Malikappuram(a reference to the Goddess whose temple is made within Sabarimala for her love for Lord Ayyappa) follows the story of a young girl wishing to visit the temple of Sabarimala for the longest time. One day, a young man comes into her life to help her complete the journey. Who is he? The story here is quite sweet and heartwarming, throwing light on some of the religious beliefs while steering away from controversies. The screenplay standing at a shade of less than 2 hours does make for a brisk watch but a meaningful one too.

Usually you are privy to some lovely world buildings in various Malayalam films and Malikappuram is not any different. You are briefly given the history of Lord Ayyappa and Malikappuram before commencing with the story. You are introduced to the young protagonist who shares a beautiful bond with her father, who is always seen to be smiling in front of his daughter despite being immersed in a mountain of debt. Their relationship is warm and fuzzy so much so that you can half-expect that something might go wrong! Elsewhere, the protagonist is friends with her neighbour and their scenes together in the school make for some hilarious and nostalgic moments. This until tragedy strikes leading to a couple of very emotional scenes!

The plot here might be wafer-thin but it is the screenplay featuring some very well etched out characters that keeps the boat sailing. The proceedings have a feel good vibe to the drama and are engrossing. While the entire first half is restricted to a buildup, the second half gathers steam and makes for a slightly more eventful drama. The emotion that does drive this drama is faith and innocence. I have not visited Sabarimala and through this film I was able to. The second half is primarily a road movie with a tinge of religious belief through the lens of a character.

There are a couple of shortcomings too here. For one, the exaggerated fight sequence did not sit right and stuck out like a sore thumb. Also, while the twist at the end was a good one, the end was simplistic and did feel almost abrupt. I wonder if it could have been fleshed out a little further? But the messaging at the end was something that I was very impressed by. The concept of God can be felt in certain humans who are brought in our lives to help us out at difficult phases. And we get what we seek, meaning if we do have faith then the most difficult of situations will bring us helpers in some form or the other. Beautiful! Overall, the screenplay is well written and has its heart in the right place.