Uppukandam Brothers Back in Action Malayalam Movie
The saga (if ever there was one) of the Uppukandam Brothers continues. The action has been passed on to the next generation in the sequel, and Kunjannaamma (Seema) has a son, Bobby (Srikanth) to carry on the legacy. There is also her daughter Kochammini (Vani Viswanath) who has the fiery spirit of the Uppukandam family alight in her.
On the other end of the story, we have Ettuveettil Ganeshan (Richard), craving for vengeance on the Uppukandam clan, with an able ally that he has found in Srambikkal Sathyaneshan (Rajmohan Unnithan).
The biggest question is of course, why? Why has a sequel been planned to 'Uppukandam Brothers'? As far as I remember, it had never been a blockbuster that warrants that a sequel be made. Even otherwise, the story of family feuds today has become as stale as staleness could be.
There is not a moment in this entire film that would make you believe that the decision to make this sequel was justified. Everything about it, has a jaded feel through out, and in 2011, this film is way out of place.
All said and done, I should admit that there are plenty of instances in the film, when you feel like laughing your guts out. The action sequences are too funny, to be honest. There is one shot on a beach, where Bobby gets to show his entire prowess, and does something truly remarkable. Well, he's in the midst of a fisticuff actually, when he gets thrown across a chickpea vendor. Much to the surprise of the poor man, Bobby starts tossing the chickpeas into his mouth, and hands over a ten rupee note to the man, before finishing off the rest of the fight.
When you hear the sound of a jeep screeching down somewhere near, get ready for a grand entry. There are two occasions in the film, when a roaring jeep crashes into the villain's den, and on both occasions, in flies Babu Antony, the savior of hapless souls. He has been found to be mysteriously missing from the rest of the story though, and reminds us of 108, the Ambulance service that you would call for, only in times of extreme distress.
The romance is even more interesting. Bobby has been nurturing this soft, sweet corner for this girl (Honey Rose) whom he had been friends with, since childhood. So off he goes, and messes up and alliance of hers. And when she comes weeping, the man declares that 'All is Well', and agrees to marry her. It's all this simple. Really.
Having seen some very decent performances of his in Tamil, I feel really sorry for Srikanth, that he is part of this film. This is a launch vehicle that has been thrown off track, even before it started. Vani Viswanath is the only other actor who leaves a mark, and she gets to play the firebrand role once again, after a long while.
'Back in Inaction' would have been a better tagline for the sequel to 'Uppukandam Brothers'. Which is why, I would stick with a single star for this one.
