There have been lots of movies based on Takazhi’s "Enippadikal". The novel after all talks of man’s hubris and his downfall. So now wonder that this has translated well on the silver screen. Padmakumar’s Vaasthavam is a similar tale.
*Story
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Balachandran Adiga is the sole hope of a crumbling Namboothiri family. His’murapennu’(the girl he is expected to marry) Sumitra is the love of his life. Inspite of their poverty, all seems well in Heaven. That is until Trippan namboothiri enters the picture. Trippan is a contractor trying to build a plywood factory. For this he needs someone with influence in the Secretariat. He ensures that Balan gets a job at the Secretariat. In return for this Balan has to marry his niece Surabhi.
Within days of the marriage, Balan goes to the Sin City(the secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram). He stays as a room mate with Unnithan Aashan(Jagathy Sreekumar in a tailormade role). Unnithan is a walking encyclopaedia of Kerala politics and decides to take him under his wings.
Balan soon takes his first bribe and that gives him a taste of the better life. He has a one night stand with Vimala Thankachi whose uncle is the Revenue minister. Her recommendation gets Balan a job in the personal staff of the minister.
From then on Balan climbs the Enippadikal(steps) of power and becomes power crazy. He wreaks revenge on any one who stands against him. And slowly he starts losing all that he loved.
His childhood sweetheart Sumitra starts hating him when she learns that he had her husband killed. His long suffering wife Surabhi shuns him when her uncle dies after losing all his wealth at the Secretariat.
And finally his one night stand comes back to haunt him when Vimala tries to blackmail him into marrying her.
The final straw is when his trusted goonda(henchman) Paambu decides to reform. Balan takes this as a nimitham(an omen) and goes to his mentor Unnithan for advice and to’enjoy the pleasure of sleeping on the hard ground like the good old days’. Unnithan advises him to leave the capital city and take up a peaceful job at his village.
After meeting with Vimala and holding off her effort at black mail, Balan decides to return to his native place, triumphant after thwarting all his enemies.
Or does he?
Does he survive and as Unnithan Aashan says will the Business at the secretariat still go on.
Thats for you to find out.
*Acting
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*Prithviraj** is slowly becoming an acting powerhouse. He has the voice quality, screen presence and charisma that a younger Mammotty or Mohanlal used to have. He burns the screen with his acting in some scenes. He seems to work well with an anti-hero’s role. However, someone needs to tell him how to romance on screen. Except for Sindhu Menon(Vimala) he does not seem comfortable with any of the other heroines.
*Jagathy Sreekumar** steals the thunder with his Unnithan Aashan. He is simply superb as the Secretariat guru who has seen it all. His Thiruvananthapuram accent coupled with the way he recounts all his old anecdotes makes this role a sure hit for him. Jagathy has always been the king of comedy and is slowly proving his mettle in’character’ roles as well.
The heroines are eye candy for most part. But **Sindhu Menon** as Vimala thankachi is great. She plays the lustful woman who is later scorned by the hero. She is very good in the romantic song "Naadha nee varumbhol". **Kavya Madhavan** has little to do in this movie but cry and get beaten up by her husband(Meghanathan) and then cry somemore. **Samvrutha** as the demure Surabhi is adequate.
*Salim** plays the tragic Trippan Namboothiri and brings a tear to our eyes. Good work.
*Murali** is good as the henpecked but idealist minister who quits taking responsibility for one of Balan’s crimes.
*Music
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Naadha Nee Varumbhol** is a very romantic number where the lady love tells her lover how she feels when he comes to see her.
*Kadam Konda Janmam **is a pathos ridden song. Our life is a debt from our mother(for having endure the pain of childbirth). We can work all our lives but cannot come even close to filling this debt. Good song and excellent https://lyrics.
*Overall
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The movie has some melodious songs and good production quality. Overall, this movie is worth more than one watch. Here’s to more good work from Prithviraj in the future.