Star Cast: Bala, Cochin Haneefa, Suraj Venjaramood, Mala Aravindan, Mamukoya, Indrans, Anoop Chandran, Kottayam Chandran, Kiran Raj, Lakshana, Sona, Satyapriya, Sona Nair
Subtitles: None
Screenplay - Direction: Mohana Krishnan
 

Somebody who walked into a late night show of ‘Venalmaram’ with me was all perked up in anticipation. For he had heard of the film or rather its makers being heavily inspired by none less than Bharathan . Obviously, he had heard wrong.

As much as it asserts that it has a significant tale to tell; that of a deaf and mute youngster Vinayakan (Bala) in love with his childhood sweetheart (Lakshana), the film sways this way and that before its sail catches fire and it drowns into obscurity.

It does bring back old memories, but unfortunately not the ones associated with Bharathan. We do remember those skin flicks of the late eighties and early nineties that came camouflaged as thrillers and adventures that ultimately never got beyond those jungles and waterfalls.

With a voluptuous Sona having occupied a major chunk of those posters splashed liberally all over the town, it wasn’t exactly surprising that there were quite a few people out there to see what this summer tree was all about. And they get to see her spring up all on a sudden somewhere in the midst of the film, squashing down the remnants of a story that was being told.

And she occupies central stage for a while, maneuvering the narrative like a real drunk driver who has forgotten to switch on his headlights out there in the dead of the night. And the inevitable smash comes a bit later which sends the film toppling down the doom tunnel. It doesn’t take a couple of minutes to pull the curtains down on her feat; she makes an abrupt exit, as unexpectedly as she had appeared.