Angel John

The story unwinds as a simple fairytale told about a wayward teenager. With this, Shantanu (as Maradona), son of South Indian film personalities Bhagyaraj and Poornima, makes a break into Malayalam cinema, comfortably.

The boy with punk looks and ways bunks classes, plays pranks, and shows a proclivity for sexual peccadilloes. Lalu Alex and Ambika, as the boy’s loving parents, often have kittens for their kid’s misdeeds. Nithya Menon (Sophie) looks pleasing as the girl-next-door, whose true love for Maradona gets a belated nod.

Jagathy Sreekumar as Khadar Moosa gives us some light moments with his repeated escapades to enter the Limca Book of Records. There are also Baiju (Karate master) and Salim Kumar (money lender) to spice up the humour. Having messed up with life, Maradona thinks of ending his life.

Marquee star Mohanlal makes an abrupt entry at this point (almost halfway through the film) as the fictional character Angel John, to lend him a helping hand, literally too. Henceforth the story transcends from the world of reality to a world of fantasy. Sounding off philosophy of life, Angel John lights up the path for reformation for Maradona.

Director and writer S L Puram Jayasurya, in his second venture, seems to have churned out a fable for teeny-boppers.  It also reminds us of the spiritual theme: Do good to others, then God’s angel will come to you.