SABARIMALA AYYAPPA TEMPLE

SABARIMALA AYYAPPA TEMPLE

Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is one of the most ancient and prominent Sastha temples in the country. Located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is one of the few Hindu temples in India that is open to all faiths. The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Surrounded by mountains and dense forest Sabarimala is believed to be the place where Ayyappan meditated. Perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala. Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that "Parasurama Maharshi" who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa.

The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad. The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January. Mandala pooja and Makaravilakku  are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).

Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non vegetarian food and carnal pleasures. Pilgrims set out in groups under a leader, and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi kettu containing traditional offerings. Unlike certain Hindu temples, Sabarimala temple has no restrictions of caste or creed. The temple is open to males of all age groups and to women who have either passed their fertility age and those before reaching the stage of puberty. The easiest route is via Chalakkayam, by which one can reach the banks of the river Pamba by vehicle. Pamba is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala. From here one has to trek 4 to 5 kms to reach the temple.

Tags ; Sabarimala , Ayyapan , Sabarimala temple , swami saranam

Sabarimala , Ayyapan , Sabarimala temple , swami saranam

VINEETH SRENIVASAN TO DIRECT MAMMOOTTY

VINEETH SRENIVASAN TO DIRECT MAMMOOTTY

In the new reports coming out from Mollywood, Vineeth Srenivasan is for the first time teaming up with a super star. And that will be for none other than Mammootty.

Yes, this movie will also have more highlights, the major one being Jeethu Joseph scripting for the film. This director of Superhit Drishyam' is simultaneously scripting the new flick for Vineeth, even as he is busy with the Tamil remake of Drishyam'. Yet another family thriller, this new project will be produced by Sreenivasan and Mukesh in the banner of Lumiere films. .

Watch this space for more about this project which will be on sets only by the final months of this year.

HAPPY JOURNY MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

HAPPY JOURNY MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

'Happy Journey' via its promos offered a lot of expectations, especially as it was dealing with the inspiring life of a  blind youth. As usual with the every previous films of the scriptwriter Arun lal, this movie also opened in a fine note , giving prospects of a bright film, but stoops down in the middle into an ordinary film trying for all sort of inane wits rather than attempting to show the graceful life..

The movie has Jayasuriya as Aaron, a childhood cricket prodigy, who gets selected to the state under-15 cricket team. But due to an accident he loses his eyesight. His mother Alice (lena) but helps him to grow up as one youth who doesn't need the help of others to lead an independent life. As he gets selected again to the India's blind cricket team, his mother meets an untimely death which forces Aaron to overlook his ambitions about cricket and take up a job in a hotel. But fate has it that ,Aaron at a later stages of life again finds avenues to recuperate his lost dreams.

The movie told in a flash back mode is presented as a tale told by Aaron to a fellow passenger (Aparna Gopinath) which but changes his life for ever . There are some unpredictable instances which pushes the movie forward , though not much worthwhile happenings occur in the later half.

Jayasuriya gives his heart out to perfect the blind character with perfect mannerisms, but Lal who appear as the coach Gpoi krishnan appear a big miscast in the role, so is Shukkur the malayalee caretaker of the blind cricket team.  Aaron's cousin Freddy (Balu Varghese), and another character named Pranchi gives some relief with their lighter act.

The movie takes pleasure in creating immature wits from the disability angle, which is not advisable for the spirit of the film like this. The entire second half has got plenty of such attempts, which fails the flick into mediocre one from its noble intention of propagating positive messages.

The pace of the movie is another deterring factor, where the editor Lijo Paul couldn't stick on a specific pace to tell the plot. At times it is fine, and at time it is a bit loose. The cinematography is fine and the BG scores by Gopi sundar is good at times and over the top in some scenes. The songs including 'Ithu kaliya' is good and suit the mood of the film.

All in all, there are some Nobel intentions behind the film and positive messages sent all across. But had the makers shown some more maturity and crafted it with more sensibility, the promise of the plot could have made it a better flick.

Ratting - 3/5

PAKIDA MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

PAKIDA MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

Pakida' is all  about how a total stranger creates unforgettable twists in the life of an youth , following an unexpected accident. A thriller made in a totally Anglican mood and Mexican colour tones, 'Pakida' is a stuff for all who love experimental stuff with liberal dosage of new generation elements; while the lovers of regular potboilers must refrain from  taking a chance of this game. 

The movie presents Asif Ali as Aadi, the leader of a group of jobless youths, who is into everything to celebrate their formative years. On a Christmas day while they are celebrating on an open terrace of an uncompleted building, one in the group accidentally fall down and is rushed to hospital. In need of money to save his bosom pal , Aadi decides to sell the vintage car carefully adorned by his father who is a mechanic to a handicapped visitor. But this total stranger who speaks in a deep-throated tone and hardly speaks more than a line, agrees to the big amount that he is asked to pay, but also wants Aadi to accompany him for a week for the full payments , as he can't drive with his ailments. As they start together a trip whose motives are yet to find the light, Aadi learns that there is much more in life than their happy-g0- lucky, noisy  outings.

