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Dadasaheb (Malayalam)
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'Dadasaheb (Malayalam)'

By Sreekumaran. N.
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Everyone in the Malayalam film industry cries Malayalam cinema is dying.

Recent releases offer little hope Malayalam cinema’s rejuvenation. If on hand, Malayalam cinema is defaced by soft-porn movies, on the other films with little cinematic sense robs off Malayalam cinema its name and fame.

Dadasaheb,

one of the recent releases, is having a good run in the box-office. But Dadasaheb also profiles Malayalam cinema’s losing identity. The success of Shaji Kailash’s Narasimham and Valiyettan epitomized Malayalam cinema adapting itself into a la Tamil style (Read creating larger than life stars out of successful actors). One can’t help but remember those veterans like Padmarajan and Bharatan who gave Malayalam mainstream cinema its distinguished identity which was conspicuous by its aesthetic beauty.

Vinayan, fresh from the phenomenal success of Vasanthiyum, Lakshmiyum pinne Njanum, in Dadasaheb is also attempting style that is alien to mainstream Malayalam cinema. But surely Vinayan’s this trend will do more harm than good to Malayalam cinema primarily because it has got more to do with the commercial aspects of cinema than the artistic aspects.

To tell the story of a father-son duo, who are victimized by the vested interests in society, Vinayan packs Dadasaheb with a lot of colors, including national tri-color, guttural dialogues, breathtaking actions, songs etc. After the unprecedented success of Mani Ratnam’s Roja, many upcoming directors in India have got this illusion that picturesque locations in the their films make up for the directorial lapses or faults in scripts. His another film Bombay has set another wrong precedent— mix recent history or contemporary events with the storyline and play to the gallery. In Dadasaheb, Vinayan skillfully uses both these Mani Ratnam technique.

Vinayan’s Dadasaheb, a Muslim and a war hero, is a super patriot. His son Subedar Abubacker is a patriot in every inch too. In reel life it is but natural for him to fall in love with a high caste Hindu girl. When everything goes fine for them, local politicians play mischief with them. The father-son duo is labeled as anti-nationals. Vinayan once again borrows a tested Mani Ratnam technique—high-pitch melodrama. Subedar Abubacker is given death sentence, his mercy petition is rejected and the entire country craves for the blood of Dadasaheb and Abubacker. It’s then that Dadasaheb, having nothing to lose now, gets ready for the battle of his life. In between Vinayan doesn’t fail to employ lots of spices like anti-nationals operating under patronage of rulers, and dance scenes with countess artistes.

There may be people who praise Mammootty’s performance (he is in double role, Dadasaheb and Subedar Abubacker). He may satiate the hardcore Mammootty fans as well. But a discerning audience would notice that Mammootty’s different faces in the film come across as cliched ones. We have seen this Mammootty in innumerable films since New Delhi. It’s time this gifted actor chose his roles more judiciously.

The rest of cast includes Sai Kumar, Rajan. P Dev, Babu Namboodiri, Athira (new face) etc. Though Dadasaheb is an out and out Mammootty film, Sai Kumar sparkles as the villain.

Camera is by Sanjeev Sankar and editing by G.Murali. They have ably assisted Vinayan in his attempt to do a Mani Ratnam act. Producer Sargam Kabeer is laughing his way to the bank too.

But the loser is Malayalam cinema. The appreciative standard of Malayali audience is also dying with Malayalam cinema

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