Mollywood Times Review: A Well Crafted Razor-Sharp Satire On The Fim Industry
Rating: 3.5/5 Suyog Zore
Director Abhinav Sunder Nayak’s ‘Mollywood Times’ is a brilliant balance of the eccentric absurdity of the showbiz and the brutal realities of entering the Malayalam film industry. In this black comedy by Ramu Sunil, Naslen (Vineeth Madhavan) is an aspiring filmmaker with dreams of making the best horror film Malayalam cinema has ever seen. The film shows the extent to which Vineeth will go to achieve his dream and the huge obstacles and politics of the industry that he has to overcome. It is a story packed with clever meta-humor to keep you smiling, anchored by a poignant look at the immense hurdles many filmmakers face just to break into Malayalam cinema.
Vineeth has only one dream- direct a horror movie that is so completely unique that no one has ever dared to make in Malayalam cinema yet. And he chases this ambition with a single-mindedness and ferocity. From an early age he was fascinated by storytelling and took his first steps towards filmmaking in 2006, at the age of 16, when he created a short film that marked the beginning of his cinematic path. That early step was a manifestation of his love for films and his love for storytelling through cinema. Since then he has continued to pursue his dream with patience, hard work and dedication. His story is one of believing in your passion and keeping that dream alive, even when the road is not easy.
In 'Mollywood Times', constant voiceover of Vineeth guides us from the first frames directly into the mind of him. He is our narrator, laying bare his rawest feelings, detailing what he plans to do next. Some viewers might find this heavy use of voiceover a little out of place but it’s a geniusly unique way of breaking the fourth wall. The creative choice makes a strong emotional connection and allows the audience to really get into his unbreakable spirit. It is this voiceover that grounds us to his cause as the story unfolds and he faces many obstacles and painful betrayals from the people working in the film industry, making his refusal to give up on his dream feel entirely justified and inspiring.
It is the razor-sharp unpredictability of the screenplay that really sustains 'Mollywood Times' for its two hours and forty-five minutes. Ramu Sunil’s writing is always surprising, throwing out standard underdog tropes just when you think you’ve got a handle on what’s going to happen next. Just when the story seems like it’s going to get into a comfortable groove, the script throws in a sharp, left-field twist or an absurd narrative detour that catches us completely off-guard. The writing is constantly pulling the rug from under Vineeth and the viewer, making what could have been a sluggish watch into a compelling high stakes game that keeps us thoroughly invested and ensures the film’s substantial length never dilutes its impact.
The best part of the movie is the dark humour that exposes the dishonesty, and politics in the movie industry perfectly. There are a lot of interesting side characters and subplots introduced in the story that take us deep into the underbelly of the film industry. For example, we see a wealthy man funding a film for his own selfish purposes, a producer who keeps new talent waiting for years, an established director who casually steals scripts. The film employs cutting comedy to depict these bitter truths, which keep us amused and involved along the way.
However, ‘Mollywood Times’ is not without its flaws. The film manages to keep us invested throughout, but does falter a bit in the middle section, where some sequences do tend to drag. By trimming these pacing lulls and tightening the narrative, the writer-director team could have done a much better job of keeping the momentum going in the film. The final climax and the flurry of twists that follow, too, seem hurried, robbing the story of the breath it needs. Because the resolutions arrive in such quick succession, the ending lacks the deep emotional resonance that Vineeth’s grueling journey had rightfully earned, leaving the audience wishing for a more grounded and emotionally satisfying payoff.
Once again, Naslen gives a standout performance as he shows the entire journey of a young schoolboy who dreams of making the greatest horror film in India to a man who soon realises that this journey is much more difficult than he expected. Naslen does a fantastic job in showing the slow change in his character as he begins to face the reality. Sharaf U Dheen delivers a terrific performance as Sachin Vaikom David, a character completely devoid of morals or integrity. He is particularly effective in the film's caricatured, dark-comedy sequences. Rest of the supporting actors like Gopika Ramesh, Althaf Salim, Sangeeth Prathap,
fully embraces the film's satirical tone, making sure their characters never feel like simple caricatures.
Ultimately, 'Mollywood Times' is a well executed, razor-sharp satire on the film industry. Powered by its sharp dark comedy, this film is an insightful, highly entertaining watch that definitely deserves your time and is well worth a watch.
Cast: Naslen, Sharaf U Dheen, Althaf Salim
Writer: Ramu Sunil
Director: Abhinav Sunder Nayak
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