Director Satyan Antikad has used a promising story that covers the generation gap between a father and a teenage daughter.
Director Satyan Antikad has used a promising story that covers the generation gap between a father and a teenage daughter.
If a film can convey the feeling of smooth sailing on a calm sea with relatively strong wind, sometimes a slight jolt to the ship, Satyan Antikad’s Makali Could be one of the options. Because, there is hardly any serious conflict within the plot. Yet to resolve this mild conflict between a father and his teenage daughter, a new character — no less a hooligans from another state — is pulled out of thin air to deliver lessons on parental love.
Screenwriter Iqbal Kuttippuram, who is working with Antikad Oru Indian Pranayakadha And jomonte suvishshangal, there’s no need to rely on character introductions that detract from the otherwise smoothly flowing plot. Content to bring the story to a satisfying ending, he had to look within his promising tale of a father struggling to match the wavelength of his young daughter.
Makali
Directed by: Satyan Antikadi
Cast: Jayaram, Meera Jasmine, Devika Sanjay, Naslain Gafoor
Juliet (Mira Jasmine) along with her daughter Aparna (Devika Sanjay) understands all her tantrums and worries. When Aparna’s father, Nandan (Jayram), returns home after losing his job in the Middle East, he finds it difficult to reconcile with his daughter. Treat him as a friend, not as the headmaster, his wife gives him advice, yet in his conservative mindset there are many things that she makes unacceptable.
Sathyan Antikad is in a comfortable position here, as the break-up and squabbles of family ties have been one of the constant concerns throughout his career. But even in these familiar environments, he doesn’t take many risks or bring up seemingly insurmountable obstacles to the characters. One of the biggest conflicts between father and daughter is over a missing pet dog and the other involving Aparna’s friend Rohit (Nasleen Gafoor), who is not even her boyfriend yet.
It is the other elements of the story that carry the film along, until a new character is brought in to somehow resolve the issues. Aiding greatly in the pacing is the mildly-humorous subplot involving Rohit, who will go to any extent to win Aparna’s love. Kuttippuram weaves in other elements, notably Julie’s family’s way of constantly looking down on Nandan’s workshop job abroad, or their struggle to set up a new business after losing the job. Some lessons glorifying organic farming are also incorporated into the narrative, with Srinivasan playing himself as the outspoken poster boy in real life.
Despite the many possibilities involving the generation gap between a father and a teenage daughter, Makali Never goes too deep and satisfies himself in skimming only the surface.
Makal is currently playing in theaters