A refreshing experience the film puts forward to the viewer. A wonderful experiment arose in the mind of Rohith, the director. These types of films are what could push the level of art that will be churned out every year in the cinema industry. It doesn't matter if the film is a flop or a success, if the film has in it something fresh and delightful to offer to the viewer, then that's more than enough. But at most times, the audience who are accustomed only to a certain type of cliche that gets them the entertainment they want, they won't find out-of-the-box experiments interesting.
But there are other types of film watchers. Those who keep an interest in cinema that transcends mere entertainment, or the kind of entertainment commercial cinema usually offers, it's them who will find this film a piece of gem.
The film is based on the story of Vyshakhan and Fidaa, who lives on a fictional island that's right opposite to an actual society in many aspects. A very strange place. The most significant of all the strangeness is the lack of sorrow people usually have when someone dies. And a subtly shown aspect, which at many times becomes thoroughly direct and explicit, is the absence of conventional norms practised by society and religion. Throughout the film, life and death are projected, as a discourse that's expressed in subtle language. The philosophy the makers try to convey is simple and is explicitly revealed in the end.
The viewer can smoothly traverse through every scene and frame. Vyshakhan's love for Fidaa and his adventures for attaining her love is brilliantly picturized through fantastical imagery that brings much delight to the viewer's eyes. A very important aspect of the film is its emphasis on sweets. Fidaa is from a home that's engaged in the sweets business. The expression of Vyshakhan's love is partly done through "sweets". The flavour and taste of sweets are absorbed by the camera and music. A poetic blend that implicitly displays the symbolic connection between sweets, love, and from a broader perspective, life. The film's language is heavily composed of childishness, which shapes the fantasy. It is shown in a wide scale of elements, such as icons, imagery, music, the basic plot etc. And that itself is the aesthetic of the film which is unknown to Malayalam cinema.
The writing acts as the foundation for the visual fantasy that's displayed in the film. Sameer Abdul's development of the plot and some of the dialogues that aid the storytelling captures the freshness and eccentricity of Rohith's story.
The viewer can travel into another world once the film starts. Enjoy every frame with much delight, and feel the sweetness of Fidaa and Vyshakhan's love, it's adventure and philosophy.