The movie undoubtedly belongs to Biju Menon who stands out with his grey shades of doings and looks , with his economy of words, and a sharp stare  . His low decibel dialogues in a mono tone and the rare smiles, added with the meticulous presentation of a man in a walking stick does the trick for Sunil Karyattukkara, the director, who finds the best of the artist in Mollywood to shape the mysterious George Koshy Anthrapper. Asif Ali in his usual role of carefree youth does give justice to the role he is asked to do. The female leads in Apoorva Bose and Malavika doesn't have much to do.

The script, by newcomers Sreejith and Rajesh, offer an interesting plot with plenty of twists , but at times appear lackadaisical, especially in the first half where the camaraderie between the friends are shown.  Some explicit verbal content and the discussions on sex and boozing also gel well with the mood of the film, so is the measured dialogues rendered by Biju Menon. The action sequences are good, with some finely pictured chases and fights.
                
Another worthy mention must go to the camera treatment and picture tones maintained by Sameer Haq, who has made something extraordinary out of an ordinary stuff. His visuals punctuate much more and give a mood of viewing a South American movie. The music and songs by Bijipal is equally supportive to the quality of the flick. Among the three songs, our pick is 'Ee pooveyil' pictured on Malavika and Asif.

All in all, this Pakida may not be be a game for all, but for the lovers of the genre there is plenty in the offer. With some genuine messages of crusade built around some real life horrifying happenings that disturbed every keralite, 'Pakida' may survive for a few weeks in theatres with average collections.

Ratting - 2.8/5

1983 MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

1983 MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

In a country where cricket is the biggest religion, it is a safe bet to make one on its spirit and nostalgia. Debutante filmmaker Abrid Shine while embarking on a subject just needed to put the heart at the right place, which he does with finesse making this '1983' a real tribute to cricket and classy cinema. He also uses the brand of  Sachin Tendulkar in a parallel track so successfully that anything that is related to this great legend cannot be an unlikeable one.

Nivin Pauly is Rameshan in the film who gets glued to the magic of cricket, ever since he watched the winning ways of India since 1983 world cup. The fine student in him who aspired to be an engineer, very soon gets infected with cricket fever, ever ready to carry the bat for his local team and friends. Even when stooped down to a third class in S S L Cand even when he failed in P D C or even when his long time sweetheart walked away with an American husband,  Rameshan did survive the heat due to his passion for the game and his friends. Later we find him as a middle aged man, who is now the father of a ten year old, quite  astonished to see his son handling the heavy bat just like a feather.  

The movie works heavily on the nostalgia that every cricket lover carries in his heart. When it combines with the inherent honesty of storytelling and pitching the name of Sachin in every possible scene, '1983' graduates to become one of the fine films of the recent times. The dialogues are simple, appealing and realistic just like the muddy terrains where the lads play all the day. Abrid Shine's story and the script (co­written by Bipin Chandran) fit perfectly on the grammar of commercial cinema. The messages are not preachy and comes natural that adds to that feel good mood of the movie. The brainy techniques used for the time lapses and meticulousness with which the time period is depicted also will vouch for the bright film maker in this debutante, who delivers a perfect shot even in the pacing of the movie.  Add to that the brilliant camera work by Pradeesh Varma and editing by Manoj, which takes the movie much about the regular terrain of similar sports based flicks. Gopi Sundar once again scores big time with his BG'scores. This time all of his songs including the title  track 'Nenjile'  and Olanjalikkuruvi... rendered by the legendary singers, P Jayachandran and Vani Jayaram also does the trick of finely bonding with the narrative structure of the film.

Every character in the film is accurately carved with supporting stars like Joy Mathew, Srinda Ashab, Anoop Menon, Jacob Gregory, Saiju Kurup, and Dinesh finely executing their roles. So is the naturality of their dialogues in every sequence that a cricket lover could have definitely spelt in his life with the game. Nikki Gilrani looks stunning and performs well while Shrinda Ashab gathers maximum applauds for her natural act as Susheela, Rameshan's wife who hardly knows who is Sachin.  Nivin Pauly is apt as the young Rameshan , but also manages reasonably well as the father of a ten year old. This may be his finest role after 'Thattathin Marayathu', with unbending sparks in his eyes still talking much about the hungry cricketer in him. Bhagath aka Kannan, the small cricketer plays to the galleries with the natural act.

In the final analysis, this 1983 is sure to bring in smiling, satisfied faces, just like the year had with Indian cricketers. Abrid Shine and team do need applause for going the honest, sincere way, rather than opt to work after the glamour behind the game. Prescribed for a decent watch....Satisfaction guaranteed.

Ratting - 3.5/5

MANNAR MATHAI SPEAKING 2 REVIEW

MANNAR MATHAI SPEAKING 2 REVIEW

It is quite difficult to make one workable sequel to Mannar Mathai Speaking, which has already become a cult classic in the genre of comedies. Director Mamas is his attempt to make a sequel to Mannar Mathai Speaking, tries one blending the important characters of the past two flicks which manages to keep the lovers of the original, engaged to a decent level. But it lacks the punch in the final reels, missing that innate life and charm of the original.

