When I heard the film is getting Hindi and Tamil remakes, my first thought was… why! Because if you reduce it to just “plot”, you get something you’ve seen a hundred times before.
Spoilers ahead…
The last time Prithviraj and Biju Menon got together with writer-director Sachy, we got the underwhelming Anarkali, a love story with epic ambitions but unremarkable storytelling. Ayyappanum Koshiyum, the second outing of this trio (and Sachy’s second film), is much, much better: here, the storyline is unremarkable, but the treatment is epic. As the title suggests, the film is about Ayyappan (Biju Menon) and Koshy (Prithviraj), who meet rather unfortunately in the Attappadi forest area, near Palakkad. The former is an SI. The latter is found drunk in his car. (He’s headed to Ooty for a bit of business that’s explained so nonchalantly, it comes off like a MacGuffin.) It’s a dry area. Koshy is hauled off to jail. His ego is bruised. He concocts a plan. Ayyappan loses his job. Koshy gets his revenge.
Read the rest of this article here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/malayalam-features/ayyappanum-koshiyum-with-prithviraj-and-biju-menon-is-on-amazon-prime-this-entertaining-action-drama-is-more-than-just-an-empty-action-drama-baradwaj-rangan-sachy/
Copyright ©2020 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
Aman Basha
June 10, 2020
Wow, this is a spectacular review of a masala movie. It seems redundant to praise you, sir but I sincerely hope that you are to desi masala what French critics were to Hitchcock.
Regarding the remakes, there’s a Telugu remake coming out and apparently the legendary Balayya who turns 60 today is in the running. Now the man is the centre of memes almost as if he himself kicks up a shitstorm to stay relevant (including calling our Prime Minister a m*****od). Given how you described the movie, I’m now honestly terrified of what it may turn out to be, but whatever it is, I’ll still shout Jai Balayya xD
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krishikari
June 10, 2020
Yes, finally your review is out and it’s done justice to the film. It’s very masculine and the arcs of the women are unfinished, a major flaw but this film does an amazing dance between straight up masala and psychological drama.
And you almost called it a great film. Just say it. 😊
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Honest Raj
June 10, 2020
A superb review!
There’s a whistle-worthy mass moment in how he coolly gets to the first floor of a locked-up hotel.
Thanks for highlighting this – easily my favourite moment in the film. Yes, in a way, the character reminds you of Bhima.
As for the Tamil remake, Sarathkumar isn’t a bad choice but Sasikumar (I know you’re a fan though 😛 )?
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tonks
June 10, 2020
Wow. Thank you.
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tonks
June 10, 2020
Reposting my comments under the right thread
Replying to krishikari ‘s comment
Now let’s talk about Ayyapanum Koshiyum! That would be a meaty discussion. I did not know Prithiviraj had that performance in him!
Sure, let’s.
Biju Menon was the star of this movie. Prithviraj did a very good job, but omg, Biju Menon was phenomenal. I loved the way it goes back and forth (superb direction), from one to the other : when one of them is ready to concede a compromise, then the other one takes revenge to a higher level, and thus it escalates. There are so many socio political layers, starting from the very first scene. Prithviraj’s family is Congress (there are pictures on the wall of his home with a Congress politician) while Biju Menon is communist. I loved his Maoist wife, contrast her with Koshy’s wife, who mostly does what she’s told (except for that one flare up with her father in law). I did not completely understand the significance of the subsequent slap : but perhaps it was to contrast the two characters. No way Ayyappan would/ could do something like that to his wife.
In Prithviraj’s character, there was a bit of him seen. In Biju Menon’s it was all Ayyapan and no Biju Menon.
But hats off to the bigger “star”, Prithviraj, because he allowed Biju Menon to out-shine him. That characteristic is common to almost all the newer generation Malayalam stars, so hats off to all of them.
To BR : I wondered about the psychology behind Koshy slapping his wife. To me, it was a little unexpected. Was it to show the difference between Koshy and Ayyappan (who would never, never do such a thing?). Was it to show the conflict inside Koshi : even though it is on his behalf that his wife stands up to his father, he still is not happy at how she spoke to the latter? Or is it another way of trying to live up to the toxic masculinity his dad seems to demand of him?
