HOPPING BUT NOT LEAPING-PACHAKUTHIRA

Hopping but not leaping


Dilip portrays the mentally-challenged man well in 'Pachakuthira' but there is little else going in favour of this film, writes KK Moidu


Starring: Dilip, Gopika, Salim Kumar, Siddique, Indrans, Mamukoya, Kalabhavan Shajon and Kalasala Babu.
Director: Kamal
Producer: Babu Shahir
Story: Dilip
Screenplay and Dialogue: TA Shahid
Music: Ilayaraja

In Pachakuthira (grasshopper) leading Malayalam director Kamal casts popular actor and one-time assistant Dilip in a complicated double role. The leading man himself is credited with the story. This along with Ilayaraja's music and TA Shahid's screenplay and dialogues were enough to make moviegoers expect a solid hit. But unfortunately that has not happened.
Despite this top-notch team's collective efforts Pachakuthira fails to satisfy Malayalam moviegoers.
Apparently Dilip was inspired by the story of the Oscar-winning Hollywood movie, Rainman, of the late 80's, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise and was directed by Barry Levinson.
Several changes have been made in the plot keeping the Malayalam audience in mind. In Rainman Cruise kidnaps his autistic brother but in Pachakuthira the mentally challenged brother is legally sent to his elder brother after the death of their mother. This is not the first time that Dilip is playing a double role. His earlier double roles were all big successes but this time seems to be an exception.
The film's story goes thus. Anandakuttan (Dilip) is a junior artiste in the film industry and he also arranges junior artistes for various film units filming dance sequences, liquor tragedies, bomb blasts and battle scenes. Anandakuttan is practically an orphan who hardly remembers his mother, who left for Germany while he was still a child. Nimmy (Gopika) is is sweetheart. She is a girl shouldering immense responsibilities. Her paralytic father was an award-winning drama artiste. Nimmi's younger sister is a college student and then there is a half-constructed house, her late mother's unfulfilled dream.
Anandakuttan, Nimmy and their friends lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Suddenly Anandakuttan's mentally challenged younger brother, Aakash Menon, arrives from Germany because their mother is dead and there is no one to look after him. Anandakuttan welcomes Aakash Menon with open arms expecting a fortune in euros in return. He borrows and hopes to see an end to his financial burdens. But instead of providing some succour Aakash adds to his financial woes in the course of their stay together.
Finally Anandakuttan thinks of a plan to escape the additional financial burden by creating situations where is brother is likely to be lost. But unfortunately for him some Good Samaritan always brings Aakash back home. One day Aakash falls wictim to a rowdy gang's attack and lands in hospital with injuries. At this point a travel agent brings glad news that a wealthy industrialist from Germany has offered to adopt Aakash and he is willing to pay any amount for the boy. Anandakuttan is overjoyed and readily accepts half the agreed amount as an advance. However, Nimmy and her father express their displeasure over the deal and ask him to keep his brother with him.
The rest of the movie answers questions like whether Anandakuttan will hand over his brother to the industrialist and also why the industrialist wants to adopt an ugly young man with a five-year-old's mind?
As expected Dilip comes up with a decent performance as Aakash but his Anandakuttan is not as well-etched, however, things improve towards the climax of the movie. Gopika has very little to do in the movie. Salim Kumar, Indrans and Machan Varghese try spice up the on screen happenings with their brand of humour but are not very successful. The movie also gives an insight into the harsh realities behind the silver screen. Film personalities like director Viji Thampi, Roshan Andrews and Jayaraj play themselves in the movie.
The film's climax is full of emotional scenes and deals with the bond shared by the brothers. Dilip's performance as Aakash Menon is certainly the movie's highlight.
However, Kamal fans are going to be in for a rude shock. The director who created hits based campus life and family subjects, thus endearing himself to the family audience, looks a little of touch. Ilayaraja's, otherwise, magical music also does not measure up to audience expectations and the songs do little to improve the film's prospects.

Showing at Sharjah: Metro Cinema, Concorde and Al Hamra.
Dubai: Galleria and Plaza
Abu Dhabi: Eldorado