Nonsense review: A film that makes a lot of 'sense'

‘Nonsense’, the new Malayalam movie, derives inspiration from former President the late A P J Abdul Kalam’s quote, ‘The best brains of the nation may be found on the last benches of the classroom.”

Some serious issues are dealt with in ‘Nonsense’, though the trailer showed a bicycle stunt. The small budget film reminds viewers of the hollowness of the modern education system that gives importance to exams and marks rather than the realities of life. Alongside, the sufferings of common people during a hartal are also presented. In between all this, viewers are introduced to the sport of Bicycle Motocross( BMX), which is commonly called ‘cycle stunt.’

Directed by debutante M C Jithin, ‘Nonsense’ has Rinosh George and Febia Mathew in the lead roles. Rinosh is familiar to the audience thanks to the music album ‘Mallu’ and has also handled the music of ‘Nonsense’.

The screenplay is by director Jithin, Libin T B and Muhammed Shafeek. The producer is Johny Sagarika, who has made a comeback after a long interval.

The plot

Kalam’s wise thoughts influenced the writers, who relate the story of a class 11 student and BMX fan, Arun. His teachers loathe Arun, who is not interested in his studies. But Arun has a special talent in turning the lessons he learnt in class into something useful in real life.

One day, a flash hartal is announced and Arun meets Santhosh, an autorickshaw driver. They face some unexpected situations and the story takes surprising turns which the director has presented displaying good craft.

The cast

The other main actors include Vinay Forrt, Sruthi Ramachandran, Urmila Unni, Lalu Alex and Kalabhavan Shajohn.

Rinosh has excelled in the lead role, displaying no signs of being a newcomer. Likewise, Forrt has given full justice to his role, as usual. Sruthi plays the teacher, who realises at the end of the film that no student should be judged by the marks he or she scores. Her performance is also noteworthy.

Technical finesse

‘Nonsense’ scores on the technical side too, with Rinosh utilising his experience in the music industry to good effect. Cinematography by Alex J Pulickal is in tune with the fast-paced narrative adopted by the scenarists.

The song ‘Chirakukal njan tharam’ stands out not only with its music but also the picturisation. Each frame and shot of the location, a pristine village with plenty of greenery and narrow paths, supports the theme of the film.

Except for a little bit of slackness during the second half, the two-and-a-half-hour film keeps the audience engrossed throughout. ‘Nonsense’ concludes with the statement that we need some good people in society, apart from doctors and engineers.

Along with the relevant message that it highlights, ‘Nonsense’ is a welcome sign that producers are willing to fund small budget films in Malayalam also. Now it is for the discerning audience to turn a truly ‘sensible’ movie like ‘Nonsense’ into a big success at the box office.