Director Arun Kumar Aravind has come out with his second venture "Ee Adutha Kalathu" and the screen play is written by Murali Gopi for whom this is a second endeavour as well. The movie comes to the theaters today and narrates the strange realities of life in a big city. Vishnu, the protagonist, played by Indrajith is an all purpose utility man: he collects rags, he is in great demand by cricket teams for his unorthodox hitting, he is an errand boy and many other things. He is also a loving husband and an indulgent father. Ramani, his wife, played by Mythili, does not think too highly of him and justifiably so. He has an ailing mother and two charming daughters. In short, they are the typical struggling family living in the city and off the city. And trying to keep the wolf from the door! In the process, they have to fight off the loan sharks as well. The movie is full of interesting characters who are unveiled as in a fashion show. Madhuri (Tanushree), an ex-actress with a few B-grade Bollywood movies to her credit, lives with her husband Ajay Kurien(Murali Gopi) and eleven year old son Ayur. Madhuri maintains her stunning good looks even now. And she is a kind soul. Ajay Kurien is a self-made person coming up the ranks and presently working as the Chief in a city hospital. He learned his trade in Mumbai and is proud of his feat and knows how to get around in a city. Ayur is mad after cricket and spends time trying to solve the puzzle of the Rubik's cube. A serial killer is lurking in the streets stalking his prey. Rustam (Nishan) has come to the city on a contract and lives in a rented room among the migrant workers. He is dashing, drives around in a bike and speaks Malayalam in bits and peaces. He is a dazzler and a scoundrel. Anoop Menon is Tom Cherian, the Commissioner of Police. He is an aspiring cop bent upon earning name and fame and for him, the end justifies the means. And his love Roopa, played by Lena, is equally ambitious as a no-holds-barred journalist. "Ee Adutha Kalathu" revolves around these characters and how they cope with the strange realities of life in a big city. Indrajith is subtle and classy and Murali Gopi is as good in his acting as in his script writing. Anoop Menon confirms his rising stature as a star, with a scintillating performance. Jagathy Sreekumar has done justice to his role. Nishan is impressive. Among the female stars, Tanushree with her glamorous looks and lucid expressions has left an indelible impression. Mythili as the fiery wife and Lena as the journalist have portrayed their characters vividly. Gimi George and Baiju have not disappointed. Arunkumar Aravind has created a different movie, relevant, yet attractive and the technical excellence has to be appreciated. The visuals by Shehnad Jalal are of high quality and helps in improving the quality of the film. Art by Jothish Shankar tasty and refined. Gopi Sunder's music is pleasing and catchy as well. The same could be said of background music. As the story unfolds on the screen, we watch the people helplessly caught up in mazes and puzzles in their journey through life and trying to unravel the mysteries. Joy and sorrow, anxiety and humour, fear and courage, we witness the different emotions and the different ways of dealing with them. There are plenty of loops and turns in the story but there is an element of credibility in them all and the viewer's intelligence is taken seriously by the film maker. Coupled with the all round performance of the actors, "Ee Adutha Kalathu" is a remarkably refreshing and sensitive movie making a candid statement of life in the cities.
Verdict: Excellent !