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Satya
June 10, 2020
I might sound off, but this film has slim chances of working well in Telugu. Seconding BR here, this would turn out to be some ordinary film losing its inherent plusses when remade into Telugu. Cannot comment on the other industries’ audience and their approach though.
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Honest Raj
June 10, 2020
@tonks: But hats off to the bigger “star”, Prithviraj, because he allowed Biju Menon to out-shine him.
True that! This wouldn’t be even remotely possible in Tamil/Telugu cinema.
About the slap, initially we are given to understand that he’s not happy with the way she spoke to his father, but then he says: “couldn’t you have said this earlier? I’m the husband and he’s just the father-in-law!”. It’s a clear indication of the sad state of women in his family. Pretty straightforward, IMO.
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Anu Warrier
June 10, 2020
I watched this film solely because you recommended it on FC. 🙂 Loved it. Loved both Biju Menon and Prithivraj in this one. Yes, the women had precious little to do, and I did want to see more of Kannamma – for a moment, it looked like she would have something to do with both these men, but that went nowhere.
But I get it – there’s really no place for a woman amidst all the testosterone; women are appendages, collateral damage in this environment.
But what a film – the layers that both characters had, they lived and breathed those roles. It was an awesome film. Really, really loved it.
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Spandana
June 10, 2020
I found this film fascinating. It offered several ‘highs’ like a well made masala film would, while cleverly undercutting masculinity at every turn. I think that applies to casting too. A ‘hero’ like Prithviraj playing Koshy itself says something. Biju Menon was so powerful as Ayyappan. As much as I admire Prithviraj, I couldn’t take my eyes off Menon’s performance.
Also, I can’t remember a recent film where both the protagonist and the antagonist were formidable forces. Most masala movies these days treat their villains as a joke. Even a film like Thani Oruvan with an interesting villain suffered a rather insipid hero.
Downsides – Few portions towards the end dragged. I too would have appreciated if Kannamma and Jessie had more to do.
I loved the backstory for Ayyappan and Kannamma’s marriage, I am disappointed that it was revealed through dialogue. It would have been an excellent prequel with a meatier role for Kannamma.
I do not know about other languages, I hope the Telugu remake never happens. Pink is being remade in Telugu as ‘Vakeel Saab’. So we know who the film is most interested in. I read a while ago that they were shooting an item song, demonstrating that they have completely missed the point.
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Faroo
June 11, 2020
I really liked this movie. While Biju Menon did such a wonderful job and Prithviraj an apt foil, I do have to marvel at the casting director – getting Prithviraj to play that role contributes so much to the “balance”. In most other movies that role is the villain and we just root for him to bite the dust. But because Prithviraj plays him, we root for him too in a way where we want these two characters to find a way to get along instead of trying to choose one over the other.
Contrast this with Driving License – i couldnt sit through that movie.
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sorenkierky
June 11, 2020
This could’ve been a lot better if
a. the women had much much better arcs (instead of one or two lines here and there, but that’s always the case with Sachy’s scripts – despite him evolving as a writer, it seems that he can’t really lose the misogyny yet) and
b. with the power (caste/class) dynamics here, the attempt to make it an ‘equal’ rivalry makes it awkward to watch. Koshy is a total a-hole (calling Kannamma a ‘maoist’ or casteist BS hurled at Ayyappan nair among other things), and when you write in those things, then it’s hard to buy the ‘making Koshy look less of an asshat’ parts to make it a more even dynamic between Ayyappan and Koshy.
And that scene where he slaps his wife is really awful tbh, and that’s intended as a ‘humorous’ scene – total WTF.
Still a damn entertaining watch (unlike Driving License, which had similar issues with power dynamics too, and much more), with a damn good soundtrack to back it up. Really wish they’d put more thought which could’ve really elevated the film tbh (and reduced the really annoying bits, which at least kept me from totally enjoying the film).
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brangan
June 11, 2020
I found the “slap the wife” aspect very consistent with Koshy’s character. He cannot afford to show himself as “soft” in front of his father, so even an admission that his wife is right needs to be compensated for with a spur-of-the-moment macho display.
