Chirakodinja Kinavukal

There are so many films like Chirakodinja Kinavukal being churned out by the Malayalam film industry. Week in and week out. It is almost as if there is a machine somewhere. And every film is churned out by this machine. The Malayalam film industry is like a factory that produces ready made entertainment products for the masses. The personality of the director/writer is absent in films like Chirakodinja Kinavukal. There are no auteurs.

Just push out anything. Anything would do - spoof popular movies. Cast the same tired old actors who are simply going through the motions. Actors like Sreenivasan and Manoj.K.Jayan have acted in many classic Malayalam films. And many turkeys as well. This one is a turkey, no question about it.

I stopped the DVD after 25 minutes of the director's uninspired attempts to make fun of the clichés in popular Malayalam films.

(1/10)

The movie deserves it's place in the history of Malayalam films as one of the 'really different', 'daring' and 'bold attempts' of all time. It does fall short of being perfect - but there is no dearth to the 'spoof' entertainment being ditched out throughout the whole length of the movie :) The movie is without doubt the most genuine and worthy spoof attempt in Malayalam and is a slap at the face of established directors and new comers who ditch out their set of clichés and horrible stuff year in and year out :) The movie rightly has 'sarcasm' in loads and pokes fun at the truly 'double headed mentality' of the general Malayali audience who act like they carve for something different and then discards it without any mercy when being served something really different :) It requires tremendous guts to come out with a product like this and the newbie director, scriptwriter and the 'daring' producer deserves a pat on their back for willing to take such a big and bold risk :)

It's a 'must-watch' for true lovers of movies who can genuinely understand the 'spoof genre' and is looking for variety. For the others, there is always your yearly dose of superstar actor and director movies to fill up your never ending desire for 'family and festival entertainers' :)

Malayalam cinema has rarely ventured into the spoof genre, and with Chirakodinja Kinavukal, the genre gets a glorious welcome.

Starting with a cheeky narration (by Lal Jose, and then by Sreenivasan himself), the film is a film inside a film. Our neighborhood aspiring writer N P Ambujakshan (Sreenivasan) from Azhakiya Ravanan (1996) is reciting his script to potential producers. With lots of textual graphics surrounding this narration, the introduction is full of potshots aimed at the conventionality of Malayalam cinema. One better learn to read Malayalam or he/she may miss the textual inferences.

The film inside the film is a love story between a tailor (Boban) and Sumathi (Mrs. Abu) whose relationship is jeopardized by a third character, the UK man (again Boban). Now this story is what is recited by Ambujakshan with frames shifting from this story to the actual recitation. And boy, is it fun to see the stories unfold.

The humor is created by screwballing the characterization and the plot, slipping in absurd situations sporadically. Since it is a spoof movie, one does not search for logic in the plot line and that itself, per se, is the single greatest factor that the film enjoys in preventing itself from being kicked off as nonsense. Filled with jokes about social and current affairs, cinema, politics, social media, world affairs, and relationships, the film is a definite entertainer. It parodies and refers so many films that if I start listing, I may end up making a bestseller. From Sibi Malayail's Thaniyavartanam (1987) to Sameer Thahir's NPCB (2013) - all are referred in this quirky comedy that falters only at the climax.

So many other things are spoofed here even the statutory warning video about cigarette smoking is not spared. You may have seen unconventional ways of conveying the message about the perils of cigarette smoking in Ohm Shanti Oshana (2014), but this here is some creative overload.

Apart from that, the whole rendition is irreverent if we compare it to similar ventures like Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015) that entertained us earlier this year. Plus, many of the characters here don't have names; instead they are addressed by what they really are (for example, Boban's double role is called UK kaaran because he hails from UK). I believe this was a brilliant idea which surely ups the ante.

Kallingal is all shimmering throughout the film, and so is Boban in his funny double role. Supporting cast is great, as well. Having said before, the climax is weak compared to what we were served initially. Roping in Innocent to salvage the climax also doesn't work out properly. But of course, nothing is perfect, and for this experimentation, I am even ready to forget it.

BOTTOM LINE: Chirakodinja Kinavukal is a well-directed, well-written spoof comedy that has to be seen if one needs to know why years down the line, it will be called a cult classic. 7/10 - recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

This was such a great work from the director. Such a spoof movie is just magical. The reference given to Malayalam movies and the spoof making elements were so carefully done. The narration and the way of proceeding is appreciable. This kinda spoof should be encouraged and seriously this movie should be more promoted. This is badly an underrated movie ever. And purely this is for movie lovers.. pure movie lovers!!

The most under rated movie in malayalam. First ever spoof in malayalam. Nothing was made before or can be made after. The must watch to those who watch and love malayalam cinema.