Thrissivaperoor Kliptham: A watchable flick

The protagonist in debutant director Ratheish Kumar's Thrissivaperoor Kliptham is Thrissur itself. Everything typical to the town--its unmistakable dialect, a rich jeweller, pork curry and even festivities--have been soaked up to concoct an entertainer that rides high on the fine performance by the lead characters. With Thrissur shining in the background, these well-carved out characters grab our attention, thereby making up for the glaring lack of a solid plot.

Cast: Chemban Vinod, Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali
Director: Ratheish Kumar

The movie starts with David Pauly's (Chemban Vinod) engagement ceremony going haywire, thanks to a bottle of rum which arrived as a gift. We soon get to know that special gift was from his long time foe Chemmadan Joy, a rich jeweller. Tempers flare and both Pauly and Joy, aided by their respective gangs, fight it out at the market. Joining the melee is the very sexually-deprived and shy Girijavallaban (Asif Ali), who wants to join Pauly's gang. Their fights and paybacks form the rest of the story.

The best part of Thrissivaperoor Kliptham is its crude characters. While David is an alcoholic, Girijavallaban is a shameless voyeur, and there is little heroism in either of them. Ratheish has unabashedly portrayed them as flawed men with raw lives and little ambitions. It is these characters that propel the movie, helping us sit through a senseless second half (a shame considering how entertaining the first half was). The weak plot is very predictable; we are sure that Girijavallaban will never lose his virginity because he is supposed to fall in love with Bhagy (Aparna Balamurali). With more substance, Thrissivaperoor Kliptham would have been a better and more solid venture.

It is Chemban Vinod who walks away with the glory here. The man is a nuanced actor and beautifully treads the thin line between fun and ferocity. His gang is equally engaging and every character has a space for themselves. Asif plays the coy Girijavallabhan to perfection and Aparna is every bit the bold Bhagy. And, their pairing -  the coy man and the bold woman - is unusual and striking.

With crude humour and innate Thrissur flavour and feel, Thrissivaperoor Kliptham is a watchable entertainer.