Masala Republic

I have to admit that the makers had a great idea behind the making of this satire. We hardly see any sarcasm-centered flicks in Mollywood, let alone satire. But, Masala Republic tries to differ, yet stumbles in its own wrongs by overcooking the plot and failing to follow a formulated recipe.

Indrajith only enters the screen after 30 minutes. The monotonous montage which starts the film gives a lucid intro to what we might expect: the plight of Bengali (non-Keralite) workers in a state obsessed with righteousness and huge amounts of literacy. Not that Indrajith succeeds in turning the tables around, but the viewer gets both bored and curious to what would happen next. So, there's a high probability that you may sit and continue watching it.

Then comes the sides. Satiring politics requires great effort and that's where the writers fail. We are shown a bunch of spine-less aficionados who run a political organization who vow to help these workers when the state arbitrarily bans the use of paan masala. As it is shown (and known) that the outsiders live on this masala so as to work endless shifts, the so-called workers' union start revolting. A set of incidents ensue as Shambu (Indrajith), a policeman of the fictitious Anti Gutka Squad pledges to thwart its use, media tries to salvage its respective reputation and the fictional paan masala mafia tries to resurrect.

The story as an outline looks good on paper. But when it is executed using shabby setup, repetitive and irritating dialogs, over- fictionalized situations and cliché, the invention backfires. And that is how Masala Republic rolls down the gutter. Many themes in the film are worth considering and many are cringe-worthy (and downright illogical), which creates ennui in its audience. I am not much impressed with direction as well. Cinematography is fine.

BOTTOM LINE: I tried a couple of times to set my view-tone and concentrate, but the sequences thrown at me were either boring or beyond my apprehension. Can be avoided if you're a lousy movie guy. Consider, if you are into independent, art-house kinda films.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

first of all i would like to take this opportunity to appreciate all who behind the film namely masala republic.it is really a brave attempt,perhaps ,first time in mollywood to taste a different spice.the plot of MR fetched on struggle of two bengali labours for their bread and butter.this masala has the flavor of political satire which aimed at certain classes who have no hesitation to exploite these two begali labours for their own interests like inspector sambu,ballettan ,and club of youngsters .of-course it is not surprising to see limitations of director and script writer when they dare to screen such a different theme.as script- wise concerns,it got multidimensional may confuse the viewers,especially its ending. but we offer a close look,it has free from some unwanted comments on this film from many corners.anyway i congrats visakh and arun george who made a great attempt .these kind of films seek some place in mollywood as the present scenario of Kerala concerned.i agree it is a fresh juice good to make sip.congrats to the crew off screen and on screen

Truly a refreshing take on a minuscule of Kerala's political and social landscape. A genuine attempt at satire, I must say. Felt bad that this film never got the attention it deserved in light of all the junk that the leading Malayali actors and film fraternity churn out every year, that the average malayali 'audien', as Mr. M G Sreekumar referred to it once, are forced to consume, for lack of better options. Indrajith Sukumaran has time and again proved his appetite for good humor and classy presentation of characters. The ending begged for a better conclusion and left a vacuum or so was the feel generated.

Nonetheless, keep up the good work guys, respect for art is genuinely appreciated. Time will prove your mettle. Kudos!