Ayyappanum Koshiyum, 2020, Malayalam ★★★★
I have a distaste for movies about male ego, that one-track mindedness out to get somebody, herculean strengths that come with an adrenaline rush, destructing public property or other people’s property (collateral damage) in the name of action/revenge- that’s most commercial movies for ya! All of that is featured in this movie, yet there were so many admirable things about this film’s making.
Toxic masculinity has been the essence of many movies over the ages in Indian Cinema, and there’s always ‘an eye for an eye’ and both (usually there’s just a Hero and a Villain, or two Anti-heroes) can’t resist upping the ante- they find pleasure (maybe better than orgasmic) in trapping the nemesis.
Maybe my perspective is different now than it was in my early years- here I saw these two characters Ayyappan & Koshy as simple, ordinary men. Only, they have egos that are larger than them. Biju Menon and Pritviraj are brilliant- you can’t see them as actors but as the roles they portray. Koshy first looks like an empty shell of a guy- traumatized soldier, alcoholic and troubled. And after the things he does, he seems hateable. Ayyappan starts off as a honest-to-goodness cop but there is a silenced and restrained nature that only comes through a little later. Nothing, is as it seems- I liked that part about the movie- the slow and gradual build of the plot and reveals! No mysteries here, I’m talking about the characters (Spoiler alert: there is mutual admiration and respect in the end). The supporting cast also does a great job- such a beautiful harmony.
Moving on, the Cinematography is brilliant- capturing the beauty of the Palakkad on screen so amazingly. The soundtracks are beautifully composed, I particularly love ‘Kalakatha’ the tribal song by Nanchamma (she also plays a supporting role in the movie)
In conclusion, you’ll love this movie for the artistic quality and you will appreciate the dance of the devil, the bromance (if rivalry counts, too?!). So if you haven’t watched it yet, catch it on Amazon Prime with English Subs.
PS. Minimalist movie poster by yours truly created on Krita App.