Rajamanikyam

Watched Rajamanikyam, the latest Mammootty film, today at Sangeeth theatre.

All Malayalam films starring Mammootty have been big commercial hits in the last 2-3 years. Even idiotic films like Thaskara Veeran were hits. Rajamanikyam, directed by newcomer Anwar Rashid, also has been declared as a hit and it also follows the pattern of Thommanum Makkalum and Thaskara Veeran. The hero-worshipping scenes in the film remind of Rajnikanth films. Anwar Rashid, along with the liberal use of such sequences, adds few scenes mocking them as well, as if to pacify the Malayalee audience (like Mammootty asking his assistants whether he looks heroic enough, etc.).

Rajamanikyam is the story of Bellary Raja (Mammootty), an illiterate (just reached till second standard, in his own words) who works as a buffalo dealer at Bellary. When his stepfather Rajaratnam (Saikumar) dies, as per his will, Bellary Raja is assigned as the caretaker of his huge property and business for twenty five years. Rajaratnam had made this decision since his son born on his first wife (Manoj K Jayan) and daughter born on second wife (Sindhu Menon) have been fighting with each other for the property, and he wanted to settle the matter peacefully and also to "teach them a lesson". Bellary Raja reaches his stepfather's village along with his three assistants, played by Rehman, Bheeman Raghu and Salim Kumar. He takes charge of the property and the rest of the story shows Raja's efforts to bring unity in the family.

Mammootty in Rajamanikyam (Courtesy rajamanikyam dot com).

Anyway, the less said about the plot and screenplay of this film, the better. The whole film is of course built upon Mammootty, and the director fully depends upon him to save the film. And Mammootty comes up with one of his finest comic performances ever, talking in a funny way in the "Thiruvananthapuram accent", and showing some interesting gimmicks. The film is watchable just for his performance.