North 24 Kaatham Review

Coming from debutant director Anil Radhakrishnan Menon, the latest Fahadh Faasil film- North, 24 kaatham is an endearing film, taking a close look at the plight of a few men who is destined to take different roads on a ` harthal' day to reach their destinations.  And on the way some goals are changed while some in the journey finds it the most transitioning experience in their life.

The movie has Fahadh Faasil as a genius worker in his IT company, who is revered for his brilliant outputs, but  a grave OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) for which he is undergoing treatment forces him to look at every simple events in his life with undue seriousness.  And he is hated by his colleagues who are ready to throw a party if he leaves the job.  Even in his home, he cannot adjust with his younger brother and his parents who take life as it comes.  Hari is naturally fearful of long travels and anything that disrupts his carefully laid down schedules.  But on a faithful `harthal' day, Hari is forced to take a ride to the capital city to attend a conference where a software that he has developed is the point of discussion.  On the train, he meets Gopalan master, who is mentally down hearing the news about his wife who is critically ill.  A social work graduate Narayani (Swathi), who is travelling in the same train decides to change her travel plans and to take the octogenarian back to his home at Kozhikode.  Hari  who doesn't have a feel to support this oldman is drawn into the scheme of things due to his subdued nature of handling emotional things.  How this journey which takes multitude of options from ambulances to row boats changes his life forever forms the rest of the movie.

Also scripted by the director, the movie stands out for its interesting and relatable plotlines and for the liberal dose of satirical observation.  Though the logic of taking difficult routes and depending on compose directions to reach Kozhikode, that too, on a harthal day appear illogical the life that is sprinkled in between engage the viewers all through its screen length of 126 minutes.  The technical sides are top notch with Jayesh Nair recording some finest of the images.  The debutant music director, Govind P. Menon excels with his BG scores helping the movie to tide over the little lags in between.

But the movie one again belongs to Fahad Faazil, the most surprising talent to hit mollywood in recent times.  His believable to the core and even with very few dialogues, he is able to bring out the turbulence storms within and towards the climax when we his first smile for the movie, North, 24 kaatham has landed in the perfect of the cinematic portrayals in the recent times equally supporting him in the natural act is Swathy Reddy.  Nedumudi Venu also brings out his experience in balancing heavily melodramatic scenes especially in the final scenes.

With almost all finer aspects of film making in place this simple movie with lighter story is thoroughly digestible and makes for one of the fine watch in recent times.

Rating 7/10.