Movie Review Ozhimuri Malayalam 2012

This is the story of a family torn by force of circumstances and the times they lived in. It is a story with many protagonists, each person having an own side to the story.

There is Thanu Pillai, who grew up in an aristocratic Travancore Nair family watching his mother dominate his father at a time when women were holding the reins. After his wedding, the hatred he developed towards his mother was transferred to his wife Meenakshi. Thanu Pillai’s son Sharath Chandran on the other side, detested his father after seeing the cruelty imposed by his father on his mother. Then there is the smart lawyer and the fiery feminist both of whom contribute their mite to add spice to the story. Thirty years after their marriage, Meenakshi decides that enough is enough and with the support of her son, files a divorce suit. Despite his dominance and ego, Thanu Pillai is shell shocked and secretly longs to be with Meenakshi. Pillai’s lawyer meets Meenakshi and Sharath for an out of court settlement and learns more about the family and Thanu pillai. The true facts and reality roll out in front of an amazed lawyer. Lal as Thanu Pillai gives an outstanding display of controlled outbursts and restrained emotions.

The character of Thanu Pillai has amazing possibilities and Lal has used them all with telling effect. Kudos to Madhupal for choosing Lal for Thanu Pillai. Meenakshi’s part was handled with aplomb by Mallika who gave an outstanding performance. Asif Ali as Sharath does well except on certain occasions where he tends to be a bit high on histrionics. Shwetha Menon as the feminist looks intimidating and in a combative mood doing full justice to her role. Bhavana as the lawyer carries her role aptly as well. Jagadish have also done justice to his part.

Madhupal’s direction has been superb and he has to be congratulated for his selection of artists for the different roles. Script by Jayamohan, though slightly confusing to begin with, gains momentum and enthralls throughout with brilliant narration, creating a kaleidoscope of the past and the present. The build-up of the characters has been done remarkably well by Madhupal. However the attempt to bring in a romance between Sharath and the lawyer could have been more subtle and less awkward. Madhupal has made the movie very engaging though not to the standard of “Thalappavu”. Make-up man Ranjith Ambadi has done a tremendous job generally though he slips when it comes to Shwetha’s old-age make-up.Azhagappan’s cinematography has been nice and effective.

The film has some really fine moments which make it a worthy experience! Overall, with highly sensitive writing and truly marvelous direction make 'Ozhimuri' a captivating watch.

Verdict: Impressive.