“Anyone who says they are not interested in politics is like a drowning man who insists that he is not interested in water” said #MahatmaGandhi. When you have a spark of a political idea and a mammoth asset like #Mammooty, you have it all to spin a tale. Add in a little bit of current trends like social media, political machinations and the plight of the common man. Make sure the camera is set to low angle. And ensure that the thespian is larger than life in each and every frame. You are all set.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews the new Malayalam film on #Netflix, #ONE, directed by #SantoshVishwanath. I have written in the past of how Malayalam cinema loves ideas or factoids from real life and all it takes is a germ of that to spin a yarn. The idea here centres around the concept of a “Right to Recall” bill whereby voters can ask an elected representative to return back to the pavilion in case of non-performance. The real life story is that of a post on social media that goes viral. Add in some inspiration from the current Chief Minister of Kerala #PinarayiVijayan, back in office for his second term in a historic mandate, surmounting challenges of covid management, gold-smuggling and the Sabarimala debate. 69-year-old Mammooty does some terrific heavy lifting in this made-for-him movie.
#One is the story of Kadackal Chandran (#Mammootty) who decides to commit political suicide by pushing for the controversial bill. His opponents manoeuvre to secure his downfall but Kadackal eventually reigns supreme. The story begins with a common man who is abused and his son puts up an anonymous post on social media condemning the Chief Minister himself.
The cast is impressive and includes #Madhu in a short cameo; others include #Siddique, #MuraliGopy as the opposition leader and #SalimKumar. The acting honours go to the youngsters #MathewThomas and #GayathriArun. #JojuGeorge is cast in the role of a deal maker. Others include #NimishaSajayan, #SureshKrishna and SudevNair.
The tale is quite convoluted and guaranteed to give you a few stifled yawns. The problem is not story line or performances; on the other hand Mammooty is awe inspiring with that amazing screen persona. The opening scene has Mammooty in a grand frame that sets up his persona. The issue is that the writing is hollow and the loud music make for an irritating experience.
The other problem is that the script is so caught up with the here and now that there is virtually no back story that focuses on the man and his motivations. What is his back story? What drives him. He is portrayed as being kind, frim, stern and forthright but not naive. He is also depicted as being vulnerable on account of health issues. He is simple and idealistic. What experiences moulded this unique personality ? These are the questions that find no answers in the narrative. There are some clues strewn around though; for example he talks about being a barber’s son and he wears this legacy as his armour.
Writers Bobby and Sanjay are the same folks who put together #HowOldAreYou and #Uyyare and it beats me as to why they messed up this one. Yes they do navigate a few tricky situations but on the whole, the film rests squarely on the broad shoulders of #Mammootty. The thespian actor is fantastic and still going strong but in summary this One is One too Many !