That’s why I said I wished for more screentime for these two women — because we could have had moments that showed how Koshy behaved to his wife after that slap, etc.
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brangan
June 11, 2020
And guys, DRIVING LICENSE was on my soon-to-see list and you just dimmed my interest 😦 😀
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sorenkierky
June 11, 2020
BR, it’s not just about that, it’s also how that scene is staged (Sachy has a habit of writing such scenes, men asserting their machoness over women – right from Chocolate to Anarkali). Like I get exploring the reason for Koshi’s need to be hypermasculine, but that isn’t nearly as well captured (yeah a lot of that has to do with poorly written arcs of female characters) – and couple that with the attempt to make their rivalry ‘more balanced’ – it’s really hard to buy that in any sense, when you’re pitting a guy who’s carried out an injustice against the victim of that injustice.
And also Koshy’s initital behaviour toward’s Kannamma and Ayyappan is absolutely reprehensible, like see how he openly says how Ayyappan nair is not “pure”, so he can very well do stuff things that supposedly are only done by lower castes (i.e. making moonshine). After such instances, how can you really buy the attempt to make it seem like both are of the “same size”? I never bought it for a second and attempts to do that really irked me throughout.
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krishikari
June 11, 2020
@tonks I agree Biju Menon was awesome and truly inhabited his character. He was the star, but it was Prithiviraj who surprised me.
You say “I did not completely understand the significance of the subsequent slap : but perhaps it was to contrast the two characters. No way Ayyappan would/ could do something like that to his wife.”
I like that take on it! Did not think of that. I don’t think there is a simple explanation for that thappad moment at all. @honestraj The father in law is the supreme power in this family and the women the least regarded, and she says something in her husband defense for what must be the first time, and he slaps her? Simple explanation? It’s not logical at all but maybe a learned reflex to slap a woman who speaks. it gives one more toxic layer to this family. You can imagine his mother’s life and this characters whole childhood with this bully.
I never thought an almost purely testosterone driven masala film with underdeveloped women characters could grip me like this. I was happy to hear Alphonse Putharen put this movie on his list.
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Manju
June 11, 2020
I was looking for this review for so long! And noooo BR, please review Driving License too (also awaiting your review of Jaanu on the Telugu side).
You probably heard this a billion times, but your reviews are simply awesome.
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krishikari
June 11, 2020
“Pink is being remade in Telugu as ‘Vakeel Saab’. So we know who the film is most interested in. ”
They are right, it’s totally a male saviour film. That title would have perfectly suited the original film too. I found it a really bad way to portray the issues.
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Sreehari
June 11, 2020
//And that scene where he slaps his wife is really awful tbh, and that’s intended as a ‘humorous’ scene //
It’s not intended as a humorous scene. I saw it in a theatre, and I don’t remember anybody laughing — the question is, did you?
One doesn’t, in one’s head, end up celebrating that act of violence either — it’s not jolts for jocks.
Now, do you want disclaimers to be added to acts of violence and misbehaviour: telling the audience how to interpret those things…is that the project? And Driving License is a fine film. That film and his character there has had a great impact on Prithviraj’s approach to acting. I could feel that he was, suddenly, a different actor — he wasn’t trying to dominate the camera; he became a more impressionistic performer with DL.
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tonks
June 11, 2020
And that scene where he slaps his wife is really awful tbh, and that’s intended as a ‘humorous’ scene
I did not interpret absolutely any humourous intent behind that scene at all.
About his resting face being a sneer showing contempt, that is so true and paavum Prithviraj, coz he seems to be a pretty decent guy in real life. Loves and respects his wife, makes very sensible likeable comments in public life, was one of the very few (only?) male stars to openly come out in support of the WCC when they were being bullied by AMMA. The resting face doesn’t fool his fans anymore, we love you anyway.
Yes, Driving license is very similar (same director, I think) with its theme of revenge but not such a good movie.
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krishikari
June 11, 2020
“And that scene where he slaps his wife is really awful tbh, and that’s intended as a ‘humorous’ scene – total WTF”
Really hated that scene but did not see it was meant as humorous. Did anyone else think it was ? Also, Koshy is never presented as an equal to Ayyapan in terms of moral equality, they are presented as equally human.
