The Fahadh Faasil-Mahesh Narayanan combination is one that has made a habit of only delivering superhits in Malayalam, right from the National Award-winning "Take Off (2017)" to the groundbreaking "C U Soon (2020)" and the moving "Malik (2021)". Despite Narayanan vacating the director's chair for his pupil Sajimon Prabhakar, the Mahesh Narayanan-ness of "Malayankunju" is clear for everyone to see, right from the intricate, rooted character study in the narrative to smooth intercuts as the storytelling uses the non-linear approach to good effect.
"Malayankunju" follows the journey of "Anikuttan" (Fahadh) a prickly, temperamental electrician living in the scenic foothills of rural Mulavumpara. Having suffered a devastating loss just some years ago, the enterprising technician is clearly suffering from PTSD and paranoia and is in many respects the antithesis of the happy-go-luck "Mahesh Bhavana" that Fahadh played so well in what I regard is his best work till date, the 2016 smash hit "Maheshinte Prathikaram". After painting a thoroughly enjoyable character persona of our titular protagonist, the story quickly moves into how he has his world literally and figuratively collapse around him after heavy rains cause a massive landslide.
Taking inspiration from the devastating Kerala Floods of 2018, it is no wonder that the makers had put out a warning before the movie's release that the film is not suitable for claustrophobes. Mahesh Narayanan's screenplay and cinematography come into full effect as we see the protagonist try to survive being caved in and figure a way out in scarily confined spaces. The cliched "Fahadh's eyes" have become a running meme these days, but it cannot be overstated how much the actor relies on them here to convey paranoia, dread and ultimately hope and redemption as the story movies along.
That Fahadh Faasil disappears into the character of an obsessive, irascible villager is no longer a surprise at this point but it is truly awe-inspiring that he makes us buy into and empathize with a persona that is so unlikeable and unrelatable at the onset. As the deft storytelling of director Sajimon shows us how the curmudgeonly electrician is suspicious of everyone and everything around him, interlinked flashbacks to his tumultuous past give us more insight into what made him this way and the pain he has undergone due to trying circumstances. "Malayankunju" delivers a poignant yet hopeful chronicle of how if you open your heart and relinquish your doubts and fears, redemption and absolution will find you rather than you going vainly in search for them. Highly recommended!
