Mollywood Times, directed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak, is not the typical film Malayalam cinema is known for these days. It is not a slow-burn murder mystery. It is not a police procedural that excels in detailing. It is also not a typical slice-of-life film with characters plucked from real life, seemingly doing real things. Neither is it a political thriller. Last of all, it is not a Lucifer/Empuraan-type mass film. It is a coming-of-age film about a young aspiring filmmaker from Kerala whose only ambition since childhood has been to become a filmmaker. So, what is not so typical about this? It is the director Abhinav’s conviction that it not be the run-of-the-mill type. Just like the protagonist in the film. In that sense, it is one hell of a meta ride.
The film opens in the past with the story of a kid and his writer father. This sequence reminded me of the youth sequence in Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan – another iconic coming-of-age film. In that film, the famous line ‘Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla’ (Nothing is wrong if a few people benefit from it), which the young Velu hears from his guardian, becomes the guiding mantra for Velu Nayakkar, the don, throughout his life. Similarly, here the writer father advises his son, “Chase recognition, Success will follow”. Usually, it is the other way around. This mantra gets ingrained in the son’s mind as he grows up. But this flashback sequence is not that of the protagonist. The protagonist’s flashback story follows. He is another young kid who is obsessed with horror films and aspires not just to be a film-maker but to be the greatest horror film-maker Malayalam cinema has ever seen. He starts out idealistic, wanting to chase success so that recognition follows.
After a longish stretch in which Abhinav tries to set the context, we move to the present, where our hero, now a grown-up, starts making short films. In cinema, the typical formula for a coming-of-age film is to start with a small win that kindles hope, followed by a few struggles that test the hero’s resilience, and end with a big win in the climax. But in Mollywood times, Director Abhinav and his co-writer Ramu Sunil completely shake up this template. The result is an interesting film in which idealism gives way to pragmatism as the aspiring filmmaker grapples with setbacks one by one. Actually speaking, the film is all about this character arc of the hero and his journey.
Naslen plays the aspiring filmmaker. He is brilliant in his portrayal, and this may very well signal his coming of age in Malayalam cinema as a full-fledged hero. The voice-over technique, which the director employs throughout the film to convey the inner voice and thought process, works well with his dialogue delivery. Among the other cast, Sharaf U Dheen and Sangeeth Prathap, who are Naslen’s rivals as directors, make a good impression.
The film is backed by some solid writing. Again, a female love interest who offers unwavering support and encouragement and plays a vital role in the hero’s success at the end is a common feature in such films. That this film avoids this is another reason I thought it was very interesting and not the usual film. Doesn’t mean the film is flawless. I thought the initial double flashback scenes were a bit too stretched. Similarly, in the second half, the hurdles the hero faces become repetitive. We get the point the Director tries to convey, which is that the world of cinema is deceitful and that the protagonist has an individualistic streak, which is why he doesn’t succumb and instead soldiers on. But the character fails to evoke sympathy or hatred in us. That explains why, towards the end, we don’t feel anything. The climax itself is unexpected for such a genre.
Abhinav Sundar Nayak’s earlier film, Mukundan Unni Associates, was again a hatke film that made us sit up and take note of the arrival of a new-age director willing to go against the grain in character development and storytelling. He continues that theme here as well. Mollywood Times is brilliant in its technique and storytelling. I would recommend it as an interesting watch. Watch it if you have an appetite for out-of-the-box films. Mollywood Times is streaming now on Jio Hotstar.
My Flash Verdict: An Interesting Watch
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