North 24 Kaatham

Ten years later and this is still fahadh's most underrated performance. Fahadh is a phenomenon today, with his roles in Aavesham and pan-indian films like Vikram and Pushpa gaining him acclaim. But this movie was made in a time where the actor had to prove himself as not just a nepo baby. I think North 24 Kaatham helped this view that after mamooka and lalettan, he was gonna be the best that mollywood had to give. And damn he is basically unrecognizable in his role. Like everything from mannerisms to the way he moves his eyes sternly at the beginning and becomes more free at the end is perfect. Its sad that this movie's print is so crappy because he was mere perfection in this film and shows us how this man managed to achieve the unimaginable success he has today. The best part is: the rest of the movie is pretty great too, with standouts being nedumudi venu's and swathi reddy's performances and the beauty and diversity of kerala being expertly portrayed on screen.

The summary above states the plight of how fantastic Malayalam cinema is received by the movie-goers. People just haven't got acclimatized by which movies to go to & which not. At a time when the industry is experimenting, it is onto us that we support it.

North 24 Kaatham depends upon the used formula, but delivers hyper-adventurous experience.

Talking about how a single journey can change a person's perspective in & towards life, N24K captures the condition of commuters during the infamous & sometimes unnecessary strikes (hartal) in Kerala. It gathers few current topics as well, while speaking about love, relationship, life values & death. Now, since there are many elements packaged in one, interpretations may differ, but at the end of the day, what matters is entertainment & message. The film by débutante Anil Menon does to Malayalam Cinema which only few filmmakers have done: STRENGTHEN!

Fahadh Faasil is getting glamorous every passing day, his performance as the skeptical, hygiene-conscious prig is amazing; he is directed very well & aptly. His co-actors Nedumudi Venu & Swathi Reddy both are top-notch. Supporting cast is fine; Sreenath Bhasi is growing as a teen symbol. Coupled with ample humor, slapstick, seriousness & drama, N24K succeeds more in the second half throwing emotions & sensitive expressions to its viewers. Music is very good and Rex Vijayan's vocals again brings the ceiling down, editing is tad goofy, screenplay & direction well-done.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly Recommended! As a whole, it delivers what it proposes & we might even link it with Neelakasham.... Although both talk something different about life. 7.4 out of 10.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES (One scene might be awkward)

Profanity/Nudity/Sex: No | Vulgarity: Mild | Violence/Gore: No | Smoking/Drugs: No | Alcohol: Strong

There is some movie which will make you feel good. This is one of them-a simple storyline but presents with excellence. Cinematography, Detailing, and Acting all are top-notch. I am a big fan of Fahad, and after this, the feeling going stronger. You don't need to have an action scene or dancing or item song to create a good movie. All you need a script with the proper casting and direction.

If you are having a bad day or want to get rid of tension, watch it. End of it, I will believe you will feel the same I did.

The more you watch him. The more you love him A movie which makes you angry on the lead actor and also makes you sympathize with him. A feel good movie which great actors.

North 24 Kaatham (2013)

Debutant Director Anil Radhakrishan's North 24 Kaatham (N24K) is close to the heart and deals with multiple plots like Harthal, psychological issues and for instance, goodness and love.....

N24K has got a refreshing plot of how certain circumstances make Hari, a brilliant but meek and geeky techie meet two strangers, Gopalan, a veteran politician, and Narayani, a social worker and his journey with them from Paravoor in the South to Kozhikode in the North part of Kerala. The movie is all about their journey which inturn becomes a life changing experience for geeky Hari.

A good content makes the script half successful, and fully successful, when it is free from flaws and lags. This is the place where dir. Anil tops high. The script was error free without any boring sequences. The movie started very slowly in an interesting manner and the first half passed in a breezy manner, but the movie became much more interesting in the second half and ended with a beautiful climax. The penultimate sequences were really close to the heart and offered a great feel.

The movie presents the helping nature and the selfishness of people, vividly. The problems faced by a malayalee on a "strike" day seemed much realistic and close to the day to day life, notable in case of that gulf malayalee, played by Chemban Vinod.

Anil didn't limit his film to a "harthal" day film, rather, he has even discussed some psychological issues,love and goodness. Being a debutant, he was highly successful in presenting the well written script in an enterprising manner on screen. Anil has added flavors of humor and thrill, making N24K an entertainer in all aspects.

A well written script becomes a good movie mainly due to the excellence in performance..... This is where N24K strikes high.... Superlative Performance from #Fahad_Faasil remains as one of the highlights of the film. Certain mannerisms of him were really awesome. The not sudden but Slow transformation in Hari's mentality from a geeky guy to a well mannered loving man was excellently portrayed by Fahad. A promising actor with great caliber.....

#Nedumudi_Venu too exposed his versatility through the character,Gopalan. It was tailor made for him. Handled it with such an ease. My opinion is that, he should stop doing those formulatic oldie roles and concentrate on characters with good potential.

The rest of the cast including #Swathi Reddy and #Chemban Vinod were perfect in their roles. But the character of #Premji Amaren was surprisingly interesting....superb characterization....

The film excels in its technical side too.... BGM was matching the mood of the film.....especially of those in penultimate scenes. Songs were also good, with the last song offering a great feel.

Camera was also handled in a good manner. Being a road movie, Cinematography is important and Jayesh Nair was successful in capturing great frames.

On the whole, North 24 Kaatham is an entertainer of its own kind, without any lags. One of the best films of the recent times, which can easily be sorted into the list of best films of 2013

The film passes a beautiful message that, "Even if you are the most brilliant, you can reach your goals only by the help or caring of some people, irrespective of their status.....We may belong to different races, cultures and religions but our basic human qualities are the same. The common core values and a beautiful heart are far more important. "

My Rating: 4/5 A movie close to the heart, sure to be liked by common people...

Thank You for reading my views about North 24 Kaatham....

_Yours Truly Sooraj.