Oridathoru Postman (2010) Malayalam Movie Review - Kunchacko Boban-Meera Nandan

The movie 'Orudathoru Postman' is an old wine in a still older bottle. With this movie, director Shaji Aseez intended to deliver a social message to the youth of Kerala, which has unfortunately left the addressee completely untouched and gave the words “clichéd filmmaking” a whole new meaning. The movie with its overgrown predictability and tardy pace is potent enough to put even a chronic insomniac into deep slumber.

The plot revolves around the character of Raghunandanan (Kunchako Bobban) and his father Gangadharan (Innocent), who also happens to be the village postman and a lazy one at that.

Image Courtesy: Filmydum.com

Raghunandanan who happens to be the quintessential perfect man in the village makes amends for his father’s mistakes, besides doing all possible part time jobs and preparing for his much coveted PSC exam. Their life takes a turn with the arrival of Yaseen Mubarak (Sarathkumar) who is a wildlife photographer and also a social activist. When Yaseen comes under the police scanner for being a terrorist, it is up to Raghu to team up with Yaseen and help him prove his innocence.

The story scripted by K Gireesh Kumar is a database of clichés, where you can spot virtually every possible permutation starting from the 'Naseerian' era. Picture these - a rustic village; father-son bonhomie, where father is a heart patient, but hides it from his son; son is the most eligible 'unemployed bachelor' in the village but has a perfectly understanding girlfriend. In comes a photographer-cum-social activist-cum-environmentalist-cum-foster father to a ‘dying orphan girl’,
who is falsely accused of being a terrorist because he is a Muslim. Finally a goofy cop and some local goons are thrown in to heighten the sense of familiarity which plagues the entire script.

Image Courtesy: Filmydum.com

In a movie bursting with stereotypes and cardboard caricatures, the actors seemed to be completely helpless and act out characters reminiscent of their own earlier movies. Innocent replays a 'Manassinakkarae', Kunchako Bobban a 'Jalothsavam', Meera Nandan a 'Mulla' and Sarathkumar…well he repeats the same old “misunderstood good guy” as he does in all of his Tamil movies. Kalabhavan Mani who plays a police inspector and Salim Kumar as a lottery maniac seemed like zombies - death marching through their scenes. The star of the show is none other than Suraaj who seems to have excelled himself in cracking the most vulgar and voyeuristic jokes involving almost every private part of the human body. One wonders how he does this with so much gusto!

The movie is an absolute mess interrupted with songs that would give you nightmares. Director Shaji Aseez needs to deliver better stuff if he means to be in business. Casting a Tamil superstar who has no interest in Malayalam movies other than his own political ambitions will never contribute towards the success of a movie. As for the potential viewers, watch this movie if you are celebrating your divorce, dismissal or even a death in the family.