The opening shot is a 12 minute single-take delve into a grand feast at the protagonist’s house. The camera drifts in and out of the hall, bedrooms, alleyways and the various characters. The camera also plays peek-a-boo into the myriad emotions that are running adrift in the household. In one room, we find the 60-year-old Sulaiman Malik, worn down, hunched up shoulders but with an indomitable aura that pervades this rather lengthy film. Yes, this shot is a master-class for students of cinema But why did director #MaheshNarayanan employ it here? And you realize it kind of sets the tone for the epic drama that is going to unfold. A tale spanning more than half a century. What that shot does is also to establish that in cinema, the manner in which a story is told is more important than the story itself.
#Malik the new #FahadhFaasil release on #AmazonPrimeVideo is like a 90s biopic running at 2x speed. Very often through the film, you get the feeling that the narrative is moving on fast forward! And indeed the idea is to capture an entire lifetime within two and a half hours. #Narayanan has pointed out that it is not really a biopic; it is the story of a bunch of characters deftly told.
I graduated from the College of Engineering Trivandrum in the nineties and distinctly remember news of violence, police firing and political rallies around Beemapalli and Poonthura. As youngsters, we would often come across the ‘smuggled’ electronics goods that would emanate out of Beemapalli. I always knew that there was a story there waiting to be told.
#Malik at one level is the story of a crime lord with morals that transcend crime and do good for the downtrodden. It is the story of #Nayakan and #TheGodfather and told in a very nineties 70 mm style. #Faasil plays AliAhmed Sulaiman Malik, a firebrand Muslim youngster who stands up for his community of Ramadapalli and champions a progressive society. He wants to clean up the filth around the local mosque and build a school there and also wants the school to be open to the Christians from the nearby Edavathrua locality. He makes friends with David (#VinayFort) and the two of them start selling smuggled perfumes at Rs 15 a bottle! They are so naive that they do not even know the real price of the products. David’s sister Roselyn (#NimishaSajayan) falls in love with Ali and they get married. The bonhomie between the two religious communities gets disrupted by violence that is often kindled and fanned by the politicians. As a result, Ali Ikka’s life spans friendship, love, politics, religion, violence and loss. Writer, Editor and Director #MaheshNarayanan uses the sea as a fallback to most of the scenes as he tells the story of a great set of characters set around the fishing village.
There is one really endearing scene as the two friends sit below the giant statue of Jesus when Ali confesses his love for Roselyn. He points to the fact that even Jesus is standing with open arms facing the Ramadapalli mosque and welcoming the Muslim community. All that he wants is to bring up his children as Muslims of Ramadapally; he tells Roselyn that he doesnt want her to convert or change her name. Ali is a man of strong moral convictions and has the welfare of the society in mind. Politicians like Aboobacker (#DileeshPothen) exploit the poverty and illiteracy of the common people and fan abject violence that creates distrust between the communities. The problem is that this transcends into rivalry that can sometimes last for generations!
In the funeral sequence for Ameer, the film intercuts shots of the actual funeral with scenes of senseless violence. The cinematography by DoP #SanjuJohnVarghese and the background score by #SushinShyam complement the narrative. The actual story starts in current day but is retold as flashbacks through the eyes of three characters that enables you to look at it from different perspectives. #Narayanan holds the script tight and manages to pull off an impressive film.
Fantastic storytelling is surely the hallmark of #Malik. What impressed me in equal measure was the depth of performances. #NimishaSajayan stands up to #Faasil and plays the perfect foil. #VinayFort is exemplary and #JojuGeorge essays the role of the Collector Anwar with effortless ease. #SanalAman plays Ali’s nephew Freddie who has been propped up by the police to murder him in the cell. I also found #Indrans in a very different role as a conniving policeman with a sprightly spring in his step as he plots the custodial death.
#FahadhFaasil essays the role of a lifetime with an amazing aura that transcends the story line. His eyes reflect the ambition, anguish and angst so well. I did come away with the feeling that his lean frame was perhaps a drawback to a narrative like this. To be honest, I did wonder what it would be to see #Mohanlal essaying the role. What would then be different?
To digress a little, #MikeHesson, the #RCB coach talks about how as prep for the IPL auctions, they actually sit down and make a detailed Job Description for each player. So while the talent pool is identified basis the scouts recommendations, the actual bids are decided basis the above JD. When you look at #Malik you realize small nuances that make the characters who they are and more importantly, for a reason. David is bewildered when the first murder happens. His character is built up as the friend who can be influenced. Roselyn is not the demure, pretty face; she is as much firebrand principles as Ali Ikka. And Aboo Backer is the oily, opportunistic friend who goes on to become the politician. Dont need too much job or character description there I guess!
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