Ozhivudivasathe Kali

The movie punched me in the gut two days back when I watched it. Still reeling from the impact.

Very realistic movie that does not feel like a movie but is yet so cinematic.

The movie is not for everyone as it does not conform to any norms in terms of what a movie should be. The mastery of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is undeniable. I still don't know what hit me. Sanal definitely knows a thing or two about how to make an impact with his movie.

Unni R's story is very impressive. Adaptation as the movie is just as astounding.

Some of the nature shots were spell-binding and reminiscent of G Aravindan's work. Background music was impressive. Very authentic acting.

Forces you to wake up from your stupor. There is malice out there and you are not always immune to it.

It took me more than six months to find a source and watch this highly acclaimed social drama. And once I finished watching it, I understood why people use so many adjectives to define it.

On an election day in the Indian state of Kerala, a group of five adult friends decide to spend an entire day in a dilapidated building few kilometers away from the city hustle-bustle. Their aim is to engage in incessant boozing and revisit the good old times. However, once they begin and reach a point where debauchery (albeit without sex and other drugs) sounds like an understatement, things start to go south. The members of the group, in their own idiosyncratic inebriated ways, begin to share their opinions. Heated discussions ensue as the nature joins them, lashing out its unparalleled powers through a downpour. One thing leads to another and things get rocky, but eventually they calm down, only to next play a silly game. A game they used to play when they were in school. A game which they don't know is not as innocuous as it seems to be.

The first thing that viewers are going to notice in the film is the terrible cinematography. All excuses of it being intentional goes down the drain because you cannot see anything. A bunch of people are conversing - that's all you will understand in the first 20 minutes. What they are talking about? Or who is presently talking? Nope. You will see leaves and barks in place of human faces.

In the first 20 minutes, you will perceive it as five adults fooling around on an off-day just because they can. Ogling at that lady who is preparing tapioca and chicken curry for them or forcing the helper guy to consume uncontrolled amounts of alcohol is what they essentially do. Then they begin to talk about politics, the society, the concepts of rape and hypocrisy - and that's when the bitterness sweeps in. It's like the thunderous downpour brings a wave into the room where these people are sitting, igniting their selves to speak up and engage in debates.

A lot of topics such as racism and caste discrimination are sampled here before the film crescendos to its final juncture where the subject shifts to that of "corruption in a democracy". The game they play is one that most of us have played at least once. But, the metaphoric perception the writers bring with it is remarkable. Unni R's story shines light into the natural state of a constitution and how corruption breeds in it due to the people and their outlooks. Sasidharan uses raw footage to convey the story and succeeds to some extent. He tries to embarrass the audience by showing them their own mirror images in the five protagonists as they set out.

You cannot call the film entertainment because it has no qualities of being any. This is serious cinema and should be perceived as a strong message to the people at large who do not mind consuming chicken, but repulse at the thought of killing a hen. It's a film that is going to haunt you for at least a day. After that, you will forget about it because that's how we all are. Like dust in the wind which moves on and on.

It is evidently made on a shoestring budget with heavy usage of improvisation. The dialogues and actions were allegedly spontaneous as Wikipedia tells me, and it may be true. The final long shot of more than 50 minutes is amazing to watch, along with the heart-rending climax.

BOTTOM LINE: Sanal Saidharan's "Ozhivudivasathe Kali" is a disturbing film which speaks truth and nothing but the truth. Watch it today on Reelmonk!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

Best malayalam movie ever. Everyone one should watch this movie. It shows how our society discriminates human's in the name of sex, cast, colour etc....

The idea is great. But it drags too much. The movie is like few middle aged men deciding to drink in a holiday. And all the things they did is being captured. Well, the DOP doesn't make us feel the presence of camera. It's about misogyny and casteism. It depicts the attitude of majority of upper class Indians. And the fact that it's set up in one of the best states in India. Kerala is great when you compare it to other states. But the ground reality is even though people are educated, the majority aren't progressive. This movie is relevant all over India.

On a rain-drenched polling day, five friends travel to an idyllic spot for a boozing session. After getting inebriated, their deep rooted prejudices start surfacing. And finally they play a game in which the players draw lots to be designated as King, Minister, Cop and Thief. The Cop identifies himself and then has to guess the Thief from among the other three. Saying anything more about the plot will amount to a spoiler. Suffice to say that the climax is chilling and deeply disturbing.

But the film is not a statement against rampant alcoholism in Kerala, as some people thought during the post-screening discussion. Alcohol is a mere lubricant to bring the bigotries and duplicities out of the closet. It is a deeply layered film with metaphors strewn all over, perhaps demanding multiple viewing to understand them all. The film often cuts to a lovely pond after intense sequences; the director is apparently holding up a mirror to our face. Are we any different from those characters? Brilliantly done, I think.

The film is based on a short story, but only loosely scripted according to the director. The characters are not played by professional actors and the dialogues reportedly evolved during shooting. This gives a life-like hue to the film. The camera becomes an observer, even an accomplice during the disturbing climax. Television news about the election provides much of the background score; music appears only towards the finale.

Ozhivu Divasathe Kali is a brilliantly nuanced film, which makes for compelling viewing. It will haunt you for a long time.