Growing up I remember watching the TV show "Akkara Kazhchakal." It played Saturday mornings during American Focus on Kairali TV. The show was humorous and gave a perspective on Malayalis living in the U.S. that people didn't really see before. It was creative and refreshing and I was a fan of the show. When I found out that the creator of the show, Abi Varghese, was working on a film, I was immediately interested. The film is "Monsoon Mangoes" and it was released earlier in the year.
Starring Fahadh Faasil as D.P Pallikal, it is a story about an aspiring filmmaker. The setting is in a suburbs in New Orleans and is taken place in the nineties. The film begins with Pallikal at a psychiatrist's home office because his father sent him there. There we see a short film created by him. It's clear to see that Pallikal lacks talent and the stuff he comes up with is odd and cringe worthy. While about everyone in his life mocks this dream of his to become a known filmmaker, Pallikal is still determined to pursue this goal. The rest of the film is about him trying to make a good movie. While he tries to achieve this he reaches a low point multiple times. In the end no matter how many times he failed, he still has the passion to make a film.
The film was quirky and odd to say the least but it was enjoying to watch. It is definitely different from what Malayalam cinema is used to but it's refreshing to watch something unique like this film for a change. Despite the film tending to drag at certain parts, Fahadh gives an excellent performance and plays the role of D.P Pallikal wonderfully. While there could've been some changes made to make this film better, I think it's worth the watch and I see potential for Abi Varghese in the future. With his style in the film industry, there can be a lot more variety and new outlooks that can be great. I look forward to seeing what else Abi Varghese has in store for us to see.
