Blog # 360 - Dear Dulquer Salman, Don’t you dare

Dear Dulquer Salman, Don't you dare 

Malayalam cinema audiences received a gift for Onam - “Lokah”. What a novel idea of ​​a movie. It could be used to showcase the dictum, 'Simplicity is Sophistication

'. 

The brilliant director, Dominic Arun has made the movie so deftly without unnecessary paraphernalia. Whoever has grown up in Kerala would feel a sense of nostalgia mixed with the happiness of childhood when one realizes who the character Chandra played so wonderfully by Kalyani Priyadarshan really is. Much kudos to Naslen, Chandu and Arun for playing their characters so well. Special appreciation to Tovino for doing the delightful cameo and elevating the film. 

But, coming to the title of this blog. Dulquer Salman is the producer of this movie. It is great given the fact that it is a great story and has the potential to open up a Kerala or may be South Indian superhero universe. What is the problem then, you ask? The problem is that DQ is not doing enough Malayalam movies. 

Even in 2025, it is 'Kantha' - a Telugu movie that is coming up for release. There is a Tamil movie also lined up. 

I'm 2024, he had a super hit movie in the form of 'Lucky Bhaskar' in Telugu and Tamil. But I hope DQ's team realizes that the Malayalee audience is not happy enough with a dubbed version. We need original Malayalam movies which emanates the fragrance of freshly baked puttu and kadala curry. 

Now, has he experimented with different kinds of movies? Yes. Has he tried his luck with different formats (OTT and such)? Yes. Has he made Malayalees proud along with Fafa? Yes. 

But, we the audience expect more. More so when he is the son of actor, Shri. Mammooty with such a brilliant repertoire of movies. 

So dear DQ, don't you dare be just a producer. Don't you dare be philandering across the Walayar borders. Please do consider doing one Malayalam movie in a year. 

And also, someone please tell him my Instagram id is Roamdworld :) 

He are my earlier blogs on Dulquer’s filmography - 

https://praisesnbrickbats.blogspot.com/2018/05/blog-on-dulquer-salmans-filmography-7.html

Arun Babu 

Blog # 359 - Day of an average Malayalee - Param Sundari

Day of an average Malayalee - Param Sundari version 

If you have not yet watched the cinematic brilliance that is Param Sundari, you have not missed much. However, it is a great example of a minimalist approach towards research. Saying it is minimalist is me being kind. 

To be honest, research is absolutely absent. Below is how the day of an average Malayalee in Kerala pans out, as per this movie.

 

The Malayalee wakes up to the alarm of  “Chundari mandiri vandikko” from Dil Se movie. Women run to wear the jasmine flower before even their husbands see them. Men ofcourse wear the white kasavu mundu and climb the coconut tree to pluck coconuts. 

Kerala ranks high on women empowerment. So if men are not available, women climb the coconut tree. Then, while the women make Puttu for breakfast, the man of the house takes the pet elephant in the family for a walk. 

After morning walk with elephant, men pour drums of coconut oil on themselves. 

Women go to work wearing red saree (with jasmine flower ofcourse). Once they reach office, they say their full name along with family name and cast name. Mostly they will be Make up-itta or Thekka-Petta. Name will also have some Pillai or Nair or generic last name too. 

Kerala people do not say one paragraph without using the work “Thenga”. 

After coming back from office, the neighbours get together for a mandatory Kathakali session. In rainy season, they bring the boats out to conduct a Vallam kali. 

On weekends, it is Kalari payattu instead of morning walks and workout. Babies as young as 2 years old are thrown in to the Kalari. 

Have they missed any stereotypes? Please let the Parma Sundari team know. 

Much love, 

Malayalee - A person from Kerala

Malayalam - The language of Kerala 

Kerala - One of the five South Indian states