Mollywood Times, Naslen's most recent movie, debuted on OTT last Friday and yet again received mixed reception from audiences, much like its theatrical outing. The film by Abhinav Sundar Nayak has found equal measure bouquets and brickbats. Having watched the film in theatres and yet again on OTT, I am not team Mollywood Times. It is difficult to ignore the movie's shortcomings in the midst of all the excellent reviews that are pouring in, praising it as the best entertainer of the year or as the film that satiates die-hard film enthusiasts. The film didn’t work for me and here’s why…
At the outset, let’s be clear that watching the protagonist display his narcissism over and over again was utterly tiresome. It’s baffling that people are praising the positive qualities of Mollywood Times, like teachings of self-worth, defiance, etc., when all that one really sees is a leading man driven by classic narcissistic traits—an inflated ego, a constant need for attention, and a complete lack of empathy. The protagonist, Vineeth Madhavan (Naslen), is on a pursuit for greatness, to the extent that he is willing to delete the raw copy of his debut directorial from the hard disk, in utter disregard for the effort of everyone else associated with the project.
Are we really meant to sympathise with a man whose tunnel vision allows him to see nothing but his own ideas and vision? Or was his action worth admiration? Appunni Sasi, who plays the film’s producer Faisal is, quite rightly, justified in being vindictive after Vineeth’s spur of the moment action costs him crores.
Vineeth’s fixation with achieving an impeccable directorial debut is challenged by others' attempts to undermine his work or when he observes a similar element in other films that are being released at the same time. This begs the question: are they truly plotting against him—which seems to be the case until the story's halfway point—or is the real issue simply his own inability to deliver anything genuinely creative or engaging? Despite claiming to be a true cinephile, the accusations Vineeth hurls at Arjun Haridas (Sangeeth Prathap) after seeing a preview of the latter’s debut movie only reveal his intense jealousy and lack of appreciation for other people's work.
In order to support the director's tagline that it is a hate letter to cinema, the screenplay is written to simply spew the "harsh truths of Mollywood" rather than to amuse audiences. Does Malayalam cinema favour mediocrity over worthwhile causes? Or does the industry rely more on likeability than actual talent? If it were the case, Mollywood would not have as many talented filmmakers who are praised globally for their work, rather than for belonging to any "reservation" or "underdog" stereotype.
This brings me to the film oft repeated trope that could have been cut at the editor’s table. The recurring mentions of Sujithraj V’s (played by Roshan Shanavas) accomplishments dumbed down as "reservation” glory, adds nothing to the plot. Similarly, removing the unnecessary voiceover narration and graphics would have streamlined the runtime.
Making movies is a tough business, and getting into the industry is a rare privilege. However, that doesn't excuse a weak final product; history shows that audiences will always judge a film strictly on the artistic experience it delivers, rather than the background or labels of its creators.
Simply put, it is unfair to laud Vineeth Madhavan yet denounce Obsession's Bear for craving Nikki's love and attention. Narcissism is a toxic trait that should never be celebrated, regardless of who displays it.
