Cast: Walter Phillips, Isha Talwar, Arjunan, Manoj K. Jayan, Nassar, Thalaivasal Vijay.
Director: Mithran Jawahar
Meendum Oru Kadhal Kathai tries to calm us down with some good old love. There’s no problem in that. Everybody loves to watch love on-screen. The problem is in the very soul of the film.
I haven’t watched the Malayalam film, Thattathin Marayathu, on which Meendum Oru Kadhal Kathai is based. That has certainly pulled the plug on the expectations meter. Even then, the trailer which released about a month ago for the Tamil film, looked through the window of the protagonists’ lives, and it didn’t give me anything new to feel good about.
We are offered yet another love story with its leads belonging to two different religion: one is a Hindu, the other is a Muslim. Walter Phillips plays Vinod, and Isha Talwar plays Aisha. The words ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ keep falling on the screen along with the punch line – love has no religion. It almost seems like we’re made to watch a school play on national integrity.
The characters in MOKK should have followed the listicle – ten things to do if you’re in love with a girl from another religion. Gautham Menon’s Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya had two brilliant actors, Trisha and Simbu. They pushed Gautham’s film with their performances. VTV also had a similar problem. Trisha’s father didn’t want her to marry Simbu for various reasons. Simbu’s religion is also mentioned as a reason by Trisha’s father for saying a big ‘NO’ to the relationship.
Class differences, religious differences, and age differences are often the weapons with which our filmmakers make movies. When there’s so much material out there waiting to be retouched, and new ideas waiting to be tapped, Mithran Jawahar, the film’s director chooses to go down the Lovers’ Street with slow motion shots and songs that pop up every ten minutes. MOKK lacks what VTV, and other movies in this category, have – the ability to connect with the viewer.
Walter Phillips speaks as if he’s whispering throughout the movie, and Isha Talwar falls for him because he keeps stalking her. When Walter closes his eyes to join Isha in his imaginary visuals, we see a teenager, and not a leading man. The thought of Aisha in burka excites Vinod so much that he opens a burka shop. Yes! He really opens a burka shop. He narrates his love story to Manoj K. Jayan, and a bunch of policemen, in a voice that makes us feel like he’s hypnotized. Was it the director’s secret way of saying, “Love is a drug,"?
Nassar plays an arrogant old man who cages his niece (Isha Talwar) for falling for a Hindu man. His character had the strength to make or break the film. But, he’s sidelined, and hence he doesn’t get much meat.
The opening credits of the movie showed some cheery attitude, and when the main picture began, it went down the drain. The other positive thing about the movie was the soundtrack album. That’s only a light compliment. If you remove GV’s songs, you’ll get a film that’s boring. On the whole, the experience of watching Meendum Oru Kadhal Kathai is like eating one-week old Bonda.
Rating: 2/ 5