The hype generated was immense for Urumi. A magnum opus according to producer and lead actor Prithviraj. An action packed movie with mind blowing visuals is taken for granted. The only concern for the intelligent moviegoer is if Santhosh Sivan will be able to stuff technical brilliance into a good storyline.Or will he stuff a credible but ordinary storyline into a visual extravaganza. And unfortunately it is more the latter than the former.
Urumi showcases a legendary story, retold by an eccentric jungle dweller to a loser Krishna Das played by Prithviraj. The tale is a reminder for Krishnadas of his ancestry, one that has spilt blood for their land against invaders. Same land he is about to sell to a corporate for mining.
The tale is of Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar, a man sworn to exact vengeance from childhood on Vasco da Gama-murderer of his father. Chirakkal Kothuval, father of our 'hero' is played by the upcoming gem of an actor Arya. Incidentally it is not the first time that viewers see him as he is the apparent mystical forest man who narrates the legend to Krishnadas. Though the screen time is limited for the character, Arya makes a huge impact. A special mention must be made of Prithviraj who has given voice to the character of Kothuval.
Story that unfolds in the first half moves along in a disjointed fashion, peaking at times and hitting rock bottom at other occasions. Jagathi Sreekumar is the sole source of satisfaction with his acting miles ahead of the rest.
Kelu Nayanar and his childhood friend Vavvali or just Ali (Prabhu Deva) falls into a commitment towards the king to kidnap Vasco de Gama who will come to nearby Arakkal kingdom to personally oversee an execution. They instead thwart the execution and kidnap his son Estavio. During the process meeting Arakkal Aisha (played by Genelia), a brave warrior lady of the Arakkal royal family with a history of vengeance towards Portuguese. But they inadvertently become part of a conspiracy to overthrow Arakkal royalty by Chirakkal King.
Second half brings continuity and non triviality to the movie. Strong performances by Nithya Menon who plays gorgeous princess who falls for Ali and Jagathi, the Rasputin like minister-Chenchery Kurupp-of the king, helps Santhosh Sivan here. Cue blockbuster action scenes and a predictable climax as the complex storyline weaves around many a incident ultimately leading to a head on confrontation between local army raised by Kelu Nayanar and Vasco da Gama at the end.
Prithviraj walks on the path to project himself as the next superstar. Unflappable, angry and arrogant young man in Kelu Nayanar speaks it aloud if not scream. But the character demands fire of revenge and feeling for the motherland to ooze out, and it doesnt. Raj is a constant behind all those muscles. Gusto with which his dialogues are delivered(dubbed) does not transfer to his acting. Genelia is a pleasant surprise. She manages admirably the role of a macho heroine. Foreign supporting cast is above average which is commendable in Indian films. Jagathi Sreekumar deserves special accolades. He proves that even average scripts and direction can get extraordinary performances out of him. Nithya Menon is a beacon of hope to quality depraved arena of Malayalam female actors. Prabhu Deva does what he does best- dance. His acting is passable.
The soundtrack of the film had had a high 2 weeks before the release of the movie. When songs let your imagination weave glorious scenes for them, one is sure the soundtrack works. Though on screen the songs do not disappoint, it fails to make you content. Except for 3 songs, viz. Chimmi Chimmi, Thelu Thele and Appa rest just flashes by leaving no mark on your memory.
When Santhosh Sivan is behind the camera, pleasure to the eyes is guaranteed. Still, it would be foolish not to mention. The sets and locations are breathtaking. Costumes do justice to the times and palaces, houses and villages are articulately conceived.(Look out for portrayal of Arakkal palace) Dialogues have been worked upon for considerable time, as it emanates required lack of brevity. Characters are raw doing justice to an uncivilized age. It do not reek of the false straight-forwardness evident in many adaptations of historic events (read MT and Hariharan).
It appears like a compulsion on the part of Santhosh Sivan (I believe it so, though it could well be of the screenwriter-Shanker) to give all actors of the 'present' story, a part in the legend that is retold (also vice-versa). And this needless gimmick backfires, especially in the case of Vidya Balan. She is portrayed as a yakshi who foretells Kelu Nayanar's impending honoring as general. Malayali viewers will find it hard to digest a mystical theme and a crude satisfaction viewing voluptuous Vidya will be the most it will achieve.
Huge amount of money have been rushed into Urumi's production. Nevertheless, a little more sensibility and confidence to try a strong story rather than redundant visual effects would have done wonders to this film. In short, Santhosh Sivan is technically a perfect man for the movie industry. But he is not a great director. However, among star studded high profile masalas released in Malayalam recently, Urumi is a breath of (almost) fresh air.
My rating 3/5
