Bangalore: 
Akashagopuram Review ****
Starring: Mohanlal, Nithya Menon and Shweta Menon
Directed by: K P Kumaran
L Romal M Singh
romal.singh@mid-day.com
'Let's build our castles in the sky', and when we've conquered that, would there be more to do, or will the world just fall into non-existence?
In a brilliant tale of theatrical magnanimity and intellectual prowess, Mohanlal's latest Aakashagopuram is more than what you can ever expect for.
Combining the magic of a brilliant playwright like Henrik Ibsen, a superbly achieved adaptation and technicalities with the likes of Hollywood, this film proves to be the future of Malayalam cinema. We were in awe of the music, composed by John Altman and the cinematography by Santosh Thundiyil that left us begging for more.
A tale of the sordid life of a famous architect, Albert Samson (Mohanlal), an immigrant Malayali in the UK, now in an estranged relationship with his wife Alice (Shweta Menon), thanks to a profession that leaves no time for anyone else. They live in the same house, but are two different entities, as alien as strangers, yet connected. Into this defiant setting, comes the young vivacious Hilda Varghese (Nithya Menon), a huge fan of Samson, who has come to claim 'her castle in the air'. Samson had built a church in Hilda's town, years ago, when she was only twelve years old. A promise he had made to the little girl now needs to be fulfilled.
Hilda is soon a part of the everyday dealings of Samson and his partner of sorts, Abraham Thomas. The tale then moves on to describe how she influences Samson and slowly yet subtly starts romanticising their relationship. Several subtle twists in the tale later, she convinces Samson to build 'a castle in the air' just like he did at the church, when he completes a house that he was building for Alice and him. What happens after that is the climax or the anti-climax rather, leaving you quite satisfied, yet depressingly confused in true Ibsenian style.
The movie scores for its brilliant performances from everyone including debutante Nithya Menon, and while the acting tends to take on theatrical proportions at times, it is generally quite matter-of-fact and passes off quite easily. We loved the locales, the cultural iconography and the sheer brilliance in adapting the Ibsen novel into a Malayali immigrant in the UK context. This one will surely leave you with something to think about!
Watch out for: Performances that will keep you glued to the screen and some beautifully shot scenes that you will carry with you out of the theatre. This is for the theatrically inclined and is orgasmic to anyone who has a flair for Ibsen.
Don't watch out for: An extremely theatrical dealing with the storyline and performances can be quite boring. The extreme use of prosaic and poetic styles in the dialogue can also plays spoil-sport.
Verdict: A definite one watch! Movies like this come only once in a while!
