Right to Freedom and Right to Life
No, I am not going to speak about the Penal Code or the constitutional rights of Indian citizens.
Today's post is about a Malayalam film helmed by youngsters, that has been blown way out of proportion. Those of you who are informed regarding matters of film will know(but may not agree with my opinion)that I'm speaking about Dijo Jose Antony's debut directorial Queen. The film's trailer had garnered a whopping 1 million views within a short span of its being released on Youtube, and youngsters had been eagerly awaiting its release for almost a year now. Interestingly, the movie became an instant hit with the audience, especially college-goers of the mechanical engineering background, whom the director had unmistakably targeted, atleast as concerns the first half of the film.
By the time the beginning credits roll in, we get an idea that Queen aspires to be more than an enjoyable flick about campus life. But to what extent is revealed only if you persevere through the latter half of the film.
Disclaimer:This is merely my personal impressions regarding the film, and by no means a professional opinion. Also, I am aware that a majority of the crew are new to celluloid. Their efforts notwithstanding, I assert my right to express(pun intended) my honest views regarding the end product.
*Spoilers ahead*
First off, I would say that the film aspires to be what it is not. It takes up a relevant issue and sees it through(kudos to that), but not for the first time, this leads to the story going way off track, with the second half spinning away in a more complicated direction, threatening to cut all ties with what it originally set out to be.
Thanks to Facebook, most of you might alrready know what the aforementioned issue is - rape- and the question raised by Adv. Mukundan (played by Salim Kumar) - "What is the improper time for a woman in our country to step outdoors?" "..If at all there is such a set time, the honourable court should issue an order regarding the same,stating that if any female doesn't adhere to said time frame, the Law shall not be responsible for what happens to her, and shall not endeavour to offer any protection."(my rough traslation) The so-called moral code of the police and the general public, especially regarding the younger generation, is also questioned.
All relevant points, no doubt, but that does not change the fact that the movie is packed with cliche's
(except perhaps the casting of the heroine), the second half veers off in a wholly different tangent much like Oru Vadakkan Selfie, and the script relies far too much on sentimental moments in a feeble attempt to keep audiences entertained. Of course, for the intended crowd, there is much to lap up, whatwith the abundant fight sequences and bloodthirsty youngsters looking for revenge. But that does not make up for the mediocre acting, an unworthy heroine(and no, I don't say this based on her outward appearance but her inability to evoke empathy for her situation, which may also be in part due to an overused cliche' of her being an orphan, and that too, infected with cancer. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, much?) and a How Old Are You-esque ending, claiming that every girl has a dream, and she is a queen. I am fairly sure that it is this stand for safety and equality for women that has appealed to the mass audience and made such a sensation out of this film. Salim Kumar delivers an impressive performance as an attorney of a dying breed, who fights for truth and justice, and those are the only memorable bits of Queen. They are also reminiscent of the court scenes in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's Pink, where Amitabh Bachchan spoke of the Girl's Safety Manual - a film which addressed the issue better,in my opinion.
This movie reminded me of Velipadinte Pusthakam, which did not offer the expected result of the Lal Jose- Mohanlal combo - another promising project that went asunder.That honest discussions of scandalous topics such as these survived the notorious Censor Board to reach the silver screen is noteworthy(also note, a politician admits to claiming authority forcefully from the people) but what is to be thought of is whether in actuality, women's safety shall be addressed by the government.
Which brings me to an overdue topic for my writing on this blog. That it is high time that laws regarding women's safety(and several others, such as adoption) be revised in India.
Now, before someone accuses me of veering off topic and unfair comparisons, I shall stop for the day. Thank you for reading.
Today's post is about a Malayalam film helmed by youngsters, that has been blown way out of proportion. Those of you who are informed regarding matters of film will know(but may not agree with my opinion)that I'm speaking about Dijo Jose Antony's debut directorial Queen. The film's trailer had garnered a whopping 1 million views within a short span of its being released on Youtube, and youngsters had been eagerly awaiting its release for almost a year now. Interestingly, the movie became an instant hit with the audience, especially college-goers of the mechanical engineering background, whom the director had unmistakably targeted, atleast as concerns the first half of the film.
By the time the beginning credits roll in, we get an idea that Queen aspires to be more than an enjoyable flick about campus life. But to what extent is revealed only if you persevere through the latter half of the film.
Disclaimer:This is merely my personal impressions regarding the film, and by no means a professional opinion. Also, I am aware that a majority of the crew are new to celluloid. Their efforts notwithstanding, I assert my right to express(pun intended) my honest views regarding the end product.
*Spoilers ahead*
First off, I would say that the film aspires to be what it is not. It takes up a relevant issue and sees it through(kudos to that), but not for the first time, this leads to the story going way off track, with the second half spinning away in a more complicated direction, threatening to cut all ties with what it originally set out to be.
Thanks to Facebook, most of you might alrready know what the aforementioned issue is - rape- and the question raised by Adv. Mukundan (played by Salim Kumar) - "What is the improper time for a woman in our country to step outdoors?" "..If at all there is such a set time, the honourable court should issue an order regarding the same,stating that if any female doesn't adhere to said time frame, the Law shall not be responsible for what happens to her, and shall not endeavour to offer any protection."(my rough traslation) The so-called moral code of the police and the general public, especially regarding the younger generation, is also questioned.
All relevant points, no doubt, but that does not change the fact that the movie is packed with cliche's
(except perhaps the casting of the heroine), the second half veers off in a wholly different tangent much like Oru Vadakkan Selfie, and the script relies far too much on sentimental moments in a feeble attempt to keep audiences entertained. Of course, for the intended crowd, there is much to lap up, whatwith the abundant fight sequences and bloodthirsty youngsters looking for revenge. But that does not make up for the mediocre acting, an unworthy heroine(and no, I don't say this based on her outward appearance but her inability to evoke empathy for her situation, which may also be in part due to an overused cliche' of her being an orphan, and that too, infected with cancer. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, much?) and a How Old Are You-esque ending, claiming that every girl has a dream, and she is a queen. I am fairly sure that it is this stand for safety and equality for women that has appealed to the mass audience and made such a sensation out of this film. Salim Kumar delivers an impressive performance as an attorney of a dying breed, who fights for truth and justice, and those are the only memorable bits of Queen. They are also reminiscent of the court scenes in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's Pink, where Amitabh Bachchan spoke of the Girl's Safety Manual - a film which addressed the issue better,in my opinion.
This movie reminded me of Velipadinte Pusthakam, which did not offer the expected result of the Lal Jose- Mohanlal combo - another promising project that went asunder.That honest discussions of scandalous topics such as these survived the notorious Censor Board to reach the silver screen is noteworthy(also note, a politician admits to claiming authority forcefully from the people) but what is to be thought of is whether in actuality, women's safety shall be addressed by the government.
Which brings me to an overdue topic for my writing on this blog. That it is high time that laws regarding women's safety(and several others, such as adoption) be revised in India.
Now, before someone accuses me of veering off topic and unfair comparisons, I shall stop for the day. Thank you for reading.
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