Nivin Pauly has well and truly left behind his boy-next-door persona and moved to more serious productions ever since the success of the State award winning drama "Moothon (2019)" and the maverick actor-producer does not disappoint with his latest experimental outing. "Mahaveeryar" is a stunningly original, visually engaging time-travel fantasy at a scale of imagination and production value we havent seen since Rajiv Anchal's "Guru (1997)"
Nivin stars as "Apoornanandhan" a mysterious and whimsical sage who seems to be travelling space and time to resolve seemingly intractable conflicts and miscarriages of justice. The sage is dragged to court in the modern era in a seemingly fabricated case, only for the mystic to transport the entire courtroom to midieval times, where the same jurors are tasked with resolving a quirky conundrum faced by a hapless king and his acolytes. Yes, the premise is as preposterous and outlandish as it sounds and yet, director Abrid Shine makes it immensely believable and enjoyable, thanks to his immaculate set design and use of camera angles and shots to add scale and zing to the proceedings.
Asif Ali plays "Veerabhadhran", the steadfastly loyal minister to the dimwitted medieval king, played by an incredible Lal who thrives in the role. Siddique also excels as the judge asked to adjudicate on the ludicrous case presented before him and balances his portrayal with deft comic flourishes alongside the gravitas and poise expected from the role. Shanvi Srivastava makes a floundering debut in Malayalam, with the lip synch all over the place and sticks out like a sore thumb with her wooden portrayal of a village lass.
Based on a story by M Mukundan, Mahaveeryar's first half is an absolute delight, with its imaginative setup, gorgeous cinematography and humorous writing. Where the film falters is a confused final act where the resolutions to the questions posed so creatively thus far, seem arbitrary and half-baked and leaves one unsatisfied. Despite this shortcoming, this is one movie that deserves plaudits for the sheer audacity and imagination behind mounting a project so far off the beaten path of Bollywood that you can even say it lies in another multiverse. If you are fan of experimental, out-of-the-box films that will surprise and intrigue, this is right up your alley. This offbeat film is not your cup of tea however, if you are looking for formulaic, stressbusting entertainment and thrills.
