What do you call a film that is well made, in terms of cinematic features, but still doesn't touch your heart?
A film that has absorbing sequences but still doesn't entertain? Anchil Oral Arjunan is such a film which makes a sincere effort to unveil a regular story, with almost all the ingredients that make for a Jayaram-film.
Jayaram is Sudheendran in the film, fondly called Sudhi by everyone. He lives entirely for his family, which consists of his aged mother, his two aged unmarried paternal aunts, an elder sister and a younger sister. His elder sister Shanta is deserted by her husband immediately after her marriage as she has regular attack of fits. Sudhi, who has no regular job, is the substitute in every affairs of the village and manages things somehow.
And thus, he is a substitute teacher in a tutorial college when some teachers fail to come, and is a substitute actor in the drama company run by Kovilakam Sreedharan. He helps Sreedharan in his real estate business and even as his driver. Sudhi has a lot of debts and to settle them he allows Panathakolli Paul, a money lender in his house's attic. Sudhi also gets support from Pavithra, who is in love with him and also from her father Padmanabhan, whom he often addresses as Guruji.
Sudhi also has some enemies in the form of his paternal cousins Vijayan and Vinayan, both of whom are assisted by a crooked politician brother-in-law and advised by an equally crooked uncle. As the house Sudhi inherits is in the name of Vijayan's father, the gang of baddies is all set to make life a hell for Sudhi and oust him and his family of five from the house and take over the other property from them.
The arrival of Unni Menon and young daughter Saraswathy, lovingly called Sathi, makes much turn in the life of Sudhi. Sathi, who is also a doctor, is the childhood friend of Sudhi. He begins to love her, but her engagement is soon fixed with Vinayan. She is also ready to tie the knot with Vinayan. But in the course of time Sathi realizes the immoral relations of Vinayan and moves back from the relation. His paternal cousins and their family take this as an insult and believe that Sudhi is behind her change of mind. Then, they prepare to take the last move and make Sudhi repent for this. What follows is how Sudhi manages to change the attitudes of his enemies towards him.
Almost all the actors have done their roles well. Jayaram as Sudhi is perfect. Even though the character and the mannerisms seem very similar to those of umpteen characters he has already played, he is the grace of the film.
Padmapriya as Pavithra, Samvritha as Sathi, Siddique as Vijayan, Madhu Warrier as Vinayan, Jagathy Sreekumar as Paul, Sreenivasan as Sreedharan, Venu Nagavalli as Padmanabhan, Kalpana as Shanta - all of them have put life into the characters that they portray.
The songs are average. But in technical features, cinematography by Anandakuttan, editing by P.C. Mohanan and art-work by Gokuldas are among the best from them in recent times.
