The trajectory of director Jibu Jacob's films continues along a downward spiral, from the heights of emotionally heartwarming comedies like "Vellimoonga" (2014) and "Munthirivallikal Thalikkumbol" (2017) to the damp squib "Adhyarathri" (2019) and now his latest misfire in "Ellam Sheriyakum" (2021). Asif Ali and Rajisha Vijayan star as a pair of star-crossed lovers from opposing political factions who decide to run away together, causing a chain reaction of events that forms the rest of this cliched story.
The film adopts a non-linear storytelling style, switching back and forth between flashbacks and present-day events, but the two timelines never gel with or tie into each other smoothly, resulting in a sluggish experience for the viewer. Many scenes will evoke a sense of righteous anger and indignation in our minds but the follow-through and resolution of the conflicts from there leave much to be desired.
Siddique, as usual, delivers a compelling performance as "KC Chacko", clearly modelled along ex-Kerala CM Oommen Chandy, playing the role of a Machiavellian political operator with gravitas and punch. Kalabhavan Shajohn is also fabulous in the few scenes he is given and his ripostes with Siddique offer some of the best sequences in this otherwise largely tiresome viewing experience.
The director clearly takes aim at the rampant politics of violence in Kerala, the prevalence of sexual abuse in the highest echelons of power and other issues that need to be discussed and criticized, but unfortunately, they appear more like a collection of disjointed scenes than as part of a coherent narrative. The use of songs to drive the story forward rather than complement the same, automatically creates an emotional disconnect.
The Asif Ali-Rajisha Vijayan pairing that enthralled us in the brilliant "Anuraga Karikkin Vellam" (2016) loses all its charm and heart this time around, with their romance coming off as inorganic, forced and often jarring in a plot intended to serve as a political drama. While both of them put in earnest performances, the writing gives them precious little to work with in terms of character arcs and one is never able to fully develop a connection to these forlorn lovers. Rajisha, in particular, is given a prickly, always-indignant demeanour as part of her character that makes her scenes downright irritating.
Balu Varghese is largely forgettable in a criminally underwritten cameo role and is barely a shadow of the performer who had us hooked in "Operation Java" (2021) and "Jan. E. Man" (2021). Kichu Telles is sincere but caricature-ish in his negative role while Indrans, Sreejith Ravi, Sudheer Karamana and Johny Antony are compelling in the short time we see them on screen.
The 'twists' in the plotline are so predictable that you can see them coming from a mile away and this, combined with a lack of empathy the audience feels for the main protagonists makes this a story the viewer can never buy into. While it has a lot of social messages and political critiques that are commendable, the film as a whole proves to be a largely forgettable watch.
With both "Ellam Sheriyakum" and "Kunjeldho" ending up as flops, one hopes that the capable actor in Asif Ali picks better scripts going forward. Ultimately, "Ellam Sheriyakum" suffers from poor writing and character development and is stuffed with so many oft-repeated cliches that it is a tiring, dull watch.
Not recommended!
