Take Off

Take Off (2017):

Take Off is inspired by the real-life rescue of Indian nurses who were stranded in Tikrit, Iraq, during the country's civil war in 2014.Starring one of my favorite actress Parvathy Menon,I had huge expectations on this film.So how is it?

Plot:

Sameera (Parvathy Thiruvoth) is a 31-year-old nurse who is being forced by her circumstances to take a job in Iraq.She is a divorcée and has an eight-year-old son,but that's not a problem at all for Shahid (Kunchacko Boban),her colleague, who is ready to accompany her to the troubled land. Sameera accepts to marry him, in yet another attempt to keep her and her closed ones' life afloat.But when they land in Iraq,things starts getting worse.

Plus Points:

1)Performances: Parvathy plays Sameera with the sense of perfection she is known for. The agonies of a woman caught caught up in a cobweb of personal, professional and even international crises come alive on screen through her.Definitely an award winning performance.Kunchacko pulls a restrained and subtle performance as Shahid, who also serves as the undying ray of hope in Sameera's life.Fahadh is show-stealer in second half.His expressions of contempt and impudence at his senior officials add a few doses of heroism in the film.

2)Screenplay and Direction: Editor-turned-filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan's debut directorial is exceptional.With the story being familiar, the challenge awaiting the director was presenting the plot in an engaging manner, taking cinematic liberties. And Mahesh along with co-scriptwriter PV Shajikumar does it with aplomb.Never once does it slack – despite the first half being a drama. The director also ensures that in between the taut screenplay, the movie addresses the plight of nurses who travel abroad seeking employment to pay off loans, to take care of their family and for better prospects even if it means putting their lives on the line.

So,Take Off is another worth watching film of Malayalam with terrific performances and engaging screenplay.

My rating 7.5/10

I was in for a surprise. I found the trailer good but the movie just blew my mind. From the initial scenes of character nurse Sameera's pain as she struggles between motherhood, a divorce, night shifts and also the tension to get a job in Iraq to the later scenes where she witnesses horribly injured patients at an Iraqi hospital and then the nightmare of ISIS terrorists who hold her & her colleagues hostage are shown brilliantly. Parvathy is near flawless as Sameera and hope she gets another state award for her performance. Kunchacko Boban as her husband and Fahadh Fasil as an Indian Embassy officer are the other major characters in the movie and they both deliver very well. This movie may draw comparisons with the Bollywood movie Airlift released last year due to similar theme of Indians caught in a war zone in Middle East. I'd say both are very good in their own way although each has some flaws too. What I'd remember Take Off for is Parvathy's performance and also many of the tense scenes that involve the terrorists. They get seared into your brain long after the movie is over. But as this movie is only inspired by true events, some of the liberties taken with the story fail to convince in few scenes. Also, the reaction of Fahadh's character to the news that his decision saved some of the Indians from an explosion on a road is quite cinematic, it almost mocks the deaths of the other nationalities caught in that tragedy. But these are somewhat minor flaws in an otherwise masterfully made movie of hope and the will to endure any crisis. I think it's a must see.

Thrillers in the backdrop of civil wars is relatively new for Malayalam cinema, unless you consider Major Ravi's turkeys as films. This one here by a debutante director thoroughly impresses, mostly because of its gut-wrenching story based on true events that is highly relevant as we move forward in 2017...

Sameera (Parvathy) is a nervy young Muslim woman who is the sole breadwinner of her family. A nurse at a local hospital, she, along with few of her colleagues, has now received an opportunity to go and work for the Iraqi government. Money is the only motivation for her right now, and the fact that she is a divorcée acts as a thorn to her ultimate quest: lead a merry life. Cajoled by her family, she finally reciprocates her love for Shaheed (Kunchacko Boban), a fellow nurse at her hospital. They marry and leave for the Muslim country as a couple, unbeknown to the reality that is waiting to encapsulate and destroy their healing lives...

The story follows Sameera, her husband, and a bunch of Indian nurses who find themselves in the middle of the ongoing civil war in Iraq. Director Mahesh Narayan and writer P V Shajikumar have developed a tight story to drive home few messages, the primary of which involves the existence of hope and how it helps you fight the darkest of fears. With the ISIS controlling their part of Iraq, it is Sameera's leadership and conviction that the writers try to highlight here, referring a lot of relevant, stark social causes along the way.

