Movie:Beautiful
Director:V K Prakash
Producer:Yes Cinema Company
Cinematographer:Jomon T John
Music:Ratheesh Vega
Cast:Jayasurya, Anoop Menon, Meghna Raj
There is a scene in director V K Prakash’ Beautiful where Jayasurya’s maid, played by Thesni Khan tells her boss the reason for one of his aides being angry with her. “He tried to have sex with me, but I didn’t agree,” she says. On being asked why, she replies without batting an eyelid, “Nothing. I was not in the mood then.”
Taboo topics are out in open as the times have changed and Beautiful makes some bold statements, without any inhibitions. So there are the ‘fart jokes’ which are not conventionally regarded as acceptable in Malayalam and mention of why flirting and infidelity has become a reality during modern times and lots more. Amidst all this, there is a wafer thin storyline which is perhaps a bit too simple, but narrated very well.
Stephen Louis (Jayasurya) is a paraplegic, who is immensely rich and loves to live his life to the fullest, ignoring the fact that he can barely move his body. There are quite a few of his close relatives who are trying to take control of his wealth, but Stephen never discloses what is in his mind.
It is when a struggling musician named John (Anoop Menon) becomes his friend that Stephen is really happy. John is worried about his future but it is Stephen, who gives him the confidence to face everything in life with a smile. Things get more intriguing with the arrival of a beautiful home nurse, Anjali (Meghna Raj).
With some superb visuals by Jomon T John, editing by Mahesh Narayanan and really good performances, V K Prakash manages to present the story in an engaging way. Even when, things get slower as the wait for the climax begins some interesting twists and turns happen are presented to keep the story going.
The script by Anoop Menon is imaginative for sure, but lacks substance. The similarities to Guzaarish or its inspirations like The Seas Inside and The diving bell & The butterfly has been intelligently covered by giving the scenes a definite Malayali flavor. Ratheesh Vegha’s music is okay.
Jayasurya shows tremendous maturity as an actor in a performance which is easily one of the best in his career. Anoop Menon too has performed his role with much conviction. One of the best things about the film could be the fact that most of the characters that appear on screen have been molded very well and as such the characters played by Meghna Raj, Thesni Khan, Tini Tom, Nandu, Jayan and Kochupreman gets into the viewers’ minds.
Beautiful has its own flaws and is far from perfect but needs to be appreciated for its courage to experiment. It could have been better and the jokes and the stance on morality may not find acceptance from all, but this one has sincerity written all over it. Now, the decision is all yours!