Manjadikuru

Anjali Menon proves herself that she is not idiosyncratic. Ustad Hotel had bought references. And now this... its plot is based on popular property disputes around the world. What Manjadikuru lacks & why I rate it a meager 5/10 is because of its clichéd plot & poor editing.

It is poignant in its style & narration. Its cast is one of the best I have seen. Their performances are good, too. The children steal the show, for sure but I am impressed by Urvashi & Rahman. Prithviraj is invisible. It was a treat to watch Murali (I actually saw the movie after his death) & Thilakan.

But, since the base is fully borrowed, it creates no dent in the universe. Children not caring about their folks & solely coveting the property inheritance is so ordinary. While, it emotionally touches the viewer, the real emotion is that of being dejected & fooled. By the end you realize that the primary & secondary plots are very commonplace & the makers haven't done anything except for the locations & cinematography. Humor is average.

BOTTOM LINE: I am disappointed. Nothing new!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity/Nudity/Sex: No | Violence/Gore: No | Smoking/Alcohol: Mild

Light hearted movie with lots of human emotions . Performances of the cast is really good .The important aspect of the movie is it takes you to a ride through your childhood and makes nostalgic .Watch it this movie won't dissapoints you .

Anjali Menon has pictured innocently and beautifully the life in Kerala, 20 decades back. The kids demonstrated the life in their grandfather's house, where all their parents have assembled for the Grandpa's funeral. The story revolves around the incidents happening in house, the relationships, the changes happening, and all these through the eyes of the kids. The kids namely Vikki, Kannan, Archakkutty and Roja ran around in that huge house and its premises. Vikki who came from abroad found everything with a sense of amusement. Kannan and Archa who lived in the house, at first could not accept Vikki. Vikki's mom hated him, playing with those kids, especially with Roja, the 12 year Tamil girl who was a servant in their house. But quickly they became thick friends. They played around, roamed around in the premises, Vikki learned swimming, and many more. They plan to save Roja from the torture of the adults and help her to escape to her home town. They see the relation ship among their parents, the siblings developing as they live together. They dream of a world without any boundaries, where there is only love and care. Where no one hate one another.

You can read more, in the following link

http://shaheerka.blogspot.in/2012/06/blog-post.html

I was surprised when I heard that its Anjali Menon's debut film. It was a great professional work, the script and the direction. hats off. The film made everyone in the theater sit an watch it in a sync. All laughed together, smiled together, clapped together and even the tears were shed together.

A great work indeed from the director, the cast and the whole team. We expect more such movies in Malayalam.

Manjadikuru (2008) : Brief Review -

An exceptional debut for Director Anjali Menon. Majadikuru brings a childhood nostalgia with life lessons and easily beats her own overhyped 'Banglore Days'. Sadly, i came to know about this film after watching 'Banglore Days' and 'Ustad Hotel' (Menon's writing). I would have probably bashed Banglore Days more if had seen this film before it because this one is much better and i never thought that such a gem film would remain unpopular. I mean, seriously, how are we going to produce more quality films if our audience is not watching such a great quality films just because it doesn't include big stars and commercial elements. At the same time our youth audience who call themselves Movie buffs are busy overstating films like Banglore Days but don't even know that something called 'Manjadikuru' exists. Anyways, this brief review is not about Banglore Days, i have already written a separate review of that so let's talk only and only about Manjadikuru. So, the film is about a 10-year-old boy who attends his grandfather's funeral in rural Kerala. During this 16 days period, his life changes as he learns more about his family, culture and himself. The film takes you back to those nostalgic childhood days and leaves you with mesmerized. Some scenes are so relevant to all of us as we all have done such funny things in childhood. Gradually, it becomes a very sensitive film when it shows that realisation of the boy and then how his maturity level is grown is even more interesting part. It also shows some terrible facts done by adults and how childrens acknowledge the things despite lower IQ level. In short, Manjadikuru is highly matured and sensible and children oriented drama made for Adults. Don't Miss it, if you really have a taste for quality cinema then believe me you'll love it more than Banglore Days. Well acted, well executed.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

It is rather baffling why such a wonderful work of art would not be allowed to be enjoyed by the viewers for a long time after its creation. Because that's what Manjadikuru is: a genuinely enjoyable, memorable and poignant movie. Anjali Menon has proved what a true film director she is. Because good movies are always the products of good directors. All the others come later. It was so reassuring to have watched this film in theatre after all the fatigue and frustration one normally endures as a result of watching circus that some misguided filmmakers dare to call a feature film. The storyline of Manjadikuru is something anybody can connect to; in fact, I think even the non-Malayalis would appreciate this beautiful film. The performances by the seasoned actors- Murali, Urvasi, Kaviyur Ponnamma, Rahman, Jagathy etc. are superlative. Thilakan imposes his presence like no other, even if he doesn't have a single line to utter. The children virtually steal the show from the seniors. In the end, the emotional flow of the movie did manage to bring a smile on one's face as well as a lump in one's throat. Ms. Menon, Thank you.