While biopics traditionally aim to depict the entire life of a real person or focus on historically important period of their lives, Ayisha breaks the mold by capturing a lesser-known period of Nilambur Ayisha's expatriate life as a gaddamma in Saudi Arabia '88. Taking us through an intimate journey, the movie hints at how much character and grit and fierceness Nilambur Ayisha has through flashbacks from her past as well as her life as a maid at the palace. Exquisite cinematography by Vishnu Sharma makes gives the feel of an cross-border cinematic experience, complemented by a fitting evocative soundtrack by M Jayachandran (special mention to Masalama sung by Shreya Ghoshal), further enhancing the immersive experience.
Manju Warrier brings vulnerability and emotional depth to her character's fullest potential(which, I felt, was limited in the script) but it is Mona Tawil who steals the show as Mama, as her grief and loneliness linger in our hearts even after the credits roll. A large diversity of cast from different countries, speaking different languages all add colour to a heartwarming tribute to Nilambur Ayisha while also proving a fact that Manju Warrier can carry the weight of a big budget, female-oriented, multilingual movie just as impressively as any superstar can do in Malayalam Cinema.