Director Narayan has crafted his story well, closing all loose ends and narrating the story in an efficient way right from the beginning. Once you ignore and go past the spelling mistakes in the opening credits and a very long preamble, things start catching pace as Sameera spearheads the screen with her absolutely nuanced performance (one of the best of 2017 so far) as the highly-strung woman. The little bits of pulpy storytelling with dashes of fervent realism, humor, and romance makes the first half an engaging experience. Viewers can definitely relate to the characters: be it that of Sameera or one of her in-laws who are torchbearers of suppression.

Sameera is full of anxiety because she has this bucket of responsibilities over her head that she has to deal with, and at the same time has to sustain the heavy societal pressures that challenge her ambitions as a whole. Feminism is not really the topic here, but the makers definitely hint at the hardships that women have to go through in a conservative society, here, in spite of being the only working person in her family. Sameera is an independent woman and the story focuses on her conviction to stand abreast even when a rifle's barrel is pointed at her forehead. The extents that she goes in the second half to do what she has to do is a powerful rendition of all the strong voices that sway in the air around us, making us all have faith in our world riddle with hate and chaos.

With a powerful score backing the on screen happenings, the bloodshed, the shelling, the horror - the film does not sit idle one single moment. Viewers are bound to see themselves on the edge of their seats, rooting for the characters even as the emotional thriller starts tugging at your vulnerable heart strings. It wouldn't be surprising to see a tear escaping your eye as you follow Sameera's journey through the bullet-ridden streets of Iraq. Moreover, there's some great photography here, depicting the bloodied parchments of Mosul and Tikrit - which all add up to the film's superiority in terms of storytelling and production design. I was not really impressed with the camera work, but the cast performance is so brilliant, you can easily ignore it.

As mentioned above, Parvathy is fabulous as Sameera, the main protagonist of the film. She is well-supported by Boban, Fahadh Faasil, Asif Ali, and Prakash Belawadi. It is the performance and realistic portrayal of the characters that helps one ignore all the minor shortcomings of the film which has something to do with convenience and forced writing. However, the film asks you to look at the brighter side, so that's what we should do. Narayan has directed his actors well, and created a gripping package for the Malayalam audience to watch and get enthralled at after last month's Jay K's groundbreaking horror film, "Ezra".

If you remove the civil war part from the film, it is evident that the focus is on the masterly profession of nurse. And the film as a whole pays ode to that profession, saluting the millions of nurses (White Helmets, Red Cross) who courageously defy the odds and fight for people's good health even in times of absolute despair. A la Raja Krishna Menon's 2016 blockbuster Bollywood film, "Airlift", this one is a real triumph in Malayalam cinema, giving us a great, heart- wrenching take on the ongoing war.

Had there been a meme for this film, the text in it would summarize the story of the film as "Restoring faith in humanity". With an F- word sampled towards the end, this film achieves more things than it originally signed up for and that makes me extremely happy.

BOTTOM LINE: Mahesh Narayan's "Take Off" is a well-crafted story about the power of hope in a world threatened by growing terrorism. It samples a lot of emotions that is so rare in Malayalam cinema, it is like a breath of fresh air. Book a ticket and watch it in your nearest theater now. It's a film that couldn't have released at a better time.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Take Off is inspired from a true story in which a group of Malayali nurses was captured when terrorists took over the city of Tikrit in Iraq. This movie recounts the ordeals suffered by the nurses following their capture. But it's all in the 2nd half. The 1st half is about a woman and her family, career & her patience.

The more I am seeing Parvathy, my love and respect for her is increasing. She is one of the best actors right now. She became the first ever Malayalam film actor to win Best Female Actor in 48th International Film Festival of India. Mahesh Narayan with his superb vision did great work in his 1st directorial venture.

It's a Must Watch.

Available on Disney+ Hotstar Free.

© MandalBros.

Appreciate the effort by the producers to bring this very relevant real-life story to the mass. The movie has vividly portrayed the resilience of the nurses (and malayalees in general), the seriousness of the situation and avoiding the cliche that the antagonists are straight from hell. Beyond that the movie is a criticism to the Kerala society's disrespect to nurses (salary) while even terrorists in a war torn country could value them more.

Mostly done well, at times I felt the pace too slow or fast. Acting is mostly done well with good performance from Parvathy. Kunchacko Boban's role was totally unnecessary though he acted ok.