Thoovalkattu - Long list of dissappointments

Cast: Manoj K Jayan,Lakshmi Gopalaswami,Jagadeesh,Indrans,Sai Kumar,Bindu Panicker

Director: Venu B Nair

The lead role played by Manoj K Jayan is that of Sundaran, who is a living contradiction to his name. Quite an unattractive person, Sundaran has managed to win over the hearts of many in his village, but especially two - Devu (Lekshmi Gopalaswami) whom he is betrothed to, and Hajiyar (Saikumar) who is less of an employee and more of an elder brother to him.

Thoovalkaattu mixes up a little bit of everything possible in its tale. There is Hajiyar's daughter who gets involved with a terrorist who underlines that Islam is not about terrorism. The hardcore radicals that she confronts don't seem to care though, and blows up a mansion. Terrorism is real bad, and so are the graphics used in the film.

With terrorists hell bent on wreaking havoc all over, could the snakes be left far behind? Yeah, I know it's pretty confusing, but that's how it goes. Devu tells us that snakes could be quite dangerous, especially when it comes to young girls who roam about at nights. There could be this one serpent lying in wait for you in his hole, and if he falls in love with you, you are done for life.

Devu learns it the hard way, and it takes just one rainy night for the snake to cast his lustful eyes on her. The whole thing is quite tragic, and I don't mean the film alone. So is the script as well as the sad, miserable story. It requires a very special determination to sit through this movie with Lekshmi Gopalaswami slithering around, literally.

Bottom Line

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Thoovalkattu - Long list of disappointments

Venu B Nair's 'Thoovalkaattu' is a strange film in that in its deliberate attempts to be different, it tells a story that is plainly weird. It starts off somewhere, heads neither here nor there and ends up being nowhere.

Ringtone - An alarm before an imminent risk

Banner: Panchajanyam Cine Creations

Cast: Suresh Gopi, Bala, Dhanyath, Rajan P Dev, Saikumar, Anoop Chnadran, Kiran Raj, Meha Nair

Direction: Ajmal

Music: Shaan

Forced to make a story, we can figure out that the film revolves around Krishna (Bala), who is escaping from the police for attacking them in public, in an attempt to save his mother who was lathi charged. Amidst his escapades while travelling in a truck, he meets Meera (Megna Nair). The truck meets with an accident amidst the journey and they land up as the guest of the tuck owner who instantly concludes that both are lovers who have eloped. After the expected song sequences and running around trees, arrives the super cop Ninan Koshy (Suresh Gopi) and Naxalite twist in the story, attached to the lovers.

Bottom Line

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Ringtone - An alarm before an imminent risk

There is nothing in the movie that deserves any special mention. The story looks confused without any direction and continuity, but tries to tell a lot of recent issues and finds links between Naxals in Andhra, to the land acquisition and associated problems in a Kerala village. The direction side is mayhem with every department working below benchmarks of a decent thriller. Suresh Gopi looks painfully disabled to carry the movie on his shoulders. Young actor Bala fits into the role, which lacks any depth. Saikumar, Megha ,Anoop Chandran and Rajan P Dev find it hard to suit themselves in their non demanding characters. The technical side of the movie is also below average. All in all, this ‘Ringtone’ is quite irritating affair, which forces you to change for any other instantly.