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Paleri Manikyam...

Last Updated 11 December 2009, 16:57 IST

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha’ is a sober film based on T P Rajeevan’s  novel of the same name. Don’t expect a thriller like ‘Oru CBI Diary Kuruppu’, for the story ambles along with little suspense-packed moments. Blame it on the narration technique - it seldom keeps you hooked to the story line.

Private detective Haridas (Mammootty) is the narrator and his narration sounds like a boring  monologue. His memories dart back to his past when the plot unveils the mysterious murder of a-20-year old bride Manikyam (Mythili).

Driven by compassion, and above that, personal curiousity, Haridas sets out to Paleri, his hometown, to pick up the missing links in the murder case. He has Sarayu (Gowri Munjal) as the charming companion, who is a crime analyst as well. From the numerous characters that appear, Haridas pieces together information about the midnight murder.

The good part of the film is that it brings to us the socio-political milieu of the 1950s when Kerala’s first Communist ministry under EMS came to power. Among the three characters played by Mammootty, the one as Ahmed Haji, a landlord of Paleri, is more appealing. The character, which indulges in an orgy of sex, echoes the vulgar face of casteism and fragility of womanhood. Cinematographer Manoj Pillai’s work is laudable while music is not enduring.

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(Published 11 December 2009, 16:19 IST)

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