With children on board, there would be an amount of cuteness in a movie. 'Salt Mango Tree' has a child protagonist and his anxious parents in the lead roles. A lot many pertinent issues that young parents face is dealt with in a humourous vein in 'Salt Mango Tree'. This combination sure works in favour of the movie.
It is Biju Menon all the way in the movie as he works his grin and charm with ease. There is an amount of innocence yet naughtiness in his role as Aravind, who is simple yet is caught in a rat race his runs rather apologetically. As a father to a child whose curiosity and inquisitiveness lands him in trouble, Aravind always has a mix of love and bewilderment on his face, which Biju Menon has approached with exceptional comic timing and artistic finesse.
'Salt Mango Tree' explores certain systems at work in the current educational and social establishments and how aspirations are high to climb the haloed social ladder of the expected norm. There are little children like the one in the movie who don't fit the norm and has to bear the brunt. Priya played by Lekshmi Priya is the upwardly mobile mother who wants the 'best' for her child. Her quest to make him fit the criteria by trying to enroll him in 'top' schools and the failed attempts that sours her, is brilliantly out in the movie. It is the efforts of people like Suhasini who plays a school owner who proves path breaking for the family.
Rajesh Nair, who has taken a detour from his previous movies like 'Annum Innum Ennum' and 'Escape from Uganda' has narrated a relevant story in a light-hearted manner. There is a freshness that can be felt in the style of presentation and the sugar coated message sure is salty and sweet at the same time. The viewers are told to let it go and live freely, go back to the roots, etc. Middle class life is also nicely depicted with the everyday troubles and foibles comically shown.
'Salt Mango Tree' is a watchable entertainment. The movie is made delectable with the kind of humour that only Biju Menon is capable. This is a small movie, yet a delightful one.
Rating - 3/5
