Review– Malarvadi Arts Club
Producer– Dileep
Director– Vineeth Sreenivasan
Cast– Nivin Poly, Aji Bhargavan, Malavika, Nedumudi Venu, Suraaj Venjaramoodu
etc.
Music– Shaan Rahman
Lyrics– Vineeth Sreenivasan
Story, Screenplay, dialogues– Vineeth Sreenivasan
Review by – Unni / www.Kerala9.com
If you ask me what’s new about ‘Malarvadi Arts Club’, I’d have to say that there is
nothing much new about it. We have seen it all before, it seems. All films about a bunch
of friends seem to be moving on the same lines. And, when it’s about a bunch of friends
who have a passion for music, we know how it will go and how it will end. Well, we
have seen it all before. ‘Malarvadi Arts Club’ too goes on the same lines, but the film is
refreshing indeed. Vineeth Sreenivasan has done a real good work of his debut work as
director.
‘Malarvadi Arts Club’ takes us to a village in Northern Kerala, where live a bunch of
friends- Prakashan, Purushu, Santhosh, Kuttu and Praveen. They have been friends even
since they were school-kids. Now, they are grown up and have finished their education.
They do nothing, no job, nothing. They come together in a tea-shop run by an aged guy,
Kumaran (Nedumudi Venu) and also in their own Malarvadi Arts Club. So, what does
the Malarvadi Arts Club guys do? They take up sundry assignments like putting up stages
and all, assisting the local politician Sudhakran (Manikantan) in making hartals a success
etc. They also make the most of their life- making fun and frolic, roaming around etc.
They all share a passion for music, with Santhosh being a good singer and the others
good at playing different instruments. At a stage when Santhosh’s father, who is an
advocate, loses a court-battle and his family is likely to face severe financial problems
that the Malarvadi guys think of an idea. They plan to make Santhosh take part in a
television reality show. They join hands, pool the money needed for it and take Santhosh
to Thiruvananthapuram. Santhosh emerges the winner and goes on to become a popular
singer. From here, the story takes off.
So, what all is to follow? You can very well guess it all out. The story definitely moves
along predictable lines and the climax too in only too predictable. But isn’t that what
you want to happen? As for me, the story progresses the way I want it to progress and
ends the way I want it to end and that leaves me happy, satisfied. The mood, the tempo
that’s needed and expected is maintained all through. The characters, though clichéd,
have been done well. The scenes are well executed and the songs shot brilliantly. Of
course it’s the same that I have seen in Farhan Akhthar’s ‘Rock On’ and many other
movies. But I don’t care, as it leaves me happy. But one question that leaves me baffled
is, “Do I carry anything with me once I leave the theatres?”. Maybe no; or maybe yes, the
friendship element that’s well worked out seems to have worked out in that respect. But it
does impress, especially as a debut directorial venture of so young a guy. In total I’d say
that ‘Malarvadi Arts Club’ is a good movie, one that you can see and enjoy and take your
family to see.
Performances
The lead actors, all debutantes, have done justice to their respective roles. The popular
artists in the cast- Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraaj Venjaramoodu,
Janardhanan, Salim Kumar et al are their usual selves. Among them, Nedumudi Venu
passes muster, of course.
Technical aspects
P.Sukumar’s cinematography is one of the highlights of ‘Malarvadi Arts Club’. He has
succeeded in giving, through his brilliant and colourful frames, a real youthful flavour to
the film. Ranjan Abraham as the editor and Ajay Mangadu as the art-director too have
rendered able support.
Music
Shaan Rahman has done a brilliant work of the background score and the songs. Vineeth
Sreenivasan has given us some fairly good lyrics too.
Script
Vineeth Sreenivasan, who makes his debut as a scenarist too, has done full justice to
the script. He has blended all the necessary ingredients with the finesse of a seasoned
scenarist. There is no denying the fact that he has had to bring in some popular faces,
like Salim Kumar and Suraaj Venjaramoodu, to draw people to the theatres, but that’s
pardonable since even seasoned directors are forced to do it. (The producer has to get
back his money!). The script is so unlike those written by Vineeth’s father, the popular
actor-scenarist-director Sreenivasan, that it has a definite Vineeth Sreenivasan stamp
upon it.
Direction
Vineeth Sreenivasan is in full control of things as the director, the captain of the ship.
As the director he seems to know what he wants to deliver and delivers that in style.
The youthfulness, which we have seen earlier in the songs that he has sung and also
in his performance as an actor, is evident in his direction too. As a debutant Vineeth
has done a great job. Of course there may be flaws, if we get to compare his work with
that of seasoned directors, but there is no denying the fact that Vineeth will go places.
Overall verdict- Good, youthful and musical…
Rating: 3/5
