A scene from ‘Sulekha Manzil’
Ashraf Hamza’s name was enough to raise hopes Sulekha Manzil, A good treat was expected from the director with whom she made a dream debut pageant and then gave another hit, Bhimante Vajhi, But Sulekha Manzil Entertains only in parts.
The narrative is set against a Muslim marriage in Malabar. Hala Parveen (Anarkali Marikar), who has three brothers, lives in Sulekha Manzil. After a heartbreak years ago, she is all set to enter into an arranged marriage with Amin Qasim (Luqman Awaran). The alliance is arranged by Sameer (Chemban Vinod Jose), Hala’s eldest brother, with whom she has a strained relationship. Since the wedding is over two weeks away, Amin feels that he and Hala should get to know each other better before the wedding. But Hala is not too enthusiastic about it, much to Amin’s dismay. When their efforts are not successful, misunderstandings arise and the marriage is on the verge of cancellation.
The premise had enough scope to turn into an interesting narrative. Though the director, who has also written the story, takes up a relevant subject, the result, unfortunately, is not a film with enough situations to keep the audience hooked.
Sulekha Manzil (Malayalam)
Director: Ashraf Hamza
mould: Lukman Awaran, Anarkali Marikar, Chemban Vinod Jose, Mamukkoya, Shabareesh Verma
Duration: 120 minutes
Story: Amin and Hala’s marriage is arranged in a hurry. As Amin tries to get to know Hala better before marriage, she does not consider it important and this leads to misunderstandings between the couple
Even though a lot of characters come and go, which is to be expected from any film about a big fat wedding, the film falters in terms of excitement, especially in the first half which is set at a slow pace. The humor doesn’t work in some scenes as the jokes probably don’t land because of the dialect. One of the drawbacks is that the script hurries through some scenes without exploring the characters’ feelings.
What saves the film to some extent is the performance of the actors and the mood that the director creates with the music and dance. This is another good performance after Luqman Saudi Velakka, as he portrays Amin’s excitement, insecurity and anger. Anarkali is spot on as Hala when she conveys her plight through her body language, dialogue delivery and mannerisms instead of going for melodrama.
A poster of ‘Sulekha Manzil’
Chemban Vinod, also the film’s co-producer, gives so much depth to the tough but warm Sameer; Amalda Liz also stars as his wife Bathul. The supporting cast lifts the mood of the film, especially actors like Shabareesh Verma, Archana Padmini, Deepa Thomas, Mamukoya, Ganapathy and Adhari Jo. Composer Vishnu Vijay, after his experimental but hugely successful thallumalaRepeats the magic with the viral tracks ‘Jil Jil’ and ‘Halake’.
There are some emotional moments towards the climax of the film, which may leave you in a tizzy. Thanks to the peppy dance numbers, it can also double up as a festival entertainer. Ashraf must also be credited for the many female characters in the film who speak their mind instead of ending up as props. In addition, there is no villain, fighting and bloodshed, unlike thallumalawhich he co-wrote.
But, overall, there isn’t much to get excited about in the film other than the performances and feel-good moments thrown in here and there. This movie doesn’t stay with you, despite the seriousness of the subject matter.
Sulekha Manzil is currently running in theatres.