Film: Suvarna Purushan
Direction: Sunil Puveily
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Innocent, Lena, Sreejith Ravi, Sasi Kalinga
Where did this sudden, newfound obsession with making movies about superstar fans originate? It's hardly been a week since Mohanlal -- a movie about an ardent Mohanlal fan -- came out, and here is another one exploring the same subject. But this time it's about a group of Mohanlal fans. And just like that film, Suvarna Purashan also features a song beginning with "Lalettan" in the lyrics, repeated over and over again, in an opening credits sequence that seemed to go on forever. This new trend of trying to capitalise on celebrity worship isn't really working, to be honest.
Does anyone else apart from me think that a 2-hr movie about a group of characters professing their love for Lalettan (or any other superstar for that matter) would make good cinema? Pick a conversation or a video interview, and you won't see someone talking about an actor -- no matter how much they love them -- for more than a few minutes. Have you ever seen someone talking about just one person for 2 hours straight? I'm certain it won't be a pleasant experience. Here's an exercise for you: imagine this review with every word in it replaced by 'Mohanlal' and you'll see what I mean.
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Suvarna Purashan is an attempt to make a movie around a series of uninteresting anecdotes by a bunch of characters who spout their admiration for the actor in various ways. Sometimes it comes in the form of an unnecessary song or dance. Sometimes it comes through a confession in front of a Mohanlal poster. Sometimes it is revealed unexpectedly through a small chit-chat between two random strangers at a bus station. The film focuses on several Mohanlal fans from the small town of Irinjalakkuda.
For the natives of this place, Lalettan is equal to god. In one scene, a pilgrim takes a detour after learning that Mohanlal's Pulimurugan has just released. Temple trips can wait because, for him, Lord Murugan and Lalettan are the same. He even pierces his cheeks with a spear in the front of a movie theatre. For the time being, the theatre is his temple. Like him, there is an assortment of characters, and from their conversations, you can see that Mohanlal played a big or small part in their lives.
But the problem is that none of these characters are good company. They don't make any sort of impact. Their anecdotes might look good on paper but not necessarily in a movie. It's like gathering all those Facebook comments made by hardcore Mohanlal fans, and trying to make a substantial movie out of them. Meanwhile, a bunch of random characters do some random (and at times, ridiculous) things, and I found myself asking, "Was making this movie really necessary?" Because whatever the makers wanted to say -- if there is anything at all -- isn't earth-shattering. This is an insipid and wholly unnecesary film.