New Age Malayalam Cinema
Creativity runs in Fahadh Faasil‘s family. The Malayalam actor’s father Fazil was a famous writer-director-producer in the 80s and 90’s, known for several off-beat films like “Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu” that dealt with a love-hate relationship between a college girl and her grandmother, and “Ramji Rao Speaking”, the non-stop comedy-thriller that was later remade as “Hera Pheri” in Hindi.
His son is not just a fine actor, but the torch bearer of New Age Malayalam cinema, with his “Fahadh and Friends” production company bringing us such endearing movies like “C U Soon,” the epic movie shot entirely on a computer screen and “Thankam,” the brilliant thriller that shines a light on the dirty business of gold. Now, Fahadh’s wife Nazriya Nazim, an actor and a producer herself, stars in the latest “Sookshmadarshini”, one of the most winning whodunits in recent times.
The plot (spoiler-free)
But rather than call it a “whodunit”, Sookshmadarshini is actually a what-dunnit (if ever there was one). Nazriya Nazim plays the character of Priyadarshini (or Priya), a late-20s (or early-30s) mom/wife, living in the outskirts of Kochi and looking for a full-time job. She lives in a small, but bustling community, where no one can have their secrets thanks to the incessant WhatsApp chats. Upon arriving as their new neighbor – Manuel (Basil Joseph) – settles in the community befriending Stephy, Priya’s friend and neighbor, who also happens to be a single Mom. In a metaphorical moment, Priya quietly watches Manuel aim for a nearby cat. It’s almost telling people around that curiosity is going to kill them.
Unconventional, but fine story-telling
But Priya is different. She isn’t just curious. Whether it is discovering spilled milk in the kitchen even after it is wiped clean, or noting a tiny, missing ornament on her face when looking at a semi-lustrous plate momentarily, Priya has a discerning eye for spotting anything amiss. And so, Priya starts suspecting some foul play concerning Manuel. Thus, the villain is established very early on, and therein lies one of the movie’s greatest strengths. Unlike most thrillers, where the identity of the person behind the sinister plot is withheld, in Sookshmadarshini, we are told very quickly that Manuel is the one playing a dirty trick. But what he is up to and if Priya can unearth it forms the movie’s central plot.
In a movie where the wrongdoers and detectives are all amateur, one begins to appreciate almost every tiny detail that goes into the writing. Unlike most movies, where characters miraculously find the mental and physical capacity to pull off the right thing or the wrong thing, the characters in Sookshmadarshini take a while to figure out what to do. The villains are first-timers and not adept at accomplishing their evil deeds.
The detectives have no prior training either, and this makes the characters doubly endearing. Thanks to terrific writing by Athul Ramachandran and Libin T. B., we embrace the characters and experience every emotion in the book, while watching the plot deliciously unfold. We feel sympathy for a senior citizen caught in the mess, and leap in glee watching a character jumping off a parapet roof and landing on their feet. And we constantly wonder why a glass of juice didn’t knock someone off until it is neatly explained away in the end.
Girl-power
Priya’s name in the movie title in a subtle nod to the gender calling the shots on this film. Priya and her women friends are the detectives in this movie, while an older lady finds herself at the center of the mess with Manuel. An important character flying in from overseas happens to be a female too. A comic situation in Priya’s husband’s workplace originates from a female colleague who makes the menfolk dance to her tunes. And the film’s jaw-dropping denouement also involves a lady.
Sookshmadarshini may not have the biggest names in the Malayalam industry, but it shows why a solid plot and strong storytelling are crucial to creating great cinema. Combining elements of drama and comedy, Sookshmadarshini, is one of the rare gems that can thrill and elicit laughter simultaneously.
Several of Nazriya’s father-in-law’s movies were remade into sequels. Watching and enjoying Sookshmadarshini from start to finish, I was in no doubt that we will have multiple installments of this gem.