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brangan
June 11, 2020
krishikari: Also, Koshy is never presented as an equal to Ayyapan in terms of moral equality, they are presented as equally human.
Exactly. That’s what I meant when I said “same size” — they have various points of similarities, but they are most definitely not the same.
Speaking of morality, one of my favourite scenes in the film is when Ayyappan goes to Koshy’s house. Jesus! There’s just so much packed into these few minutes.
First, we have the tense dynamic between Koshy’s father and Ayyappan (with Koshy’s terrified wife watching and fearing the worst).
Second, we have Koshy and Ayyappan on the phone.
Third, we have Koshy’s change of heart. It’s the point where he’s realised his mistake and is trying “to do the right thing” — and that’s exactly when Ayyappan rekindles his dormant anger. CUT TO: bulldozer.
Superb writing here.
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tonks
June 11, 2020
The lady behind that terrific, original song.
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Anu Warrier
June 11, 2020
And that scene where he slaps his wife is really awful tbh, and that’s intended as a ‘humorous’ scene
Humorous? Not at all! It was shocking, and reinforced the message of toxic masculinity in that house – even when she’s right, she’s punished for merely speaking. I didn’t once think that it was played for laughs.
I liked the contradictions in Prithvi’s character; right after that, he hugs her close – it’s as if he’s two different people, warring with each other. He has never had a chance to be anything but toxic, and it’s only his wife and child who have seen the softer side of him. But he cannot be soft. It’s been dinned into him since his childhood.
What I liked was that the film didn’t defend the toxic masculinity – we saw it for what it was, an atavistic urge that tears away the veneer of civilisation that men like Ayyappan and Koshy don. The film didn’t ask us to sympathise with them, but showed us how their societies and the weight of expectations shapes men like these.
I don’t know men like them. But this film made me understand them – not like them, not defend them, not sympathise with them or accept them, but understand a toxic culture that shapes them, celebrates them and makes excuses for them.
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sorenkierky
June 11, 2020
Okay @Tonks, @krishikari et al, I stand corrected. I revisited the scene (because it did make me feel uncomfortable, and it still does). But that doesn’t make the scene any less problematic though. Of course, Koshy can be a violent person (and that’s consistent), but yeah, that scene is clearly not staged in a way that’s just showing Koshi being an abusive/violent man, it’s uncomfortable AF, like Koshy slaps her straight up for being meek? And tangentially, as I said, this is a pattern in Sachy films, it’s difficult to see this as a dispassionate/neutral portrayal of hypermasculinity/resulting abusive behaviour.
BTW, I did feel that the film did try hard to make Koshy more sympathetic. I mean sure, they have various points of similarities, and exploring that is interesting, absolutely. My problem comes when there are scenes like the one where Koshy muses how he’s in the wrong (but that never stopped him from hurling casteist taunts though), and the all’s well ending to top it off. The film barely addresses this moral chasm, or hell, even acknowledge sufficiently re: how Ayyappan’s being wronged – it’s rather pitted as a mere rivalry between the two, more or less (which it isn’t, clearly). And I really wanted it to be something more, given the whole setup, it was rather unsatisfying for this reason tbh.
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H. Prasanna
June 11, 2020
You have to watch this video by Moving Images if you haven’t:
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Karthik
June 11, 2020
Superb writing here.
There’s just so much to like about the writing in this movie.
The way the socio-political commentary was so seamlessly woven into the fabric of the main plot. The two protagonists were caught not just in their ego battle but also between the pull from two ends of the socio-political spectrum— the politician of privilege on one side, and a tribal on the other.
The way even the backgrounds of the protagonists were written as opposites. Koshy was born into the system but had grown distant from it retiring early from service and when we meet him, he was literally leaving his home state (and breaking the law). Ayyappan, on the other hand, was born “outside” the system disregarded the law until he grew into the system and was on path to complete his service when we first see him.
The way the three women were also on different rungs of the socio-political hierarchy, Ruby living in systemic privilege, Kannamma firmly outside, and Jessy in and out of the system.
