The new film for Lal Jose, 'Neelathaamara' is not a fresh subject. It is the remake of an old film with the same name that got released 30years before. It was directed by Yusafali Kecheri; Ravikumar, Sathaar, Ambike etc did the main roles.


This 'Neelathaamara' is produced by Suresh Kumar under the banner Revathy Kalamandhir. New faces like Kailash, Archana, Suresh, Sreedevi Unni, the three film older Rima Kallingal, Samvritha etc are in the main cast. Unlike the old version, here the director had included three songs; Vidyasagar had given some good numbers here.


The film opens in the current period when the youngest member in the family reaches her native village as a part of a video production. The grandmother's (Sreedevi Unni) niece cum daughter-in-law (Jaya) and a lady (Parvathi) also visits the house hearing about her disease. The flashback portions are shown through the memory of those characters. Almost three decades before, you can see the poor young girl (Archana, doing the younger age role of Parvathi) reaching the big house as a servant, where the mother and her son (Kailas) alone stays. He has completed his studies and is waiting for the result. He gets into an affair with the servant girl. She gets a friend (Rima) who is also a servant in the neighbor house, to share her feelings. Later, the hero's marriage is fixed with a rich girl (Samvritha, doing younger age role of Jaya). What happens to the cheated girl, the bride and the other characters are shown later.


The film mainly highlights on the relationship between the hero and the servant girl. There is nothing unpredictable here. In the first few scenes itself, the story is understood. Hence the script and the dialogues by MT becomes the main attraction. The concept of the flower "neelathaamara", the conversation between the neighbors, the lunch menu given by the grandmother, the quotes regarding the steps in the house, the mention of the disease of the singer character etc are some of the areas which we can't witness in the films now a days. The director had presented the film as the script demands. The performance of the new heroine Archana and the new hero Kailash were good. They are promising talents, where the industry can utilize. Casting a new face like Sreedevi Unni (later actress Monisha's mother) in the grandmother's role also felt different. Rima Kallingal had also made her role notable. Using the old non popular hindi song by Yesudas, "zid na karo..." in the background (as if from the radio) for the romantic scene, the telegram shot, remarks about the bridge, close up of the calendar etc are all sequences done to establish the period.


The performance of the old lady who accompanies the heroine girl looks amateur and the dubbing given to her character by Anandavalli is also not matching. The quarreling between the couple felt dramatic in few shots. The divide in the relationship between the lovers happens all of a sudden. Here and there, you are having the after effect of the film 'Nandanam'. The selection of heroine's old age character done by Parvathi is good, but old age character of Samvritha is not a real prototype. Director's boldness to include songs is good, which can in turn becomes a promotion factor for an ordinary film (theme wise) like this. Since I have not seen the old version, no scope for a comparison here.


Vidyasagar's background score is good. Cinematographer Vijay Ulaganathan ('Madambi' fame) gave colorful frames without any gimmicks.


'Neelathaamara', acted by many new faces is told in the village background. It is not extraordinary and it won't surprise you also; but it is a fact that this film highlights certain situations which we can't see usually in commercial films these days...


Rating : 8 / 10