Innocence, fear, mystery were the predominant emotions that the director trio Vinod, Vyshak and Vivek tried to project on screen with their promising debut 'Maalgudi Days'. With two innocent children and a mysterious man on board, the movie should have been interesting. However, the emotional quotient is too shallow for the movie to be engaging. Though the premise was interesting, the way of narration left a lot to be desired.
The story has a young girl named Athena (Baby Janaki) who is enrolled at the Maalgudi school at Idukki to get for the trauma of her father's death. She slowly gets friendly with the very mischievous Milan (Master Vishal). Their antics are very adorable and the innocent friendship is a pleasure to watch. During one of their games, they venture outside the school boundaries and encounter a strange man who is in hiding.
Here the story tries to instill some mystery about the identity of the man and why he is in hiding. Anoop Menon plays this character. As the movie progresses, certain unfortunate incidents happen that leads to the two children getting locked inside the hostel. Their subsequent escape is portrayed. The roles of the characters have emotional depth, but how much the narration or the actor performances could capture the intensity is questionable.
Sometimes the shallowness of the narration become very pronounced when the content gets dramatic. This is where 'Maalgudi Days' fails. Potential heart-wrenching moments have not been suitably converted. There are thrilling moments like the narration of how Anoop Mneon lands in the predicament or the action sequences involving Milan. But the movie does have its share of unrealistic and over the top moments like the appearance of Athena's father in her dream, or Milan shouting at the bird.
The story has been inspired from some real life incidents in Nagaland, but the makers have not made it realistic. The Maoist angle is also not credible. The weight of the movie rested on Anoop Menon's shoulders and he has done okay. The little kids have also carried their roles passably, but intense moments needed polishing. Bhama has also done a decent work in the movie.
The Idukki landscape is showcased beautifully. Ariel shots have been used with abandon. Editing is passable and so is the music. Though 'Maalgudi Days' cannot claim to make you sit up and take notice, it is a credible attempt from the debutant director brothers.
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