The way simple throwaway scenes take on a deeper meaning in the grander scheme of things. In the scene where Kurien bullies Ayyappan into turning in his cell phone, the driver Kumara interrupts, only to be shut down and “shown his place” by Kurien. This suppression of the voice of underprivileged is reflected in the grander scheme of things where the case against Kannamma is precisely for her having raised her voice against the upper class.
The way the screenplay cogitates about fear and and separates it from dread, one is momentary and the other is sustained. Koshy and Kumara discuss it in the car. We sense it when Koshy is about to hitch a ride from Ayyappan. He may not be afraid to kill but he dreads the possibility of dying. A distinction is made between Thrissur and Mundoor Kummatti.
The script isn’t afraid of name dropping. The movie is set in Attapadi. We hear about Oomen Chandy and Pinarayi Vijayan. This latter name dropping happens in possibly one of the most muted mass moments in Indian cinema.
The way the script builds up to and owns the mano-e-mano battle that is a defining feature of mass movies. The fight is not just about a physical confrontation but about how by that point each protagonist has shed their armor piece by piece until the only option left is a barbaric confrontation.
The way it uses a footwear motif to signal the caging of an inner barbarian. When Ayyappan gets off a bus and hurriedly walks down a bylane, the camera pans down to show him taking off his slipper just before he unleashes his inner animal on Kuttamani. Later when Koshy is sitting alone on a road, he removes his slippers to reveal wounded feet. A subtle distinction where Ayyappan’s experience of living by a code of civility has merely caged his animalism, but Koshy’s experience has left his inner animal bruised.
The way this negative impact of excess “civility” is also echoed with the women. Kannamma has no reservations about slapping an official for wrongdoing, while Ruby is slapped for not being assertive enough about the right thing. Jessy too raises her voice the moment she’s forced to leave the system.
If Tamil cinema is remaking a movie like this, I hope they hire a writer educated in whatever school there is in Kerala churning screenwriters out year after year.
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tonks
June 11, 2020
What I liked was that the film didn’t defend the toxic masculinity – we saw it for what it was, an atavistic urge that tears away the veneer of civilisation that men like Ayyappan and Koshy don. The film didn’t ask us to sympathise with them, but showed us how their societies and the weight of expectations shapes men like these
I don’t know men like them. But this film made me understand them – not like them, not defend them, not sympathise with them or accept them, but understand a toxic culture that shapes them, celebrates them and makes excuses for them
This is exactly what Parvathy spoke about in her FC interview. It’s perfectly ok to show a character like that, as long as he is not glorified for it. In this movie, if there was any glorification at all, it was for the magnificent Ayyappan.
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krishikari
June 11, 2020
@sorenkierky the scene made me in uncomfortable too, and so angry. The hug afterwards even worse. But at no time during the entire film did Koshy look like a reasonable or slightly likeable man, even when he took back the decision to send the video. He was always in the wrong, villainous and remains a casteist a-hole, that doesn’t change. If the director was trying to make us sympathetic to Koshy, I wasn’t buying it.
I mostly agree with you on this:
“The film barely addresses this moral chasm, or hell, even acknowledge sufficiently re: how Ayyappan’s being wronged – it’s rather pitted as a mere rivalry between the two, more or less (which it isn’t, clearly)”
The idea the Ayyapan is on the side of the historically oppressed is clear.
About the ending, it was not quite at all all’s well that ends well. I found it a bit confounding that Ayyapan comes to his house like every other government employee sucking up to power but it could also be the setting of the next stage of their war. Now Ayyapan is on Koshy’s turf.
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Rahul
June 12, 2020
@BR, definitely watch Driving License. I am very interested in your thoughts about these movies together. What was the narcissism of small differences that led Sachy and Prithvi to basically remake their own movie in a span of months? Was it planned beforehand of was it done somehow improve upon the premise of Driving License? So many questions..
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FuriAce
June 12, 2020
This is an absolutely brilliant movie in the sense of humanizing the “villain” and the “hero”.
