Love FM

Story: A love story that transcends generations with an unsolved mystery at the heart of it

Review: As Valentine's month comes to a close, movie-goers get a fare of love stories on the silver screen. Directed by debutante Sreedev Kappur and written by Saju Kodiyan, Love FM revolves around love that transcends two generations.

In quite a Shakespearean twist, Love FM is about a tragic love story that haunts the next generation. It starts with a Murphy radio and ends at an FM station. The love story of Gafoor and Rabiya couldn't succeed, but how will Ghazal and Rabiya Jr fare?

Love FM is blatantly Shakespeare meets Emily Brontë, only sans all the niceties. Except for the title, the movie lacks heavily in the emotional quotient. In the whole two hours of run time, the viewer is not made to invest in any of the characters or their emotions. It has a narrative fit for the 60s. If it were just for the retro effect in the flashbacks, it sort of works. But, since the present-day narratives don't get any better, one may think it wasn't done just for the effect. For a movie that runs a ticker stating 'violence against women is punishable by law' even when the men beat up each other, none of the female characters have any agency. There is no concept of choice or consent, even for the lead who is portrayed as fickle-minded. It must be remembered that great love stories were not made out of fickle-mindedness!

Sarath Appani is a good performer. If only he had something to do here. Malavika Menon reminds one of yesteryear actresses. But other than that, her character lacks dimension. It speaks more about the unidimensional writing than about the actors and their calibre.

Love FM has a visually appealing narrative. The frames are eye-catching in a cliched, music video-esque way. Bright, bold colours which provide contrast and ruggedness. The art direction deserves a pat on the back for a job done well.

Malayalam cinema has been blessed with a number of campus love stories that has made generations fall, guiltlessly and guilelessly, for cheesy romances. And, in spite of being a campus story that boasts of two love stories two generations apart, Love FM does not deserve a seat in that hall of fame. Love FM has a story that is as bland as its performances, that should have stayed on the 60s.