This year had been a pretty good one for all Malayalam movie fans as the malayalam movies are returning to the simple story telling style. Sathyan Anthikaud's movies are always a delight to watch so as his selection of heroines. Sathyan has this knack of spotting star materials because all his female protegee's had mad made it big either it is Manju Warrier, Samyuka Varma, Asin or latest by Nayantara. His latest movie features a familiar yet powerful face - Meera Jasmine in a stunning role. But more than that it marks the return of a immensely talented "Urvashi" to malayalam screen after a gap of 8 years.
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The story is very simple and sensitive with Urvashi as Vanaja, LIC agent raising her daughter Ashwathi alias Achu (Meera Jasmine) single handedly. Ashwathi completes her Diploma in Civil Engg and joins a construction company. Vanaja and Ashwathi are more like friends and mostly people mistake them as sisters. They have no secrets between them but Vanaja has one thing to hide from Ashwathy, who her father is. Ashwathy understands this and avoids that question all the way. She falls for an advocate Immanuel Jose a.k.a Ijo (Sunil) and Vanaja refuses this proposal saying that he too is an orphan like them. Infuriated Ashwathy asks for her father and leaves home leading to a melodramatic climax. I really had tears in that moving climax scene.
The soul of the movie is the intense relationship between a mother and her daughter and Sathyan Anthikaud had chosen proper shoulders to carry those roles. Urvashi is competent with the maturity of a mother while Meera Jasmine essays the vulnerability of a teen ager to the perfection. The script and dialogues of this film is written by Ranjan Pramod and has story by Rajesh Jayaram. There are a couple of masterstrokes in the script that compel attention and applause. The use of a Muslim joint family headed by the matriarch Sukumari to underscore the loneliness of the mother and daughter is one example.Dialogues are simple and very natural. No heavy-duty dialogues even in the climax, where most of the dialogue writers tend to go overboard. In fact this is a trademark in all Sathyan's movies, where there is a minimal dialogue in the climax.
The movie is interlaced with subtle humour and moves in a completely realistic manner. The comedy is drawn from the incidents from day-to-day life, that strikes a chord with the audiences. The funniest sequences are those when Vanaja learns English and with the KPAC Lalitha, as marriage broker looking a groom for Urvashi.
On-screen chemistry between Meera Jasmine and Urvashi is terrific. In the movie, Urvashi says we are not mother and daughter but friends, and it is completely translated on the screen. It is really a welcoming change to see Urvashi in a author backed role rather than in sundry comedy roles in Tamil & Telugu. Her performance in the climax will surely bring tears, atleast I had tears in my eyes and came out with a heavy heart. All the scenes where she tries to pacify Meera Jasmine and when she realises that she won't relent hereafter, her moves to vent her feelings of motherhood is simply moving. She was electric in the happy scenes between her and Meera.
No matter what, this is really a good offering from Sathyan's stable of family movies. Like his previous movies, he didn’t fail to touch your heart. I recommend it to all whole heartedly even for those who believe cinema is for entertainment only. Achuvinte Amma is not only entertaining, it will stay in your memories as one of the good movies you had ever seen. Youngsters can go it for Meera Jasmine while rediscovering the dynamic and deadly talent - Urvashi.