Aside from everything already discussed here, I also found Koshy’s relationship with his driver/manager (?) very interesting. Its brilliantly written and especially portrayed by Prithviraj. You can tell he clearly cares for the old man and the old man def. cares for him and sees something in him. However, he does not ever let his guard down and “show” kindness when dealing with him. Again toxic behaviours re. classism drilled into him. In fact, you do start to feel for Koshy in what he could have been with a different upbringing. thats a testament to the writing and acting. Fascinating study of human character and what makes one.
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brangan
June 12, 2020
Yes. I agree with a lot of the flaws in the film — especially the fact that the women remain sketchy afterthoughts. Like I say in my review, it wouldn’t be so much of an issue if Kannamma was just a generic “wife with baby”, but after painting her in such specific colours, it’s painful to see her relegated to the background.
Or even the caste angle.
But for me, I was able to look past these things because the structure of the film is that of a masala movie. And these colours add an epic-ness you don’t find in the usual masala movie (fun though they may be).
Had this been a more “serious” movie — structured like a purer “drama” — then these would have been deal breakers. But I haven’t seen a masala template so rich and so full of character touches as this one in a long time.
As for Prithviraj’s generosity in ceding the ground to Biju M, I have always found him a brave actor. I mean, MUMBAI POLICE. For a young top star, that is an incredibly brave choice. I don’t like his foreign-location films because they are badly written and made. But that may also be star pressure. (I need to cut through the clutter and dazzle my fans.)
Even Fahadh has his bummers (like that Sai Pallavi mental asylum movie). But I think people give Prithviraj a harder time 🙂
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tonks
June 12, 2020
Karthik : that was a brilliant comment. Surely the local flavour would be lost in a remake.
That Thrissur kummatti alla, Mundoor kummatti dialogue moment is so goose bumpily “mass”. That, and the bull dozer scene (though almost too far out to be real) were my favourites. Both were such underdog turning into Goliath moments, putting fear into the previously arrogant Koshy.
As for Prithviraj’s generosity in ceding the ground to Biju M, I have always found him a brave actor. I mean, MUMBAI POLICE. For a young top star, that is an incredibly brave choice
Mumbai Police is probably one of his best roles, indeed a brave choice. I happened to see the movie with family, and one of the more conservative members made a comment saying “Prithviraj should not have played such a character”
However, he does not ever let his guard down and “show” kindness when dealing with him. Again toxic behaviours re. classism drilled into him
Indeed, yes. That is another beautifully depicted relationship. That one moment where Prithviraj when he becomes a little humanised, by a slip of his tongue calls him, Kumaretta, and then quickly corrects himself. I think this is the same psychology that is depicted when he slaps his wife. His basic humanity when it comes out is in conflict with his ingrained patriarchy that his father has drilled /is drilling into him. Just brilliant.
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Venky Ramachandran
June 12, 2020
Your brilliant analysis aside, your byline for this article bled my heart. Why BR? Why?
What you wrote: “Ayyappanum Koshiyum, with Prithviraj and Biju Menon, is on Amazon Prime: This entertaining action-drama is more than just an empty action-drama”
I understand the first line and in these no-theater-screening times, people want to know if it’s in prime before opening the link. But, in the second line, with the phrase “action-drama” repeated twice?
I miss those ol’ punning days. “Paheli: Ghost Ghost Na Raha”. I should curate those old gems. As a rookie punster, by the time I finished writing this comment, I could only come up with this. I am sure there are better punsters in this community here.
How about “Ayyappanum Koshiyum, with Prithviraj and Biju Menon, is on Amazon Prime: Maleabar Masala”?
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brangan
June 12, 2020
Menon the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
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Venky Ramachandran (@venkinesis)
June 12, 2020
Deivame, Nandri solven Deivame.
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abishekspeare
June 12, 2020
how about Biju-li Vedi
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brangan
June 12, 2020
Machos, served without cheese!
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abishekspeare
June 12, 2020
Agony Natchathiram
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krishikari
June 12, 2020
@karthik, what a brilliant summing up.
What did you think about the ending? I admit I at first felt a sharp disappointment at the thought that Ayyapan was beaten or co-opted by the system. But then I decided that this has to be an ambiguous ending.
If this is indeed a masala film this ending does not fit.
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Anu Warrier
June 12, 2020
but it could also be the setting of the next stage of their war.
