Moothon Review: Geetu Mohandas’ striking fairytale that kept us wanting for more.
Sagnik Kumar Gupta
Moothon is a fairy tale in the truest sense of the word. The film opens with long aerial shots of the Lakshadweep islands, a place that hasn’t found a lot of recognition in the cinematic medium. We meet Mulla ( Sanjana Dipu ), a boy in his early teens who is obsessed about meeting his Moothon (The elder brother). He has taken up to himself in order to find his brother whose only memory is preserved through hazy images and local legends. Mulla dreams about going to Bombay and meeting her brother, aided by her handful of friends in the world of bullies and a strict but caring guardian uncle.
The segment transports to the ever familiar underbelly of Bombay, Kamathipura. The dirty slums of Bombay, the dirty dingy lanes that lead up to red light areas, bars where drugs peddling and child trafficking are just ordinary day to day jobs. Here we get to meet the quintessential characters that we often associate with the underbelly like “Kamathipura ki Katrina” or Rosie (played by Sobhita Dhulibala). Rosie is a prostitute with strong motherly instincts who speaks in cuss words. We also meet Salim (played by Shashank Arora) who is a guileful sidekick to the Bhai. Salim is a very interesting character but Shashank quite masterfully plays with the limited scope that he is provided. Finally there is Bhai, a “big” gangster played by Nivil Pauly who is always high on drugs and has a commanding presence over his neighbourhood . He is the head of the whole child trafficking racket. He is the quintessential don who has broad shoulder and wears kajal who one fine day abducts Mulla from the streets without realizing that he might have a relation with him. Akbar even gets a quintessential entry scene in slow motion which can put any commercial film don to shame.
The next segment is the stunning flashback which is the main driving force of the film. The film can be divided into two timelines — the present and the past. The two timelines take place at different places and are strikingly different. Geetu and her Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi create two strikingly different worlds. While for the Bombay part Geetu resorts to commercial exuberance, for the flashback she resorts to arthouse extravagance. We meet a new Akbar, a sensitive young religious man from the village who main occupation is fishing. Aamir, a mute man can’t keep his eyes off Akbar when he is showing off his strength and resilience while performing the ritual of Kuthu Ratheeb. What follows is a journey of prohibited romance. Geetu unflods the tenderness of their love with so much care and affection that one can’t help but be awestruck. Their romance under the full moon is one of the most beautiful scenes in contemporary Indian cinema. Geetu and Rajeev create a sense of fairytale where every frame is picture perfect and it seems like nature is rejoicing at the meeting if these two sensitive , tender and beautiful young men. Obviously this doesn’t go down well with the villagers and it doesn’t end well for them.
For the last segment we are transported back to Kamathipura where the hell breaks loose. This part of the film is probably the weakest. There are some interesting plot points that are never fully utilized. We see that Akbar first approaches Aamir’s fiancé to take care of his sibling but she refuses . We also see a transgender woman who takes Mulla in and there is a hint of romance between her and Akbar which is never explored. There is a wonderful scene between the child and the group of transgender women. What follows next is an almost predictable climax with a recognizable arc and a powerful but haunting ending scene.
Nivin Pauly is at his absolute best where he handles the two contrasting shades of his character masterfully. His body and face are emoting thousands of feelings which build up to a haunting but true portrayal. Roshan Mathews stands out with his minimalistic approach and beautifully expressive eyes and facial expressions which truly complement the brilliance of Nivin. Shashank also shines and fares with flying colours in his small and not fully well etched out character stealing the scenes wherever he is present. Sanjan Dipu shines in what is a very challenging role and really drive the film home. Every other actor is authentic and are at the top of his/her game.
Though the film has its minor flaws in the department of script writing, the cinematography no doubt is brilliant. Sagar Desai’s music really aids the mood of the film and Geetu has used him very carefully .Geetu Mohandas deserves huge praise as she has successfully created a very complex film with different narratives and moods which is a very hard job. Though the film left us wanting for more, all the flaws are negligible compared to the monumental achievement of the rest of the film.
Now streaming on Zee5.
