Puthiya Theerangal Malayalam Movie
I presume that the title of the new Sathyan Anthikad film 'Puthiya Theerangal' is all about the new shores that men find themselves at, as life goes on, never pausing for a moment. It however, has nothing to do with innovation and tells a tale that is as old as the seas themselves.
This time around, Sathyan Anthikad bottles up the bold and courageous heroine from 'Kasthuriman' and 'Kanmadam' and names her Thamara. He sets her on sail on the seas, and we have a fisherwoman who makes it to the news headlines as the only woman in the state who goes fishing in the sea.
Left to fend for herself, after her dad failed to return from the seas after a fishing trip, Thamara had managed things on her own. She is as good, if not better than any man on the shore, and doesn't even have girl friends. She is quite pally with Mohanan (Nivin Pauly), a TTC aspirant who never could make it to the institute. Also with her are Appachan, a film aspirant who has been doing minor roles in a reputed drama troupe and Sarangan, who is at loggerheads with his drunkard dad 24 x 7.
When Thamara rescues KP (Nedumudi Venu) from the seas, little does she realize that her life is about to change forever. The old man, who keeps changing his name and credentials every now and then, turn out to be a mystery to Thamara and her friends.
Benny P Nayarambalam's story has a few amusing moments, but apart from those lacks the verve to keep the viewer focused on the proceedings. And yes, the inevitable comparisons with similar films that have had the sea as a backdrop do not help much either. This is a film that does not focus on the father-daughter relationship like 'Amaram' did, and yet the few scenes that it has involving Thamara with her dad (Siddique) do not strike much of a chord with the audience.
There is a romantic thread that involves Thamara and Mohanan that goes kaput right from the start. There is no need to verbally speak out everything, says Mohanan, and though the pair get to sing and dance, thanks to a film shoot that takes place on the beach, their romance remains as cold as ice.
Quite contrary to the romance between the lead pair, the one between the soda maker and the sales girl (Mallika) is the best part of the film, and the way it all ends, thanks to the adorable young boy who finally decides to play the mediator, leaves a smile on our lips. And the soda maker finally discovers a life beyond the stammer.
The mystery that is built up around the character called KP is a major let down, in that the revelation that soon follows has no fizz. And it almost feels like the makers bundling up everything and leaving in a hurry.
There are just two reasons to watch Puthiya Theerangal, the first being Namitha Pramod. The girl has made an awesome debut, and is simply brilliant in her essayal of Thamara, despite her character itself being no great shakes. And the second is Molly Kannamaly, who plays Veroni in the film, to whom belongs some of the best moments in it.
As of now, no new shores seem in sight. We are still very much on real old shores.
