Kathodu Kathoram is a 1985 Malayalam film directed by the ace film-maker Bharathan that had Mammootty in the lead. The film I remember was a hit those days. I had not watched the film but remember the songs very well. It had four songs composed by one of Kerala’s lead composers – Ouseppechan who made his debut as a composer in this film. All the songs became iconic for their melodies, and in particular, the song Devadoodhar Paadi is so remembered even today that it was re-mixed and featured in the 2022 film Nna than Case Kodu! You must be wondering why I am going on and on about this old film Kathodu Kathoram in this flash review for Rekhachithram.
Well, Rekhachithram is an investigative thriller in which the hero, who is a cop, investigates the disappearance of a missing woman from the sets of the 1985 film Kathodu Kathoram! Now you get the drift! In that sense, this film is a “Meta” trip on Malayalam films of the 80s in the VCR era. Director Jofin Chacko along with his writers Ramu Sunil and John Manthrickal do a wonderful job of the screenplay in which the present and past are interwoven seamlessly. Chacko and his SFX team also need to be commended here for not just the re-construction of the sets of the 80s but also the de-aged looks of the actors including Mammootty. We are taken back to the shoot of the song Devadoodhar Paadi in real time!
After a few minutes of mundane scenes in the start of the film, the visuals alternate between two men who leave their respective homes in their cars. Soon we understand that they both are headed towards the same town – a scenic and a small hill station – Malakkapara. The first one – an old man reaches a desolate forest-like area and kills himself after leaving a self-confession video of a murder he was part of, many years ago. The second one, a young cop who ends up in this town as a punishment posting for getting caught playing online rummy, has to deal with this case the very first day he takes charge.
The confession video spells out a few names who were involved in that past murder, which sets the cop on a trail of places, characters and incidents and towards the end, the antagonists. In many instances, we see convenient coincidences which take the cops to the next lead, though the investigation is taking place 40 years later. At crucial junctures, the cop played by a calm and composed Asif Ali gets tips and leads like magic. This small quibble apart, the screenplay is quite engaging, though it’s a slow burn.
Asif is the investigating cop and among the current crop of actors in Malayalam is turning out to be a very bankable performer. The cast includes many yesteryear character actors in cameos and they all are effective. Anaswara Rajan can be called as the female lead and she plays the role of Rekha, an aspiring actress in the 80s portion of the film, around whom the narrative revolves.
The camera work of Appu Prabakar captures the beauty of Kerala’s hills and landscape very nicely. The background score in the first half tries to be too eerie and dramatic in vain. As the film progresses, I found it more balanced.
At one instance in the film, Indrans, who plays the character of a Junior Artist co-ordinator tells Rekha, who is reluctant to act in a crowd scene without any scope for dialogues, “When you appear in a film, you become part of history”! This is the single hook on which the whole investigation proceeds. Looking back, Rekhachithram could have been just a normal investigative thriller in the absence of the Kathodu Kathoram part woven organically into the screenplay.
Going back to the Malayalam films of the 80s, Lekaiyude Maranam Oru Flashback is a 1983 film loosely based on the life and death of actress Shoba. Rekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback could have been a more apt title for this film! Rekhachithram is now streaming on Sony Liv and I recommend it as a Good Watch.
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