Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu

Rakshadhikari Baiju never feels like a film, that may be the best and the worst part of the film. It feels like the lives of a small village of Kerala is portrayed without adding anything to it. That is other than focusing on a character in his mid 40's who carries the film as he lives as a mentor for the youngsters of the village without losing the naughtiness of a kid in his mind. But probably for anyone who has not seen that kind of life, this may look like a bunch of events with an aimless direction. But for those who have lived this life, it is a poignant story of a village succumbing to the urbanisation that is creeping up everywhere. One of the best things about this film is that whichever scene it is you have a feeling that there is a different story right around there if the camera just turns from one side to the other; each frame is so detailed, not for foreshadowing a plot point or filling with Easter eggs, but for making the audience believe in that village. The only real problem for me was the editing; if the editing was a bit tighter; if the overlong runtime was cut down through just simple editing this could have been a great film, still a very good film.

Baiju's (Biju Menon) patronizing hijinks are best enjoyed by those who spent a good part of their childhood outdoors, engaging in various sporting activities and keeping the body / mind constantly in high-energy zone, unlike the millennial who prefers an air- conditioned zumba room for their physical unwinding. Baiju is a government employee who still spends more time at their village playground than at his office, along with his bunch of (mid/late 20s) cronies who call themselves Kumbalam Brothers.

What I liked genuinely about the Ranjan Pramod flick is its honest take on sports and physical activity as a whole. The playground harbors all kinds of sports, not just cricket. While Kumbalam Brothers are cricket enthusiasts, they still make room for young footballers and women badminton players too. The camaraderie between the youngsters and Baiju is a treat to watch. The humor is clean, situational and mostly chuckle-worthy. In the absence of a solid plot, the writer/director relies on the cast and the holistic positivity to sustain viewer attention. And for a film that runs close to 2h 45m they manage to pull off a successful feat, for most part.

Deepak Parambol, Aju Varghese, Harish Perumana and a long list of supporting artists keep the movie afloat. Hannah Reji who plays Baiju's wife Ajitha, is perfect foil. The husband-wife conversations are humorously relatable; the soapy vibe that usually comes with poor handling of such characters thankfully doesn't take charge here. Some of the younger romances too are subtly dealt. Menon plays Baiju in his usual relaxed self, cracking one-liners with a deadpan expression that the viewers have cherished since a long while now. A few emotional moments are present in the latter half, although there is the severe lack of a 'major event' that hints at a turning point/twist. Perhaps, it is this uneventful-ness that makes 'Rakshadhikari Baiju' a jaunty, feel-good affair.

Baiju tells the nerds sitting at a bus-shelter to stop staring at their books, and take a peek around once in a while, because they never know what they might be missing out on. There is absolutely no preachy tone adopted while trying to convey the message(s) which makes 'RD' an uplifting experience overall. There are numerous sub- plots (like Manoj's and Unni's love-lives, Hari's cricketing quest which eventually leads him to the IPL, Baiju's sibling rivalry, his relationship with the kids of the block, there's plenty to write about!) and songs that take up a sizable amount of screen-time, yet 'RD' never bores you.

Verdict: Refreshing!

Summary (no spoilers)

This movie goes deep into the story of a funny and good hearted man named Baiju, who also works as a government employee and is also the leader of the Brothers club in Kumbalam.

My Review (no spoilers)

The plot of the movie which was written by Ranjan Pramod was really sweet and simple. After watching this movie my Dad was telling me his story which was somewhat related to this movie. This movie makes our Dads and Moms to look back into their childhood which was a really good experience for them. Biju Menon as usual has done a spectacular job in enacting the role of Baiju and not to forget the whole of Kumbalam Brothers club. I did not feel any songs in this movie interesting but no complaints. Overall a good movie to bring our child hood memories back.

My Recommendation

Yes, I would recommend this movie to everyone.

My Rating

8/10

If there is a competition for 'feel-good' movies then Rakshadhikaari Baiju is the strongest contender! Playing his usual common-man self with a blank expression and cracking one-liners at ease, Biju Menon plays up to his titular role to perfection as a 40-something family man who spends more time at his village playground than his workplace with his preteen to late 20's gang of friends. In the absence of a major event/turning point or a solid plot, clean and situational humor and the lead character's anecdotal incidents with the support cast carries the movie home somewhat. This Ranjan Pramod flick would be best enjoyed by 80's / 90's kids who can relate to the playground camaraderie and relatively simpler times compared to the millennials. Best part amongst the proceedings would be the subtleness brought into typical nostalgic affairs like romance sidetrack or family drama and the shrewdly avoided preachy tone in conveying what they want to tell. Technically perfect (spot recording being a feature well apt for the plot) and with its humdrum screenplay, Baiju is the perfect unwinding for supposed- to- be grownups who relish their childhood.

Plus: Performances, realistic presentation and climax which gives the intention of the makers

Minus: The driver (director) refuses to change the gear of the vehicle I.e. no story. If it was a commercial film then having no story was ok, but a realistic film with no story? Ok that also u can bear because of action hero Biju. But a story less realistic film with sync sound? How would it be when you have to widen your ears to hear the dialogue? A very boring film.

Verdict: RBO is a two and a half hour journey running only on first gear without any conflict point.