But it is, isn’t it? It’s Ayyappan taking the war into the enemy battleground (not being co-opted or cowed down by the system). He asks to be transferred there. In fact, isn’t there a dialogue in the film where his superior asks him about his retirement, and Ayyappan explains?
I thought his going to Koshy’s house was the ‘glove in the face’ moment. The expression on Biju’s face when he tells Koshy’s father that he’s just been transferred there, and it’s a common practice to meet the important men in the area was priceless! So was Prithviraj’s expression when he realises that another battle is going to begin.
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Anu Warrier
June 12, 2020
@Karthik – that was a wonderful analysis of the film! Thank you!
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Karthik
June 12, 2020
Thanks, tonks, krishikari and Anu.
What did you think about the ending?
I liked the ending actually. At one level, there was, as Anu wrote: Ayyappan taking the war into the enemy territory
At another level, there was the idea that the system was relinquishing its old guard (visually Kurien was relegated to the background), and ushering in a more level playground exemplified by the handshake in the foreground.
Credit to both the actors for bringing out this ambiguity.
Both were such underdog turning into Goliath moments, putting fear into the previously arrogant Koshy.
I agree. I also liked the fact that Kannamma and Jessy get their “mass” moments too when they tell off Koshy — actually aside from the cellphone scene in the police station, Koshy seemed to be on the receiving end in all these moments.
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Alex John
June 12, 2020
And surely, a top star cannot be playing someone so devoid of human decency!
A kiss on Mammootty’s forehead for playing Bhaskara Patelar and Murikkumkummathu Ahammhed Haji!
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Anu Warrier
June 12, 2020
A kiss on Mammootty’s forehead …
I laughed out loud! 🙂
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Thupparivaalan
June 13, 2020
Great film and review. The senior police officer had some fantastic lines. I couldn’t stop laughing, when he said, ‘let ayyappan koshi season get over, then we’ll take over’.
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Isai
June 13, 2020
About ‘slapping the wife’ scene, IMO Koshy is frustrated because he was unable to stand up to his father who is always belittling him..But, just like an intermediate caste, he has become somewhat comfortable with that system since he had someone else (his wife) below him in the hierarchy..But, when he sees even his wife talk back to his father, without any repercussions, it just leaves him feeling like a coward. That is why there is a pause for a few seconds…where his instincts compel him to hit her, just to show that he is no coward..but his mind simultaneously keeps telling him how wrong the entire system his..and how foolish he has been to accept it as a way of life…again feelings which he is unable to take..so he shifts the blame to his wife and questions her on why she has been accepting of the system for so long.. It is understandable that Koshy doesn’t want to feel like a coward or like a fool..but sadly he is both, a coward and a fool.
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Alex John
June 13, 2020
“When I heard the film is getting Hindi and Tamil remakes, my first thought was… why! Because if you reduce it to just “plot”, you get something you’ve seen a hundred times before.”
Exactly what happened to films like OK Kanmani and Alaipayuthey. Bollywood filmmakers yanked the film out of the people in it and tied around the utterly generic plots these films had, and the end result,obviously, was two utterly generic romantic dramas.
Clouds are not without silver linings, though.
When Bollywood ‘unofficially remade’ the Hollywood flick ‘changing lanes,a film about the conflict between two complex men, just like Aayyappanum Koshiyum, it did a good job of retaining the film’s soul rather than resorting to overly ‘Indianizing’ it. Taxi no. 9211 was much more focused on its characters than the plot and those characters were complex enough to do justice to the original film. Let’s hope those who remake Ayyappanum Koshiyum do the same thing with it.
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Isai
June 16, 2020
While I enjoyed this movie till the interval, many scenes post interval seemed illogical. Example:One of BR’s favourite scenes is when Ayyappan goes to Koshy’s House.
Koshy’s father walks with a gun BEHIND his back, even after knowing that Ayyappan is a COP. Why would he do that? Wouldn’t he just point the gun at Ayyappan?..then he comes close to Ayyappan.. then he casually passes on the phone to him..giving Ayyappan multiple opportunities to snatch the gun. WHY??
