Director Sathyan Anthikkad in his fifty's movie `Kathu Thudarum' has come up with an offering that is a bit atop of his regular melodrama formula flicks. He is here, amidst an engaging storyline with a layer of social satire sprinkled through almost every scene, without taking that preachy line of his previous movies like `Innathe Chinthavishayam'.
A touching narrative about self made decisions that ultimately decides life and its moments `Katha Thudarum' has Mamtha Mohandas as Vidhyalakshmi, a Brahmin girl who dares to start his life with a keyboard player Shanavas Ahamed (Asif Ali), despite the objections from both of their families, apparently due to their caste differences. Life was all that smooth for Vidhya till one rainy night when Shanavas sets off to buy mangoes for their beautiful young daughter Laya (Baby Anikha) and got killed by a misled quotation group.
As the young lady and his cute daughter is left in a busy city, helpless with no one to care, they tryout their ways to catch up with life but with very little success, until she meets an auto driver Preman (Jayaram). This straight forward man takes her to his reticent colony, with a lot of well mannered people living in unpretentious situations. And every Sathyan regulars like Innocent, K P A C Lalitha, Mamukoya, Lakshmi Priya and Chembil Ashokan are their in the colony taking on some satirical caricatures who turnout to become inspirations for Vidhya, who ultimately restarts her studies and turn a new leaf in life.
`Katha Thudarum' has that vintage Sathyan in full form even in the scripting side but with some new age story telling devices and techniques, with ample support from cinematographer Venu. He defies to go through conventional elements and ways, most of the time, though all the characters in the colony marked out in shades of white seems unbelievable and idealistic that real life. Sathyan's decision to go by the straight forward narratives than to resort to flashbacks and the use of the child character in the most helpful and appropriate manner to push the narratives, using her innocence to tell how little hearts rather than grownups easily adjust to any big shocks of life and newer situations, have the big positive effects on the movie.
The bits of social satire passing through has that great sincerity, even in the case of HR supplier played by Mamukoya or the one played by Chembil Ashokan who is regularly used as a scapegoat by police. The lead character of Vidhya is safe in the hands of Mamtha Mohandas, her deft handling is shown in many intense sequences of the movie, the only suggestions that stand being related to her dress codes and makeup in the later half, that was hardly needed in this scale. Jayaram plays to the demands of the role with lot of control. Asif Ali gets another opportunity to show his mettle while the big highlight of the movie that charms every viewer is of Baby Anikha, who plays Vidhyalakshmi's daughter.
Ilayaraja's songs are shot well and good for listening with "Doore." the pick from the three. Altogether `Katha Thudarum' is a safely prescribable movie to the families, offering a lot of genuine questions about Kerala life which is sure to grow in them, even after you leave the theatre.
