In 2016, Maneesh Sharma made a Bollywood thriller drama titled Fan, which narrated the story of a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan who takes his obsession to the highest level possible where he ultimately becomes a threat to the star himself. In 2018, Sajid Yahiya makes a rundown version of the same film, but in here Manju Warrier plays a Mohanlal fan who is a threat to herself and her husband (Indrajith). Plus the star does not act here. The story seems like any other fan story where a person is psychologically obsessed with a movie star and ensures that she watches all his movies FDFS. How her decisions, which align with her unmatched love for the characters that this actor plays, takes a toll on her marital life and much to the distress of his humble husband is what Mohanlal narrates through a decent non-linear storyline. Indrajith's character narrates the story of his life to a railway station beggar (Soubin Shahir) and the film inches on to finally end after an overlong 165 minutes. Warrier is over-enthusiastic in her approach, as Yahiya uses the madness and circus of actors' fan associations that are all the rage today. I was a bit miffed at how Warrier seems to put the cap of an infant to showcase her love for the star, which sometimes looks unneeded, often cringeworthy, and always over-the-top. I am all for entertainment, by Yahiya's Mohanlal depends on hyperbole a lot to make me chuckle. Sure, some of the dialogues are great to quote, but I don't want masala in a film that addresses a serious topic (currently influencing the youth in Kerala as every other bloke wants to get nearer to stardom by joining fan associations which, to an extent, are pointless). Yahiya gets back to his IDI (2016) form when he brings in useless characters like Salim Kumar to his show, thus extending the narrative by at least 20 minutes. The music is supportive of Yahiya's aim, which is twofold - how obsession for an actor can influence lives and how members of fan associations are altruistic. I don't want the second one to be celebrated, while ignoring the issues that they create. 4 stars. TN.
