I have to admit that the makers had a great idea behind the making of this satire. We hardly see any sarcasm-centered flicks in Mollywood, let alone satire. But, Masala Republic tries to differ, yet stumbles in its own wrongs by overcooking the plot and failing to follow a formulated recipe.
Indrajith only enters the screen after 30 minutes. The monotonous montage which starts the film gives a lucid intro to what we might expect: the plight of Bengali (non-Keralite) workers in a state obsessed with righteousness and huge amounts of literacy. Not that Indrajith succeeds in turning the tables around, but the viewer gets both bored and curious to what would happen next. So, there's a high probability that you may sit and continue watching it.
Then comes the sides. Satiring politics requires great effort and that's where the writers fail. We are shown a bunch of spine-less aficionados who run a political organization who vow to help these workers when the state arbitrarily bans the use of paan masala. As it is shown (and known) that the outsiders live on this masala so as to work endless shifts, the so-called workers' union start revolting. A set of incidents ensue as Shambu (Indrajith), a policeman of the fictitious Anti Gutka Squad pledges to thwart its use, media tries to salvage its respective reputation and the fictional paan masala mafia tries to resurrect.
The story as an outline looks good on paper. But when it is executed using shabby setup, repetitive and irritating dialogs, over- fictionalized situations and cliché, the invention backfires. And that is how Masala Republic rolls down the gutter. Many themes in the film are worth considering and many are cringe-worthy (and downright illogical), which creates ennui in its audience. I am not much impressed with direction as well. Cinematography is fine.
BOTTOM LINE: I tried a couple of times to set my view-tone and concentrate, but the sequences thrown at me were either boring or beyond my apprehension. Can be avoided if you're a lousy movie guy. Consider, if you are into independent, art-house kinda films.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