This time the three central characters of Mannar Mathai (Innocent), Gopalakrishnan (Mukesh) and Balakrishnan (Sai Kumar), are lodged in a much better house, running Urvashi Tours and Travels, with a driver Koshy(Shammy Thilakan) and cook Manjulan (Vijeesh). Mannar Mathai who still considers him as the important masters of Malayalam drama history is trying hard to revive his troupe and create one play based on the life of 'SnapakaYohanan' as the 25th anniversary drama from the troupe. Gopalakrishnan and Balakrishnan has lost interest in the acting and creating a new drama and they are now into openly criticising Mathai for all the loses in their life .

One fine day when Koshy gets into a fight with some foreign clients, Mathai gives a classified ad looking for a driver well versed in English and a female lead for their new drama. In comes Unni  (Basil) as their driver  and a beautiful girl Nithya (Aparna Gopinath) who has originally come for some research but agreed to act in the lead role of the drama. And as they move on with their daily chores they finds  Mahendra Varma (Biju Menon), whom they thought would have died in their previous encounter in the prequel. The movie follows how the life of MA Go BA(acronym for Mathai, Balakrishnan and Gopalakrishnan) goes awry with the arrival of more characters from previous films.

The movie has plenty of sequences that definitely ask you to grin and often into loud chuckles. But equal numbers of sequences are melodramatic with dialogues that fall flat and lacks needed energy. Mamas  had done a honest effort to portray some nostalgic characters but also needs much to improve in scripting departments , particularly in creating a believable frame for all the absurd pandemonium to happen . Innocent as Mannar Mathai and Mukesh as Gopalakrishnan manages with their prowess but Saikumar appears a bit tired and low profile here. Aparna Gopinath with a new hairdo appears beautiful but doesn't have anything to perform like in her debut film. Biju Menon as Varma brothers has worked best for the movie in its later half. Shammi Thilakan as Koshi, Kalabhavan Shajon (SI Babumon) and Vijeesh as Manjulan has got some fine one-liners. The characters from the original including Vijayaraghavan (RamjiRao), Janardhanan (Garvasees Ashan), Indrans (Ponnappan), and Co adds to the nostalgic appeal of the movie.

The technical sides of the movie are fine with some fine cinematography by Vishnu Narayanan. The editing could have been a little faster in some reels though the visual effects are good.BG Music by Rahul Raj is impressive while his songs remain average.

On the whole, Mannar Mathai Speaking 2 deserves an average rating for the making style and some original ideas which doesn't do much harm to the well remembered characters of the originals. Just grab a popcorn and think to find spaces to laugh aloud if you have 132 minutes of not so important time at your disposal.

Review - 2.8/5

SALALA MOBILES MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

SALALA MOBILES MALAYALAM MOVIE REVIEW

Another debutante has bite the dust with the latest film 'Salala Mobiles' only due to lack of worthy content. A movie which has top notch production values and fine technical sides will not work well just due to the fact that it doesn't have enough to tell, to engage and hold you for an 132 minutes.

In Salala Mobiles, Dulqar Salman is clad as an ordinary young lazy Afsal, whose loving mom (Geetha) is worried for him doing nothing. His uncle working in Salala (Jose) helps him set up a mobile phone shop which he names as Salala Mobiles. He together with his best friend-cum-mobile technician Binoy (Jacob Gregory), starts well but soon Afsal falls for Shahana (Nazriya Nazim), who is studying in a parallel college near the mobile shop. Haven't got the guts to open his mind, Afsal waits for hours to have a look of Shahana. But the arrival of Manaf, who boasts himself to be the lover of Shahana puts him down. One fine day while hunting for his purchases at Coimbatore, he meets Alagarsamy (Santhanam), a software wizard who gifts him with a mind tapping machine a telephone tapping instrument with which the listener can ever intervene in the conversations that is being heard. This does change the pace of the film  and a few laughs are generated shortly thereafter, but even with the aid of such a possibility the movie hardly pushes off to the upswing.

The problem with the movie is that it is a decade old love plot with a reluctant hero and beautiful girl who instantly falls for him without double minds. Only the attempts in between to satisfy the voyeur in us, just pushes the film on, but without any convincing finale. The technical sides, the cinematography by Satheesh kurup, the visual effects and even the BGM by Gopisundar are interesting but without any fine thread to hold the whole narratives the movie falls apart without any engaging incidents. Dulqar Salman and Nazriya play their parts pretty well and we do feel for their screen presence and charm but it doesn't convert into a decent watch. The georgeous costumes of Nazriya also is sure to become a fashion statement soon, but nor so does the film. Anwar Shareef as Manaf opens his career in a confident start playing the villain. All in all, this Salala Mobiles may not be of any sort of sure prescription for all, except for the die hard fans of the lead stars. Indeed this could be a warning for all wannabe film makers who are at the different stages of production - Without any workable stronger script, the technical finesse and saleble stars cannot warranty  a watchable stuff.

Ratting - 2.5