BHEEMANTE VAZHI MALAYALAM HD RELEASED

 

With a script by Chemban Vinod, Bheemante Vazhi, with its character-rich storytelling, feels like it has the looming influence of his close associate and director Lijo Jose Pellissery. But with Kunchacko Boban playing the lead role of Sanju, the bawdiness is toned down and the tenor of the film, in general, is enjoyable because it feels relatable, rather than flamboyant.

Sanju, known widely as Bheeman, is a youth who is quite involved in his rural neighbourhood, of closely packed homes that have access to only a narrow lane to get out onto the main road. A bike can barely go by on the lane and if there is an emergency or an significant happening, be it a wedding or a death, people are either carried across walls or they walk down this narrow path. So after one such incident and prompted by the local councillor, Bheeman takes on the responsibility of widening this road, enabling better access to all the houses there, and also hoping to make their properties more valuable. His face-off with the curmudgeonly, trouble-maker Kosthepp, played with a great balance of comedy and hateful machismo by Jinu Joseph, forms the crux of the story. And just as the film seems to sag with the confrontation between the two sides, the resolution to the problem, that comes from one unexpected blow, provides a joyful lift to the film. Why Sanju is called Bheeman is not clear, though you feel it must allude to Bheeman’s struggle with Hanuman in one tale over clearing a path.

All this is complemented by a bunch of quirky characters, from a man whose thoughts are consumed by his love and respect for his pet dog to a vagabond with a cock on his shoulder, a kid in superhero costume, and Chemban’s character, who like a deus ex machina, provides the philosophy and advice in matters of the road and metaphorically, the road that leads to the heart, or Bheeman’s romances.

The film makes a point of showing strong women characters, including the feisty local councillor, lawyer and a railway engineer, among others. And Bheeman is a bit of a ladies’ man, but the women are not shrinking violets either. While audiences could feel that they are shown as being too forward, with wanting to go to a bar for a drink, it is probably high time that women drinking and talking sex are normalised in our movies.

Director Ashraf Hamza breathes life into Chemban’s charming script and brings his gentle touch, which he showed in his debut Thamaasha, to Bheemante Vazhi, as well, depicting the crazy characters with such respect that we can love all of them, even the drunken auto driver. And for this credit also goes to all the actors, particularly Naseer Sankranthi and Nirmal Palazhi, who make the characters seem like real neighbours we could have. Kunchacko brings his solid charm and talent to a role that if not played right, could have left a bad taste. Jinu Joseph is a joy to watch.

Vishu Vijay gives us good music, though the BGM is a bit too in-your-face in a couple of places. Girish Gangadharan’s cinematography is excellent, particularly in how he captures the claustrophobic lane.