Malayalam film buffs already know him as an actor, of course, since he starred in Nivin Pauly’s 2015 superhit Premam and played the young Comrade Krishna Kumar’s sidekick in this year’s Pauly-starrer Sakhavu.
Salim makes his directorial debut with this project. It is particularly noteworthy in Althaf Salim’s case because he does the tricky job with a self-assurance that belies his lack of experience. I will not say more about the plot, though if I did, it would not amount to playing spoilsport, because as is always the case but more than ever in this case, it is the treatment, not the story, that counts.īlending humour with such a grim subject and sustaining it without being odious for even a moment is a feat by any standards. There are no definitive answers, but in the Chackos’ hits and misses you might find a reflection of your own struggles, and perhaps a realisation that sensitivity and consideration are perennial works in progress. These are concerns most human beings have grappled with at some point. Should they artificially rev up their energy levels to keep her spirits up? Would it be supportive to acknowledge her tension and their own, or for her sake should they pretend to be unaffected? How do they cope with their own fears while simultaneously having her back? Is there such a thing as a right thing to say when someone you love is dealing with an intense personal trauma? Would being peppy around her make things worse or better for her? In such a situation, should life, work, romance and plans come to a standstill? If they do not, does that make us selfish? They are going about the business of living when their humdrum existence is interrupted by Mum’s medical scare.Ī still from Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela. The Chackos are well-off and, to all appearances, leading a relatively undramatic life.
They are: Mum Sheela Chacko (played by Shanthi Krishna) and Dad Chacko (Lal), their elder daughter Mary (Srinda Arhaan) and son-in-law Tony (Siju Wilson) who have a child, their London-based son Kurien Chacko (Nivin Pauly) who is single and clearly anxious to mingle, their youngest, Sarah (played by Ahaana Krishna), who is surreptitiously dating a friend, plus an ailing grandfather. Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela ( An Interval in the Land of Crabs) revolves around the Chacko family formerly based in Kuwait and now back home. Would it continue in the same vein? The question on my mind at that moment was: How can you possibly make a comedy centred around such a grave health issue without turning offensive?Īsk writer-director Althaf Salim, because that is precisely what he does. It is already clear by then that Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela is designed as a comedy.
I confess to having felt a fleeting flutter of trepidation when, in the opening minutes, one of the film’s protagonists announces that she might be suffering from a serious disease. Of the three Onam releases I have watched so far – Pullikkaran Staraa, Velipadinte Pusthakam and now this – Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela is head and shoulders above the rest. The promo line for this film should have been, “expect the unexpected.” Because nothing, not a trailer, not even a review filled to the brim with spoilers, can prepare you for what it has to offer.