Drama

Drama Story: Rossamma passes away in London. Will her children, settled in different parts of the world, fulfil her last wish of being laid to rest near her husband’s grave at Kattappana?

Drama Review: All the world’s a stage
The men and women are merely players
They have their exists and entrances...

Drama, the latest venture of director Ranjith and actor Mohanlal, is an introspection of the popular phrase from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The film literally is a drama where we see even talented actors just staging a show than giving life to the characters they are enacting.

The movie is a drama that revolves around the confusion of six children of Rossamma on her funeral. It also throws light on the act every human being performs during the course of their life. Some play well to forge ahead in life, a few just go with the flow, while some others rest remain silent witness to everything that happens to and with them. However, there are always some rare human beings who rise up to occasions and change the lives of everyone around them and themselves.

Ranjith’s latest flick tells the tale of Rossamma (Arunthathi Nag) from Kattapana. She while leaving her native with her younger daughter to London had insisted that no matter what, she should be put into rest near to her husband in their parish church’s cemetery. Unfortunately, the death happens so quickly that her children who are all settled in different parts of the world find it convenient to conduct the funeral in London. The funeral service is coordinated by Dixon Lopez Funeral Services run by Lopez (Dileesh Pothan) and Raju (Mohanlal). While this rare opportunity provides them a chance of milk the most out his privileged client, Raju gets to know about Rossamma’s last wish. Raju’s attempts to fulfill it is jist of the movie.

A drama in all senses, one would feel a bit disappointed to see how two promising talents who had created magic on screen have failed to make a mark just like their previous movie ‘Loham’. Though the film can be enjoyed as it is packed with some of the regular faces in a Renjith movie, the unengaging dialogues and weakly woven script can make it difficult for audience to sit through the entire movie. The movie also has the regular done-to-death elements of a Renjith movie - A nagging wife/woman, talks of men and their infidelity, alcohol and Mohanlal.

The one actor who has done justice to their role is Arunthathi Nag as Rossamma. Thanks to her impeccable acting skills! Every other actor, including Mohanlal in his new avatar, try hard to make their conversations and performances ‘comedy-like’ only to establish the title of the movie. Mohanlal tries to bring on screen almost all the latest emojis on social media which turns out to be a pitiable attempt.

However, if one tries to decipher the intricacies of the movie intellectually considering the director’s philosophies, the film is a mirror to contemporary families where everything is a performance.

Ranjith’s Drama is a half-baked attempt to establish where the biggest dramas in the world take place - FAMILY.