Movie Review: 'Pookkaalam' - a feel-good film revolving around a 100-year-old man

'Aanandam' director Ganesh Raj, who gifted us a feel-good college drama as a debutant, is back after a seven-year hiatus. This time, he has returned with another romantic drama, retaining some of the actors from his debut work.

The storyline of the movie is quite unique as it revolves around a 100-year-old man who suddenly discovers that his wife had an affair during their marriage. The incident leaves him disturbed and he starts considering a divorce. The incident and the sudden turns of events becomes the talk of the town, leaving the family, especially his equally old wife, devastated.

The impending divorce of both Ichappan (Vijayaraghavan) and Ichamma (KPAC Leela), as they are fondly called, comes during their grand-daughter Elsy's betrothal. Elsy (played by Annu Antony) decides to discover the identity of the man who wrote the letter.

Though the movie dwells on a serious subject like a marital discord, Ganesh Raj's 'Pookkaalam' is not a tear-jerker. Instead, he relies on the youthful vibrancy that was the pillar of his earlier work, to narrate this film, too.

Vijayaraghavan's transformation into an 100-year-old man is noteworthy. At first glimpse, he seems unrecognizable. The make-up artist has done an incredible job transforming the actor into a man who is in the sunset of his life.

Watching the actor perform was a treat, though he needed to be a bit more convincing in some scenes. KPAC Leela, Basil Joseph, Johny Antony, Jagadish, Annu Antony, Arun Kurian, among others, were a delight to watch.

Despite the good performances, the weak dialogues and the failure to explore some of the characters further, affect the film, which is otherwise an interesting family drama.

Ichamma's conviction about her supposedly 'sinful' past, was not convincingly portrayed, making her appear as the stereotypical, timid woman of a Christian household. A few jokes fall flat, but court scenes between Vineeth Sreenivasan, Basil Joseph and Johny Antony elicit a few laughs.

Malayalam cinema has explored elderly couple relationships through films like 'Oru Cheru Punchiri', but it's good to see a fresh take on this subject.