Kappela (2020)

Language: Malayalam

Director: Muhammed Musthafa

Writer:  Muhammed Musthafa, Sudhas 

Cast:  Roshan Mathew, Sreenath Bhasi, Anna Ben  

Genre: Comedy | Romance

IMDb: Kappela (2020)

Streaming on Netflix

I was just about to watch this film in theatres, but that stupid virus spoiled the plan. When it released on Netflix, watched it at the very minute. Candidly, haven’t seen anything of a brand-new story in it. It’s the same old story, but the wrapper used to cover it impressed me. Point is, it was pretty fascinating how effectively a slim idea can be portrayed with interesting cinematic elements without negotiating its realistic appearance.

The plot is mainly clustered around three characters, Jessy (Anna Ben) a small-town girl who knows very few things about life outside her place. Vishnu (Roshan Mathew), a young kind-hearted auto driver in Malappuram with a pleasant face and smile, and Roy (Sreenath Bhasi) an eccentric man who comes between them. The movie has so many foreseen certainties. But the captivating part is most of them are being curbed to an extent by some unadulterated gimmicks and good performances. The well-written script declares an open space for every single character and makes them memorable throughout and after; how the main protagonists develop their layers of character with the help of supporting characters is enthralling and ensures decent cinematic appeal within a compact runtime. The movie doesn’t make us feel that this is Muhammed Musthafa’s directorial debut, who has performed the role of Abu and has all the standards of an experienced professional. Remarkable!

This mode of treatment of the story has been delivered effectively and convincingly. Things that kept me occupied are some minute details in this film. Like the dialogues of blind man Muraliyettan, about combat, and the riddle being asked to Jessy at the starting of the movie, ascertains what the movie is about to announce. After watching and backtracking these elements, I was amazed by the director’s brilliance.

Technically speaking, Noufal’s cuts were fine and the shots take through the mountains to cities and eventually to the seas. Jimshi’s DOP has done a great job to make it much more appealing. Sushin’s music was subtle and was purposefully silenced at various portions of the film in favour of characterizing the situation and emotions, as the story demands.

Kappela is a worth watch that has wonderful performances and the brilliant script shows how a slim thought can be well executed.

Verdict: 4/7 Stars.