Slices of Kerala Life

Here comes a movie with a difference, in mainstream Malayalam Cinema. ‘Kerala Cafe’, which has been released last week, presents a totally new kind of film-viewing experience for the people of Kerala. Ten different directors coming together to give us ten short films, an anthology of sorts (Yes, that’s the name film-scribes call this genre). Of course Malayalam cinema has had a couple of anthologies earlier, directed by the internationally acclaimed Adoor Gopalakrishnan; and anthologies from Bollywood have also been released here. Anthology kind of movies from other countries too have been shown in film festivals. But this is the first time mainstream Malayalam Cinema is coming out with such a kind of film, with ten different directors and popular stars being part of the cast.

The ten different short films that make up ‘Kerala Cafe’ are – ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Island Express’ , ‘Lalitham Hiranmayam’, ‘Mrithyunjayam’ , ‘Happy Journey’, ‘Aviraamam’ , ‘Off Season’ , ‘Bridge’ , ‘Makal’  and ‘Puramkaazhchakal’ .

Review

Hey, this is not a detailed, conventional review; just a brief appreciation of sorts. For those who love reading short stories, ‘Kerala Cafe’ is a must-watch, no less than a treat. The film presents before you slices from contemporary Kerala, touching almost everything that concerns us and our lives. No point in taking up the films one by one and reviewing them as it’s the compilation that counts. As a compilation of things contemporary, ‘Kerala Cafe’ stands apart from the usual stuff that comes up in the name of mainstream cinema here. ‘Bridge’, ‘Puramkaazhchakal’, ‘Island Express’, ‘Aviraamam’ and ‘Makal’ are the best of the lot. ‘Mrithyunjayam’ may not appeal to all. The way Ranjith has interwoven it all, bringing characters together in a railway restaurant named ‘Kerala Cafe’ and the way he has ended it is good. The film, anyhow is a must-watch for film-lovers and something that needs to be encouraged and promoted.

Audience response

Since ‘Kerala Cafe’ brings together many popular artists, ranging from Mammootty and Prithviraj and Suresh Gopi to Shwetha Menon and Navya Nair and Jyothirmayi, there has been a rather good opening for the film at the box office. There of course is no point in comparing the box office response to that of usual commercial flicks, but still the star-cast plus the curiosity element has worked out a rather decent kind of response at the box office. There are some hissings, grumblings and occasional yawns too as the first couple of stories roll off on screen, simply because this is all new for average movie goers in Kerala, who wish to see a full-fledged single story with songs, action, humour et al than an anthology of this kind. But as ‘Kerala Cafe’ progresses, things seem to be catching fire and even the ordinary audience gets interested. It’s heartening to see ‘Bridge’ and ‘Happy Journey’ and ‘Aviraamam’ being greeted with applause. The turn-out at the box office may thin out in the days to come, but still the film is no doubt a whiff of fresh air that could herald changes in the industry.