Malik from writer-director Mahesh Narayanan is an intense cocktail of politics, romance and religion. The movie tells the story of a village and its de facto leader. Few recent films match Malik in terms of grandiosity and ensemble cast. I recommend viewing it on the biggest screen possible.
Jul 15, 2021 By Sreejith Mullappilly
Mahesh Narayanan's Malik is an epic film that tells the story of people in a coastal village, named Ramadapally, and their leader Ahammadali Sulaiman. The film starts with a long take in the house of its protagonists, Fahadh Faasil's Ali Ikka and his wife Nimisha Sajayan's Roslin. Many characters walk in and out of the frame while talking about their de facto leader who prepares for a Hajj journey and his mother. As Ali Ikka views it, it is a journey to the Hajj after stopping 'ungodly work' (thanks to subtitler Vivek Ranjit for this word). From Fahadh Faasil's demeanor, we realize early that Ali Ikka is a powerful and conflicted man. This perhaps explains why he seems calm even when there is often ceremonial chaos around him.