Usthad Hotel Malayalam Movie Review
Producer : Listin Stephen
Director : Anwar Rasheed
Story by : Anjali Menon
Cast : Dulquer Salman, Thilakan, Nitya Menen, Siddique etc.
Music : Gopi Sundar
Cinematography : S.Lokanathan
Editing by : Mahesh Narayanan

Review By : Unni R Nair/ Kerala9.com

Thanks Anwar! Thanks Listin! Thanks Anjali! Thanks to everyone who made ‘Ustad Hotel’ possible…

Yes, this is what I should do before I proceed to write the review… All those who made ‘Ustad Hotel’ possible deserve to be appreciated and thanked, for it’s one film that you won’t want to criticize. It’s a film that you’d want to see again and take others to see…It’s one of the best films to come out in Malayalam in recent times.

Let me begin with the storyline… Abdul Razack (Siddique) had always wanted to have a son. But when his wife Fareeda (Praveena) gives birth to girls one after the other, he gets frustrated. Finally, after three girl children, Fareeda delivers a boy and passes away; Abdul Razack, who is in Dubai, comes back and takes his children to Dubai. The boy, whom he had named Faizal a k a Feyzee, grows up under the loving care of his four sisters. Abdul Razack grows rich and as Feyzee grows up, Razack plans to start a five-star hotel in his home town, Kozhikode, with Feyzee by his side. He sends Feyzee to Switzerland to study Hotel Management. Feyzee returns with plans totally different from his father and there ensues a clash, between the father and the son. Feyzee leaves home and joins his grandfather Karim (Thilakan), who runs a hotel, Ustad Hotel, by the beach. The story takes a very interesting turn from there.

‘Brilliant’ is the word that comes to mind when we take a look at the sequences in ‘Ustad Hotel’, the way the scenes are conceived, shot and acted out, at the whole fabric and how it’s treated- by the script-writer, the director and everyone involved and also at the energy level that the film seems to be effervescing. Conceived and structured in the conventional commercial mould, ‘Ustad Hotel’ is one movie that makes us feel connected in many ways and also makes us sit up and think as to what we are making out of our lives. It’s one movie that talks about love in realistic as well as romantic terms and talks about the philosophy of life in as simple a manner as possible, highlighting the relevance of Destiny or ‘Kismat’ in our lives. It is also replete with scenes and moments that are amongst the best ones seen in Malayalam Cinema in recent years. The scene where Sulaimani (Black Tea) connects to love and romance, the scene involving Jishnu in the guest role, the scene where Karimkka talks about ‘Kismat’  etc stand out and make the film endearing.

Performance 

Dulquer does a perfect job, as Feyzee while Nitya Menen as Shahana too is good. Veteran actor Thilakan, no need to say, is simply superb; Karimkka is another indelible footprint that he leaves behind as he moves on, doing memorable roles one after the other. All the others in the cast have done justice to their respective roles.

Technical aspects

S.Lokanathan needs to be appreciated for delivering frames that are beautiful, colourful and very much in sync with the theme and the moods portrayed in the film. The enticing smell of the Malabar Biriyani and other Kozhikode delicacies seem to be emanating from the brilliant frames that he has composed for ‘Ustad Hotel’. Art-work by Biju Chandran and editing by Praveen Prabhakar also deserve mention.

Music

Songs of ‘Ustad Hotel’ are already a hit; “Appangalembaadum…” is a big hit. The background score jells with the plot and sequences.

Script

Hats off to Anjali Menon! Anjali has done a brilliant script, blending emotions in the right manner, doing it all in a well-balanced way and bringing together incidents and sequences as if she is putting together beads to make a beautiful necklace. Yes, a beautiful necklace indeed the film is! Great work, Anjali Menon!

Direction

The colourfulness, the energy level and the overall pace of the movie may very well remind you of the Anwar Rasheed who had directed ‘Rajamanickam’, ‘Chotta Mumbai’ and ‘Annan Thambi’; but the treatment, the delicacy with which it has all been handled and the making resembles ‘Bridge’, the short film which Anwar had made as part of the anthology ‘Kerala Café’. Anwar is in full form with ‘Ustad Hotel’, which is a mainstream, commercial film that’s artistic and exploring in nature. Kudos, Anwar and team!!!

An addition

Well, this time I’d like to make an addition to the segments. A person who deserves special mention here is Listin Stephen, the producer. He is setting an example by producing meaningful films one after  the other (‘Traffic’, ‘Chaapa Kurish’ and now ‘Ustad Hotel’) at such a young age and is not bothered about making just box-office oriented formula movies. Thanks Listin for ‘Ustad Hotel’!!

Verdict:  Wonderful! Energizing! Exhilarating! Must see movie…

Rating: 3.5/5