Malayalee from India
Introduction
This may well go down as the most frustrating Malayalam film of 2024. And I cannot be more heartbroken given how beautiful the story was here. I have massive amount of respect for Dijo Jose Antony for even daring to attempt this subject which is synonymous with the kind oc times that we live in, for once the country was known for its religious harmony(it still does though albeit a few toxic elements). I remember watching the trailer of the Malayalam film Malayalee From India and reviewing it on my Youtube channel. And I distinctly remember saying that I am confused on what it intended to say because it starts off as a comedy and later gets into a serious territory. This is primarily a Raju Hirani kind of a film that usually balances the two ‘worlds’ pretty well. But I was still skeptical of the use case here, and all my fears around the film seem to have come true. The films does have some heartfekt moments along the way but scarred heavily by humour that just does not land. But then is Malayalee From India worth your time, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Malayalee From India follows the story of a young man having hateful tendencies towards folks of a particular religion and clan, something that does spill off with his actions in his local village. This, until an incident forces him to flee from his village in a life altering journey. The story here is a feel good one and has all the ingredients for a warm and heartfelt watch while also being relevant to today’s times(and I cannot stress on this more). But, the writing is so much in your face that even some of the tender moments are dissolved in the garb of the loud tonality of the drama that just create any sort of impact whatsoever. The drama only works partially when it chooses to be serious. This made me rethink on whether the Raju Hirani style of filmmaking that once used to rule the hearts of the people is actually getting stale? We did see a glimpse of it in Dunki, and Malayalee From India is bang in that space too(of it being a comedy with a social message). When it chooses to be closer to reality with human emotions in play, is when the drama works best! On every other account, the drama falls flat, mostly through a runtime of 155 minutes with the notable contribution coming through only in the final 30 minutes.
The drama opens on a future timeline with the introduction of our protagonist who introduces himself as ‘Malayalee From India’ in what seemed like a foreign land to begin with. Now notice the similarities here with the Raju Hirani style of filmmaking that offers a similar opening act on a future timeline before undergoing a flashback, something that transpires here too. So you are transported to the village of the protagonist, a jobless individual who dreams of winning an election even while possessing some rather extreme views towards people of a particular religion. If you have been following the news, you will find these titbits relatable but the issue here wasn’t the events at all. The issue for me was the brand of humour that the writers intended to showcase, something that is in your face and fast transitioning into the territory of oblivion.
The events are partly cringe worthy too but I was more concerned about the loud tone of the drama that never let the finer emotions hit you early on in the film. If the writing was more nuanced(and Malayalam films are a pioneer of that), the finer emotions would have accumulated and built a foundation for a payback towards the end, something that I did feel for Dunki too. The humour is extremely forced and just does not land and that immediately acts as a major demerit for me in the first hour itself, even as I found myself slowly getting disconnected from the drama. This was true even when the drama shifted base to a new location midway through, which wasn’t good news because the core of the drama lay right there.
The drama did exude of ‘Aadujeevitham’ vibes midway through but the difference again lay in the tone of the drama. It tried to say too many things including showcasing the struggle of the protagonist to adapt to a new setting, and his master who happened to be a Pakistani amidst the times of the pandemic. This dual nature of the setup was again met with comic gags that felt cringe worthy and never allowed me as a viewer to settle in with the emotions. It was only during the final 30 minutes when the drama chose to take itself seriously, is when there was a sense of emotions that transcended towards me. The act of friendship and a lasting bond were some key contributors, that helped to generate the emotions despite a faulty setting which was half-baked with its convenient conclusion towards the end. But by the end of it, it felt like a huge missed opportunity given how much the subject matter had potential but the writing never rose to the occasion.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are borderline cringe particularly in the first hour and partly in the second hour that don’t account for the nuances in the drama at all. The music is excellent and there are atleast a couple of tracks that are hummable and stay with you after the film has ended. The BGM is an extension of the music but sadly doesn’t elevate the drama owing to the flawed writing. The cinematography is decent but also slightly confusing with frames that do equate the protagonist with an animal(not sure if this comparison was required, and it did seem to be forced). The editing could have been sharper particularly during the setup that was filled with humour that just did not land, and instead accounted for the lag in the drama. Director Dijo Jose Antony who had previously directed the phenomenal Malayalam film Jana Gana Mana just misses the mark here right from the scattered and loud tone of the drama. He falters with the humour of the film while partially scoring with the intended emotions in the final 30 minutes of the film. But the direction was way underpar for most parts of the runtime of the film.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here but none of them are able to salvage a sinking ship. Anaswara Rajan as Krishna has a sweet presence onscreen and she does a swell job. Dhyan Sreenivasan as Malghosh definitely has his moments to shine. Deepak Jethi as Jalal hits the right notes with the intended emotions of his character particularly in the final 30 minutes. But I really feel bad for Nivin Pauly who yet again shines as Aalparambil Gopi. Unfortunately for him, it is again in a film that sinks all his efforts, which in fact does make me think. Are the film choices of Nivin Pauly ahead of its time or generally experimental? My vote would be a resounding yes, and that is still what sets him apart. But here, the film had failed from the screenplay perspective, so this was probably wrong judgment wherein the intended message of the film did not come through. Come back stronger next time Mr Pauly, our best wishes as always.
Conclusion
Malayalee From India will go down as one of the most frustrating Malayalam films of 2024 that was such a waste of an opportunity. The story definitely had the potential but the Raju Hirani-esque brand of comedy might soon be outdated, and here is another testimony to that. I wished to resonate so much more with the emotions of the film, but the loud tone of the drama coupled with mediocre execution eventually lay to the downfall of this film, in what is perhaps the first underpar Malayalam film that I have watched in 2024. Available on SonyLiv.
