Rekhachithram leaves one with a niggling thought — was/is there a Mammootty fan to whom he was/is ‘Mammootty chettan’? He is usually, out of love, respect and reverence, referred to as Mammookka. Coming to the movie, the posters of the film with Anaswaran Rajan in a nun’s habit and Asif Ali as a cop make one wonder if it was inspired by one of Kerala’s infamous murders. Turns out it is not, but it does inventively explore the alternate history subgenre of speculative fiction, which is not seen as much in Malayalam cinema.
Jofin T Chacko’s film stirs nostalgia like no other in recent times. It is a cinephile’s love note to Malayalam cinema, perhaps to the movies and technicians who might have kindled his love for cinema. The writing is intelligent, the past and the future organically weave in and out of the narrative. Where it is not and lags a wee bit, it is forgivable for the sheer inventiveness of the movie to tell a story where the past and the present crisscross effortlessly.
The movie looks like the scenarists John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil were on the same page as the director of the film Jofin when it comes to cinema lore. The film opens with all the ingredients of what looks like just another investigative thriller — which it is not. The action is set in motion with the discovery of a skeleton; Asif Ali’s Vivek Gopinath, the SHO of the police station under whose jurisdiction it is found, is assigned the case. The new posting is an opportunity to redeem himself, having been under a cloud for his gambling addiction, now eager to return after getting suspended.
Rekhachithram (Malayalam)
Vivek has to work his way backwards to find out whose skeleton it is — the only clue is a video — and several roadblocks along the way, including political interference. It demands good old leg work since there was very little by way of technology in 1985 when the murder took place. All that is available in 2024 is of no use.
The path to finding the identity of the victim is long, with all the elements of a police procedural and a very generous dose of 80s film nostalgia — movies, junior artistes and even a nod to film journalism of the time. Rekha is a movie-crazy Mammootty fan whose one dream is to be part of films and act with him. The murder takes place during a film shoot.
The film referenced is one of writer/director Bharathan’s well-loved movies Kathodu Kaathoram; there is even an AI-generated Bharathan and a Mammootty of that time. The use of AI is clever, perhaps because it is in moderation. Jagadeesh makes a cameo, talking about a movie of his from the time, Muthramkunnu PO. Then there is director Kamal talking about Kathodu Kaathoram. In short, it is a sweet blast from the past with the song from the ‘Devaduthar paadi…’ playing in the background, this time the original from the film (It was reprised a couple of years ago in Nna Thaan Case Kodu, making it an earworm).
Anaswara Rajan in a still from ‘Rekhachithram’
| Photo Credit:
Think Music India/YouTube
Rekhachithram sometimes feels like a slow burn, as an investigation especially into a 40-year-old crime with just a skeleton would be! There are few shocks and thrills, but the twist is unexpected and refreshing. Anything more about the story would be a spoiler.
The casting is more or less on point, though Manoj K Jayan is underutilized, alternating between looking nifty and menacing. Indrans’ role as Chandrappan, a production controller, might be minuscule in the runtime, but it is pivotal to the story, as is Saikumar’s.
Meanwhile, is Asif Ali becoming the go-to A-lister for cop roles? One hopes not, but his take as the investigator bent on cracking the case and bringing the victim justice is effortless. Anaswara Rajan is coming into her own; she impresses as the effervescent Rekha. Zarin Shihab impresses in yet another outing after last year’s Aattam; she proves to be a shape-shifter in just the span of one role.
The women characters in the film are more than mere token presences. Could they have been made to do more? Sure, but the women in Rekhachithram have more to do than trigger the action, a noteworthy aspect at a time when most Malayalam films look like the filmmakers forgot writing women characters. On the whole, Rekhachithram is a unique, cleverly made film that has a lot going for it.
Rekhachithram is currently running in theatres
Published – January 10, 2025 07:16 pm IST
This post was originally published on here
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