As you might know by now, "Kerala Cafe" is a collection of 10 different stories by 10 different directors. So given that each director has a very limited time to tell the story and make his/her impact felt - what story will they tell or what type of stories will they choose ?
Well, it is just a common fact that something that touches our heart remains in our head for a longer time. And what else touches us more than tragic or painful stories. Comedy - yes, at first you will enjoy but eventually you will forget it. But a tragic or painful story that disturbes your mind - stays there longer.
Simply said most of these stories are tragic or painful ones. So how good are these stories ? Well, some of them are really good, some are ok and some just avoidable.Here is a listing/rating of all these stories.
You can observe that even in my selection of stories(which I did based on the impact it made on me) - the ones that came to the top are the ones that are most painful or tragic.
------- Good Ones ---------
1. Bridge - Relationship b/w a mother and her child is the strongest bond in this world and this story wonderfully depicts how a poor man is forced to get rid of his mother as simple as a father getting rid of a cute kitten that his son got from the street. Salimkumar has done a very commendable job.
2. Puram Kazchakal - Oh, so subtle yet so disturbing. A poor man is so worried abt reaching his home on time and blames driver/fellow passengers for stopping by unnecessarily even if that means to allow some college students to take some snaps of the waterfall. The final scene where his home is surrounded by people - death has happended - just hits you on the head - just like other passengers on the bus. The emotions that he would have gone through that entire journey, his anxiety to reach home - you would just stay shocked. Kudos to the director Laljose. This will leave a mark on you.
3. Happy Journey - Ok, this was enjoyable. Jagathy has done well. One of the very few stories where actor is the winner.
4. Aviraamam - Good story directed well.
----- Ok, watchable -------
5. Makal - Well, a touching but predictable story told in a normal way. Story will touch you - not the narration.
6. Nostalgia - Nostalgia of a Gulf Malayalee. Dileep overacted ? I felt so.
7. Island Express - Touching story, could have been told in a better way.
--- Avoidable ----
8. Off Season - Well, supposed to be comic and you will enjoy Suraj Venjarammood initially. But in retrospect this movie doesn't merit much attention.
9. Lalitam Hiranmayam - A married man having an extra marital relationship. Nothing much to tell.
10. Mrutunjayam - Oh, my god. This is horror. There were screams in the theatre - I suppose from kids only or even grown ups ? And to tell you the truth, I too had to blink my eyes more often :-) - I'm not that courageous to take in such extreme scenes and that too, I stay alone. :-) But anyway, this is an incomplete story.
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Overall, I will give a rating of 3 out of 5 and if I'm given a chance to watch it once again, I would watch very selectively and not all. And by the way, no way these stories are inter related as I was also made to believe before seeing it. The only common point is characters from most of these stories get to wait the train at a railway canteen named, yes, you guessed it - "Kerala Cafe" :-)
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