He is in his element yet again. He has done full justice to the unravelling of his character and remains in character throughout. There is the part where, as a layman facing the camera for the first time, he emotes all the jitters and unsurety of a first timer. It is at this point that Mohanlal’s exceptional reel presence strikes us. ‘Velipadinte Pusthakam’ may not be an outstanding fare that has the potential to be a classic hit. But it has got a good enough plot and great acting to make it an above average fare.
Basically the movie is about Michael Idickula. There are many facets to his character. For one there is the college sir persona. Then another is his priest story. Then his mental make up play a major part. In fact this becomes an excuse to show him in new lights especially the mass avatar that most love. As mentioned before there is a story within a story and villains are there in both. This inter texts work well in the movie to provide the thrills. The rest of the characters exists around Michael Idickula and fade in and out as the movie progresses.
There are a lot of twists and turns in the narrative with psychology, and other matters playing a part. There is a story within a story. The narration takes a trajectory that keeps you guessing. The plus is that the there is never a dull moment in the story. ‘Velipadinte Pusthakam’ cannot be said to be a thriller though it has elements of it here and there. The mystery is passably conceived and makes for an edginess to the tale.
On the minus side the narration is staid and old fashioned with nothing new to offer. A plot that has a passable depth is not explored well. Many of the characters including Anna Rajan are wasted in the movie. But many of the others including Salim Kumar, Siddique et al are well utilized. All the actors have done well. But Anna’s emoting couldn’t make a convincing impact.
‘Velipadinte Pustakam’ hinges on Mohanlal’s able shoulders and he has shouldered the responsibility admirably well. Added to that is a strong characterization and a plot line that is convincing, we have a winner in our hands. This is a Lal Jose directorial and his direction is conventional. The narration suffers a bit with the treatment being on predictable lines. Cinematography is neatly done and so are the edits. Music is just okay with nothing special to catch our interest.
‘Veipadinte Pustakam’ rests on Mohanlal’s shoulders. His amazing presence, character assimilation, dialogue delivery and naturality are all evident in this movie. Also watch out for the unravelling of the plot as it identified the killer.
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