- Date of Release: 19 May 2023
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On : Theatres Only
Charles Enterprises
Introduction
It is still a Wednesday and while the weekend is still a couple of days away, I did get an opportunity to watch and review the new Malayalam film Charles Enterprises which is scheduled to be out on Friday in a theatre near you. Yes, it was a screener and I had to jump at this opportunity given that it is a Malayalam film at the end of the day. This may not have been a great year for Malayalam films in terms of the number of films succeeding at the Box Office. But, here is an industry which has always focused on telling quality stories irrespective of their fate at the Box Office. And simply from a story telling perspective, Malayalam films are almost like reading a book that does have a sense of world building and the ability to transport you to another world.
I must be honest that I knew absolutely nothing about the Malayalam film Charles Enterprises except for its short synopsis that did promise to be an engaging satire. I hadn’t watched its trailer and so I didn’t know what to expect from it. But the subject itself was quite interesting given that there aren’t many religious satires that have transpired into good films(other than the Hindi film Oh My God), and if done well, they would make for a wonderful viewing. It is again the ability of the filmmakers to play out the satire in its second layer while weaving a human story in its top layer which would eventually decide the fate of the film. And that is what made me curious towards Charles Enterprises. So then does Charles Enterprises manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Charles Enterprises follows the story of a protagonist suffering from night blindness who happens to steal a Ganesha idol from his religious mother. What happens next? The story here is a sweet little comedy with a dash of satire thrown in, that unfolds like a slice of life film. Now these are contrasting zones(a religious satire told through the lens of a slice of life film) that did make for a tricky proposition to be translated onscreen. Yet, it is the screenplay standing at about a 130 minutes that is textured, hilarious and does dabble briefly with the concept of faith, thus resulting in a compelling watch.
The drama does open in a typical Malayalam film template which has a lot of focus on world building. So in the opening scene itself(following a nice little tale told through an animation sequence), you are introduced to the protagonist who happens to visit a store which he aspires to buy. A parallel track is quick enough to communicate to the viewers that he is suffering from night blindness(which is why he refuses to recognize a thief who may have stolen his wallet). Soon, you are also introduced to the other principal characters featuring the mother of the protagonist who is shown to be a devotee and someone who does believe that God resides in the various idols. This until there is a party who comes seeking for one of the idols.
The first thing that I did like about the drama was that the characterization and the character motives were beautifully spread across the table amidst the brilliant world building which we have all been privy to in Malayalam films. The proceedings are interesting and engrossing and I did like how the events did feel organic in a buildup to the actual conflict. The subplots are interesting and nicely tied up to the main plot of the film. It was also interesting to witness the shortcomings of the protagonist(suffering from night blindness) which usually could have been reduced to a mere gimmick. But here, it was an integral part of the film that did take the story ahead.
The humour too is situational and it does evoke laughter in multiple scenes which are filled with bouts of a religious satire. By the time the actual robbery takes place, you are so well immersed in the story and its characters that you are curious to know on how things will transpire. In a terrific interval block, I did like how the makers decided to stage the drama with the use of the weather too(it was shown to be raining), with the protagonist eventually going about in stealing the idol, thus setting things quite well for the second hour.
The second hour of the film slightly dips and that had more to do with the tone of the drama which shifted from being deft and light to slightly more intense. The events are still interesting but a part of me did feel that the writers were caught in a dilemma on whether to opt for a chaotic set of events or continue with the same tone as seen in the first hour. As a result, the second hour was caught somewhere in between although there are multiple moments which will keep you invested too. The writers were mildly guilty of going around in circles in the middle of the second half. But thankfully, the final act does resurrect the film once again. The messaging was beautiful and apt and the writers did well in preventing the drama from falling apart through its brilliant final act that did tie most loose ends together. Overall, the screenplay here is well written and does make for a compelling viewing.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are quirky but the lines never try too hard to be funny which was the best part. The music is alright but it ought to have been a little better to enhance the impact of the writing. Likewise, the BGM which should have been slightly more inline with the mood of the drama(I did find it slightly loud). The cinematography is pretty good and does capture some wonderful frames including that of the old Fiat car which did enhance the viewing experience. The editing was sharp for the most parts of the film. Director Subhash Lalitha Subrahmanian does a pretty impressive job here. This was a tricky film to pull off courtsey the indifferent amalgamation of two different zones of a slice of life film and a religious satire. And the fact that the viewers shall be invested in the drama means that the transition from paper to celluloid was smooth, in a great job done by the director.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. Geethi Sangeetha, Guru Somasundaram and Manikanda Rajan have their moments to shine in their respective roles. Bhanu Priya and Mridooo(as Smitha) are wonderful additions to the cast and both of them are pretty good here. Sujith Shanker as Mallu David does a nice little job in a character that does have traces of humour. Abhija Sivakala as Parvatham is brilliant in a character who would go to any length to fetch her prized idol. Her expressions of vile were wonderful to watch.
Kalaiyarasan as Charles is an absolute pleasure to watch. You may form an early judgement regarding his character given his trait, and while his trait is intact, he is sincere and endearing with an added trait of friendship highlighting his overall character. Balu Varghese as Ravi is brilliant and his vulnerabilities are wonderfully shown here in a character portrayed superbly well. Urvashi is a legend and she is outstanding as Gomathi. This was one character that required skills to keep it in check and not go overboard with. And Urvashi packs in all her years of experience in not only controlling the character but infusing it with bouts of humour.
Conclusion
Charles Enterprises is a sweet little slice of life comedy with traces of a religious satire that does make for a compelling watch. Available in a theatre near you from Friday, 19th May’23.