Producer : Santhosh Pavithram
Director : Ramakanth Sarju
Main Cast : Jayasurya,Roma etc.
Music : M.Jayachandran
Lyrics : Gireesh Puthencherry
Cinematography : Saloo George
Story : Ramakanth SarjuScreenplay, dialogues : J.PallasserryReview by : Unni / www.Kerala9.com The first thought that hits us as we come out of the theatres after watching ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’ is, “Well, I could have stayed back home and had a nap instead”. Having a nap or even doing nothing may be better than go watch this Jayasurya-Roma starrer. Anyhow there is another side to this. Thinking on realistic terms, you may even tend to justify your having seen the movie, with, “Well, what more could I have expected out of this movie?”
Well, there is nothing much ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’ has to offer. Rameshan (Jayasurya), working in Bangalore, happens to see a girl lying injured on the road, her face covered by blood. She had been hit by some vehicle and he too, like the others, tends to move away in a rather indifferent manner. But as he is moving away, he takes one more look at her face and is shocked. He takes her to the hospital. Soon his roommate Tony (Sudheesh) and their friend Dr. Thomas Paul (Saikumar) come seeking him and tell them that since he has done his duty and saved a life, he need not wait there at the hospital. They take him away with them, but he seems sad. It’s when they question him repeatedly that he narrates his story. The girl that he had got admitted in the hospital was Uthara (Roma), whom he used to call ‘Ponnu’ and whom he had loved ever since his childhood. They had belonged to the same village, Kannadi, in Palakkad district and in their childhood, Rameshan had even saved Ponnu from drowning in a well. Rameshan’s father Sreedhara Kurup (Balachandra Menon) was a middle class man who ran a provision store and Ponnu’s father Mahadevan (Laloo Aalex) was a rich guy who runs a jewellery shop. Anyway, Rameshan and Ponnu were quite close to each other and Rameshan even loved Ponnu in his heart of hearts. And then, Ponnu gets engaged to another guy, but after some twists in the story, Ponnu and Rameshan get married, only to be separated on the very next day following some misunderstandings. This is how the story progresses in ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’, a film that sometimes seems OK and sometimes tests your patience.
The problem with ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’ is not just that it has nothing new to offer. The story is all predictable and moves on predictable lines. The comedy-track, handled by Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Harisri Ashokan and others, is distasteful and sometimes even lewd. Nothing impresses as far as the movie is concerned and you wish such a movie hadn’t even been made.
Performances
Jayasurya and Roma are just about OK in their respective roles. Laloo Aalex is his very usual self. Balachandra Menon as usual does his role convincingly, with some of his stock mannerisms that have been aped a lot by mimicry guys and of course by Jayasurya in the film in one scene. The others are just about OK. Seeing Suraaj Venjaramoodu in stereotyped roles has now started becoming intolerable. The problem is the film doesn’t give any of the actors any scope for performance.
Technical aspects
There is nothing outstanding to mention about the technical aspects, which don’t impress us in any way.
Music
The music is OK. As for the songs, the song that begins “Mallike mallike…” is quite unimpressive while the bit that begins as “Amma urangunnu…” has been rendered quite soulfully, though it doesn’t seem outstanding.
Script
J.Pallasserry, who has scripted many entertainers of this genre, fails to impress us with his writing in ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’. The scenes are all poorly written and the humour distastefully handled. The instance of Pathalam Shaji (Suraaj Venjaramoodu) aiming to set a record for himself as the guy who had met with the most number of accidents and finally getting killed quite accidentally in a road accident could have been worked out in a real touching manner, but Pallasserry fails to do that too. Characterization doesn’t work out well in ‘Uthara Swayamvaram’ and that makes it a real intolerable movie.
Direction
Ramakanth Sarju, who begins the movie by expressing gratitude to his ‘gurus’, should have learnt more from them. He should have chosen a better subject or else should have worked out this subject in a better manner. Sorry Sarju. Better luck, next time.
Overall verdict- Unimpressive! Waste of money and time.
Rating: 1/5
Priyanka Chopra has found her first husband (Ok! Screen husband.), Malayalam actor Mohanlal, for Vishal Bhardwaj’s comedy 7 Husbands. There are six more to go.
