Chotta Mumbai is fun

After the successful "Ananathabhadram", Sree Bhadra Pictures return with "Chotta Mumbai" (Malayalam). Directed by Anwar Rasheed, the movie stars Mohanlal, Kalabhavan Mani, Saikumar, Rajan P Dev, Jagathy, Siddique, Bijukuttan, Manikuttan, Bhavana and many others. Chotta Mumbai is the story of a group of friends (Jagathy, Siddique, Indrajith, Manikuttan, Bijukuttan), headed by Vasco da Gama (Mohanlal). These good for nothing dudes belong to the streets of Fort Kochi and eke out a living by indulging in petty crimes like pick pocketing, selling movie tickets in the black market etc. Life is one big celebration for them till they witness the murder of a Police Officer (Vijayaraghavan). Enter the villain (Kalabhavan Mani) who makes life go topsy turvy for the group. How the hero and his friends come out of this entangle victoriously is what the rest of the film is all about. Benny P Nayarambalam comes up with a racy script. It defies logic for sure, but who is bothered when you don't have even a single dull moment all through. Editing, Camera, Art Direction and Sound are all first rate. Music by Rahul Raj is good and in tune with the mood of the movie. The climax song is well sung and very well choreographed. The remix of the old number "Chettikulangara" (which also introduces Mohanlal into the movie, doing a hilarious take on the yesteryear superstar, Jayan) deserves special mention. It has been a while since we saw an ensemble supporting cast in a superstar movie with well written roles. Chotta Mumbai scores a perfect ten in this regard. No wonder when you walk back home, it is not just Mohanlal who remains with you, it is Saikumar, Rajan P Dev, Jagathy, Siddique, Indrajith and Manikuttan too. Kalabhavan Mani makes a strong screen villain to Mohanlal. Bijukuttan is definitely going to be a regular in movies what with his perfect comic timing. Bhavana is refreshing as the naughty "Parakkum" Latha though she looks odd playing heroine to Mohanlal. Mohanlal, it seems, has had a ball shooting for this movie. His high energy levels translate to the viewer for sure. It definitely is not a path breaking performance from the hugely talented actor, but he is absolutely endearing as Vasco da Gama. Anwar Rasheed had set a high standard for himself with his record breaking debut in "Rajamanickam". With Chotta Mumbai, he more than proves that he is THE director to look out for in future. Chotta Mumbai is the perfect entertainer this summer for the entire family! Go for it.