Achuvinte Amma

Ancy · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject: Achuvinte Amma

Producer: P.V.Gangadharan
Director: Satyan Anthikkad
Cast: Urvashi, Meera Jasmine, KPAC Lalitha, Oduvil, Sunil Kumar, Innocent, Sukmari
Music: Ilayaraja
Lyrics: Girish Puthenchery

Film: "'Achuvinte Amma"; Cast: Urvasi, Meera Jasmine, Sunil Kumar, Innocent, Sukmari, KPAC Lalitha and Oduvil Unnikrishnan; Music: Ilaiyaraja; Director: Sathyan Anthikad; Producer: P.V. Gangadharan

"Achuvinte Amma" marks the comeback of one of the most loved heroines of the Malayalam film industry - Urvasi - after her marriage to actor Manoj K. Jayan. It is a light-hearted entertainer targeting the family audience.

Veteran director Sathyan Anthikad - whose last film "Mannasinakkare" was the comeback vehicle for another great actress, Sheila - has chosen a story to suit the past image of Urvasi as well as her age.

Above all, he has given her the support of Meera Jasmine, the acting powerhouse of the current generation.

As the title suggests, "Achuvinte Amma" is a story of a mother and her daughter. K.P. Vanaja (Urvasi) survives by doing odd jobs, from being an LIC agent to stitching women's dresses. She has single-handedly brought up her daughter Aswathy, aka Achu, (Meera Jasmine), who has completed her diploma in civil engineering and has got a good job in a reputed construction firm. Theirs is a happy existence, even in the absence of a man in the family. Achu has resolved never to question her mother about her father, as it gives her pain.

The circumstances change when Achu falls in love with an orphaned lawyer Ijo (Sunil Kumar) and Vanaja opposes their union saying that she had always dreamt of marrying off her daughter into a family that has a lot of relatives whom she can call her own.

This creates a rift between the mother and the daughter. The film, however, ends with a rather tame climax after a fantastic build-up.

The writer-director duo of Ranjan Pramod and Anthikad have tried to apply the same formula in the mother-daughter bonding of this film as they had successfully done with the father-son bonding - portrayed by Innocent and Jayaram - in "Mannasinakkare".

But there is a couple of masterstrokes in the script that compel attention and applause. The use of a Muslim joint family headed by the matriarch Sukumari to underscore the loneliness of the mother and daughter is one example.

Urvasi simply glides through her role of Vanaja. Nostalgic viewers won't be disappointed. Meera Jasmine on the other hand is predictable. Her character bears a distinct resemblance to the characters she has played in films like "Kastooriman" and "Swapnakoodu".

Sunil Kumar's portrayal of Ijo is pleasant, though his characterisation seems to have been inspired by Jayaram's character in Anthikad's "Thoovalkottaram", in which a qualified lawyer survives by doing odd jobs because there are no cases to fight. Sunil brings freshness to his performance.

The supporting cast comprising Innocent, KPAC Lalitha, Sukumari and Oduvil Unnikrishnan gives able support to the main leads.

Anthikad has done what he is best known for - making entertaining films catering to family audiences. They will surely oblige him by thronging the theatres in coming days.

© Copyright 2005 by MusicIndiaOnLine.com