Ayyappan says he came searching for Koshy since he couldn’t see him for 2 days in Attappadi..And I am like ‘Theditu porathukku, AVAN ENNA, UNN AALA?’ What exactly does Ayyappan want to do by meeting Koshy??…then Ayyappan talks about a senior citizen killing in self defense..why would he give such ideas to an enemy holding a gun?.. Then he asks the father to show the gun, just out of curiosity?? And, Kurien, the bad guy, just points the gun at Ayyappan but doesn’t shoot him despite saying earlier that he will throw ethics to the attic to bring down a guy and Ayyappan telling him about the self defense clause…This artifically manufactured tension/aesthetic appeal by sacrifing character consistency doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Even in Nasir, I found the scene, where the protagonist overhears a phone call, to be quite moving, but I just couldn’t ‘get’ the climax. I mean he knows about the riots happening and yet he coolly walks alone in a deserted street?
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tonks
June 17, 2020
https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/bollywood/south-indian-director-sachi-in-a-critical-condition-after-cardiac-arrest-1.72075082
Another unbearably tragic happening. Hope he recovers.
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Anu Warrier
June 17, 2020
@tonks – Oh, man! It’s like a veritable tsunami of sorts. 😦
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Rahul
June 18, 2020
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Aman Basha
June 19, 2020
RIP Sachy
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krishikari
September 11, 2020
Hilarious twitter thread (referencing a recent demolition?)
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tonks
December 26, 2020
Another unexpected tragedy occurs to one more person associated with this movie
https://www-ndtv-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.ndtv.com/entertainment/malayalam-actor-anil-nedumangad-dies-at-48-prithviraj-biju-menon-dulquer-salmaan-and-others-pay-tributes-2343794?
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Varathan
November 24, 2021
Late viewer her. What a movie!! Contrary to the review I was rooting for Prithvi. I felt empathy for him from the time he was disrespected and pushed around when he was caught with the drinks. His hard-earned money, clout and contacts…..so I thought he had every right to flaunt it. Every action of his was in retaliation to the slights or disrespect he had to take from Ayyappan.
ALl the underhandedness like getting his wife arrested, hiring goons to fight Ayyapan was done by Koshy’s dad and not him.
Second-gen kids of self-made and newly rich achayans and their excessive expectations on their sons make the sons do horrible things. JoJi film dealt with the same thing.
Also, don’t agree that female characters should have more space in the movie. That would have diluted the tension in the film.
I absolutely love what malayalam films are doing these days. Taking the same old story but saying it in a different way and showing it from a different perspective. Like Rangan says this plot has been done to death, but the way the director has staged it made all the difference.
It almost felt like a slap when this movie was compared to a tamil film. Mani Ratnam is my fav tamil director, but sorry…the kiddos in Agninakshatram posturing is no comparison to Ayyapan and Koshy . But I understand the reference is about the 2 warring heros
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Satya
February 22, 2022
“… Because if you reduce this film to “just” plot, you get something you’ve seen a hundred times before…”
The screenwriting gods heard you, BR. Here is it!
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vijay
February 22, 2022
havent seen this yet..but the description in the review brings echoes of “Changing Lanes”, about how a seemingly trivial fender-bender on the highway escalates into an ego clash with racial undertones between the 2 lead characters..
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Thupparivaalan
February 22, 2022
Satya: Don’t be quick to dismiss the film yet. No other industry does mass masala quite like the telugu industry – all other industries are too apologetic about it. Contrary to popular opinion I quite enjoyed Vakeel Saab the remake of Pink. I loved how they managed to massify the material and the effortlessness with which they did it. The soundtrack – especially the title song Bhimla Nayak is a banger, and I personally would wait and watch the film before making any judgement. Also, Thaman is on the form of his life.
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Satya
February 26, 2022
Thupparivalan: I have seen Bheemla Nayak today, and had the urge to go for a Readers Write in. But my “put thoughts into words” skills are deplorable, and I don’t want to go there. I will add this though: good or bad, giving Bheemla a visual backstory that is not loyal to the original and its echo on the climax is an example of proper masala writing. It felt like the forest was, in a way, became family to all those involved. Worth a try!
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