Oru Kuttanadan Blog movie review: Landing on a flat note

Cast: Mammootty, Raai Laxmi, Anu Sithara, Shamna Kasim
Director: Sethu

 

Ever since it was announced, there was a buzz surrounding Oru Kuttanadan Blog, the debut directorial venture of writer Sethu, all thanks to the big lineup. The movie features Mammootty in the lead role and boasts of seasoned actors like Nedumudi Venu, Lalu Alex, Raai Laxmi, Anu Sithara, Shamna Kasim and an array of young actors. The movie begins with Sunny Wayne’s character reading the Kuttanad Blog written by Sudhi (Sanju Sivram) from abroad. The blog features the happenings of Krishnapuram, from where Sunny’s character hails. Then the movie shifts to the ‘Kavalam’ song, which portrays his memories of Krishnapuram. The picturesque location is shot so beautifully that it creates a sense of nostalgia in us. The focus of the village soon shifts to Hari (Mammootty), who is fondly called Hariyettan by his group of friends. Hari, a well-off middle-aged man, comes back from abroad, after deciding to settle down in his village. His friends and followers are so thrilled by his decision, but there are many who are piqued by this. Back at Krishnapuram, Hari gets involved in a lot of matters and this forms the crux of the story.   

The first half of the movie is all about Hari and his friends — played by Sanju, Gregory, Nandan Unni, Sohan Seenulal, Vivek Gopan, Shaheen Siddique and Jude Anthany Joseph. Anu Sithara dons the role of Hema, who is very attached to Hari. A major incident in her life perturbs him and the village. Raai Laxmi plays Sreejaya, a childhood friend and love interest of Hari. Shamna Kasim comes to Malayalam after a gap as a police officer named Neena Kurup.  Mammootty was quite at ease portraying Hari and reflected the shades of many characters he has done in recent times. Nedumudi Venu, Lalu Alex and the other actors did their parts passably. The three heroines have done justice to their roles, while Shamna makes an impact on screen.

Sethu’s script seems to be mediocre and the humour scenes don’t work out as expected. The movie had four songs by debutant music director Sreenath, which were satisfactory considering the mood of the movie. Except for the opening song, cinematography does nothing much to improve the movie’s appeal. Overall, Oru Kuttanad Blog is a one-time watch. It could have been better with a tighter script,  direction and frames.