surajpnair Review of Njan Prakashan

Njan Prakashan (2018)

A family entertainer with elements of nostalgia from the fabulous writer + director combo

[7/10 · 1 January 2019]

Njan Prakashan (from now on NP) starts with protagonist discovering a new country on the globe and that country to no one surprise, it is 'Poland' - the great Poland debate from their epic film 'Sandesham' and that's how we get into the film. There are many other elements added that goes well with the film - usage of 'Oh My God' (a tribute to legendary Thilakkan Sir from the film Nadodikattu) and then the Vaishaka Sandhye song while the couple have tea from a tea joint. Fortunately these elements does not look forced and they gel well with the film, and they just bring in sweet memories of some great work contributed by the duo towards Malayalam Cinema. NP has a premise that mirrors the current scenario every other Malayali can relate to - unemployment, labors from outside developing Kerala, attitude of a Keralite when low profile job is offered, convenient escaping from situations that goes beyond manageable, breach of trust, jealousy, manipulative and many more. The first half delves with the character Prakashan played by Fahadh, it details out how grey, opportunist and manipulative is this character. The instant feeling that creeps in, how can this character be so indifferent towards his family's tiring economic situation and predictably I was waiting for a transformation in this character and that's the core concept of this film. The issue for me with this film widen in the second half, when the transformation of this character takes a very convenient route making it hard for me to accept the character's current state of mind and down the line I get the feeling - 'Is he still faking it?' Nevertheless, the storytelling is very casual, witty and very grounded. This old treatment from the duo (writer director) makes it very easy for the audience to relate to the characters, their surroundings, their hardships immediately. Lastly, NP has some terrific performances by Fahadh Fasil & Sreenivasan. Fahadh Fasil proves his caliber (yet again) in handling different situations with ease & grace. It was refreshing to see Sreenivasan getting back on track unlike his recent previous performances, there was no air of intellectual in this film - a character with vulnerabilities attached, it was hilarious at times. NP a decent family entertainer, way better than the maker's previous stints.