I had the misfortune of watching Vamanapuram BusRoute on DVD today. The film has been directed by a guy called Sonu Sisupal (btw he aso takes credits for the music).
Stars Mohanlal, Jagathy, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagadish, Janardhanan, Mainan Raju, Rajan P Dev, Lakshmi Gopalasamy. Also has Innocent in a guest role. Now isnt that a lot of talent. Practically has 60% of Malluland’s best actors under the same roof. Raises expectations like hell and all that you are left after watching a good 30 minutes is sheer disappointment.
The worst Malayalam movie that I have seen in a long long time, I dont know whether to classify this as a comedy, drama or a result of someone having a lot of money to be just wasted. Hell !! I could have directed a better movie with my camcorder. Apparently, money was never a criterion for the movie - can easily understand from the star cast. What were the great actors thinking before they signed to act. Didnt anyone look at the story, leave alone read the script. Forget it, Was there any script anyway?
Sonu Sisupal is a new director, apparently he helped Priyadarshan with a lot of movies. Am not a great fan of Priyan (I sincerely feel he is far below Kamal, Satyan, Sibi etc.), but if a person has worked with Priyan, he should have the capacity to evoke a few laughs. looks like the movie idea was conceived over dinner and shooting started over breakfast. Atleast the movie suggested so. No wonder Lal’s movies re becoming duds. Dear, if you sign movies like this - even your die hard fans would not be able to help recover the cost of printing movie tickets.
Now enuff of beating around the bush:
Jagathy is the Vamanapuram village panchayat president(for 15 years) who yearns to be a minister. We all know requires money. So he thinks of an easy route to do so. Sanction a bus service to the village and then seek permission to tar the village roads. Of course, he hopes to siphon enough funds, which in turn would fund his political ambition. The local opposition headed by Janardhanan (and his friends Manian Pillai as the village barber, Jagadish as the village good-for-nothing and a few others) stalks the bus plan everytime. So no bus owners worth their salt are ready to start bus services here (Apparently Jagathy is from the ruling UDF {Congress} and Janardhanan is a communist)
Jagathy finally convinces a bus owner to start a bus service to the village, which is again thwarted by Janardhanan and a local goonda. Jagathy loses hopes but is given advice by the bus owner to seek help from Lever-Johny (a robinhood for transport owners who face problems). Thus apna Jagathy seeks help from Lal. Lal shown as a MGR fan (with mannerisms mimicing MGR) comes to his rescue, weeds through the trouble and helps solve the bus problem straight. After all who would have problems overcoming Janadhanan, Manian Raju and jagadish :) As expected, Jagathy’s daugther Miss Gopalasamy falls in love for the kili (bus chauffeur, anyone?). Then finally on the day of her marriage, Lal asks his lady love to ride with him back. The beauty doesnt think of anything else, boards the bus and Jagathy collapses without muttering a word (We have now seen him collapsing in over 10% of his movies - doesnt that make it 100 films???). It is at the climax that you feel like waking the story teller and director and !#@#@$$.
This wannabe attempt at comedy falls flat. Dialogues are a joke. Actingwise, there is no scope to act. Lakshmi Gopalasamy look past her age with her powder makeup to look like a village damsel. Lal looks like he is insane. (He acted in this, he has to be one). The songs are a drag. Frankly speaking I wouldnt comment as I fast forwarded the songs anyway. The directors attempt is a shame on Malayalam cinema. But so has been many movies of late. Story is non existent. And all that looks promising is the movie title. ’’Vamanapuram Bus Route’’ would have been an excellent title for an excellent film with an excellent cast. Sadly, it is not so.
My ratings:
Script 1/10
Acting 5/10
Direction 2/10
Songs NA