Manjadikuru

Anjali Menon tries to see a lot of goodness around us which are otherwise left unnoticed. Her close observation of a typical Kerala society is beautifully manifested in the film. She could portray shades of relationships in a single family impressively. The perspective she selected to tell the story(that of children at a funeral) is interesting. I always wondered what goes in the mind of the 'happy' children at a funeral where the elders are sad or pretending to be sad and serious. The special care she took to unveil the plight of women characters is outstanding. The film is able to make the audience think with its mild satire of the life around us.

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 .

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.

one of the finest ,sweetest and brilliant films of all times.. takes us back to our childhood when even funerals were turned out into opportunities to play with our cousins and have a family get together.. On the other side it shows the greed and selfish nature of the people for money and wealth. The characterization of each and every one is perfect and it depicts the dark as well as brighter sides of the characters. The realistic approach to the making makes it even more enjoyable and the cute little children makes everyone smile with their every move...Any other rating than excellent will not be suiting for this movie..