Monday Dec 22 2008, Trivandrum

It's a Lolly-flop!!

Directed by - Shafi

Produced by - Shafi, Anto Joseph, Benny.P.Nayarambalam

Music by - Alex Paul

Casts - Jayasurya, Kunchacko Boban, Roma

Starring - Prithviraj, Bhavana

In Shafi’s ‘Lollypop’, the attempt to think different comes across as a last minute add-on and falls short. A fairly decent plot gets ruined, thanks to pointless ingredients!

De javu strikes you right from the first scene. A novelist (Jagathy Sreekumar, in a wasted cameo) is stranded in a jetty after missing the night’s last boat. In a bid to pass time, he strikes up a conversation with the only other person there. The shady looking man (Jayasuriya) reluctantly starts narrating the story of his life – and the real story begins.

Panji (Jayasuriya) is a happy go lucky petty thief who is put under the tutelage of Franko, who runs an automobile workshop. Franko (Prithviraj) is extremely protective of his sister Jenny (Roma), with whom he shares a special relationship. Bhavana plays the other heroine, Franko’s girlfriend, who is at loggerheads with Jenny. Panji falls for Jenny, but is faced with a tough adversary. Determined to win her love, Panji decides to do the unthinkable.

Jayasuriya gives a convincing performance as Panji, while a fabulous looking Prithviraj just about scrapes by on the acting front. His carefully chosen costumes cleverly hide what may be an ‘under construction’ six pack. In spite of superficial innovations in the theme and packaging, both actors seem to be treading dangerously close to stereotyping.

Salim Kumar chips in with a fair performance, but the highlights of his role may remind you of an older super hit. Suraj Venjarammood is spot on with his comic timing and practically steals the show at times. Alex Paul’s rash music score fails to provide support to the effort put into the visual sequences, and Sarath Vayalar’s lyrics often make you cringe.

Shafi uses the flashback in pretty much the same way as he did in his earlier films such as ‘Kalyanaraman’ and ‘One man show’. But there is a deliberate attempt to bring in some novelty to the script. Ironically, it is this very element that ends up making the film needlessly predictable. The viewers, as they leave the hall, would seem to be more dazed at the very artificial closing sequence than pleased with the youthful vigour of the film as a whole.

Prithviraj as a hero has had varying fortunes at the box office in the past. ‘Lollypop’ could be a telling fortune cookie not just for the actor, but also for this genre of films in Malayalam.

-Aravind Ramachandran/FS Desk