KARAYILEKKU ORU KADAL DOORAM -

It was with great expectation that I saw the film KARAYILEKKU ORU KADAL DOORAM directed by Vinod Mankara. The initial media write-ups, the video clippings on the channels, the songs (Music: M. Jayachandran, Lyrics: O.N.V.)and the fact that some of the brighter young stars of Malayalam films like Indrajit, Mamta, Dhanya Mary , Sarayu etc. are the actors triggered the expectation. The impression was that it would be a movie in the genre of Passenger, T.D,Dasan, Madhyavenal, Aatmakatha, Cocktail and so on. But hopes were belied. It turned out to be a damp squib with an absurd story line and characters living in an imaginary world of their own far removed from reality. Yes, we want good films different from the run of the mill variety. But not one like " Karayileku....." Meaningless like the very name; talents of actors like Indrajith, Mamta and Dhanya wasted.

But the film has one very positive feature. That is the musical score by Sri M. Jayachandran. The beautiful lyrics of O.N.V. and K.Sachidanandan have been melodiously composed mainly in semi classical style. After a long time all the leading playback singers of Malayalam,viz., Jesudas, Chitra, Sujatha, Venugopal, Madhu Balakrishnan and M. Jayachandran himself have been brought together in one film. The best song of the film is the romantic melody, 'Hridayathin madhupatram nirayunnu"(ഹൃദയത്തിന്‍ മധുപാത്രം നിറയുന്നു) sung sweetly by Jesudas and Chithra separately. Such beautiful songs from Jesudas is becoming rare these days and the music director deserves kudos for giving Jesudas in all his singing glory again to the listeners with this song. The song reminds us of the song 'Oru naru pushpamay en nerkku'(ഒരു നര്രു പുഷ്പമായ് എന്‍ നേര്‍ക്ക്‌ നീളുന്ന) from film 'MEGH MALHAR' (Music :Ramesh Narayan, O.N.V.) and the immortal,'Vaathil pazhutheelooten munnil kumkumam' (വാതില്‍ പഴുതീലൂടെന്മുന്നില്‍ കുംകുമം ) from film 'Idanazhiyil oru kaalocha' (O.N.V., Dakshinamurthy).The song, 'Pachhila' by Sujatha and Venugopal separately is also an outstanding effort. "Chitrashalabhame' by Madhu Balakrishnan and Chitra is another great duet. For lovers of Malayalam ghazals, there is the solo 'Neeyillayengil' sung and enacted in style by Jayachandran himself. After his great music in film BANARAS, Jayachandran has come up with another outstanding score in this film. No wonder he got the state award for best music(2010) announced recently.