If
you
are
unhappy
with
the
lack
of
women-centric
themes
in
Malayalam
cinema,
here"s
a
reprieve.
This
movie
belongs
to
Kavya
Madhavan,
who
has
brilliantly
delivered
the
role
portraying
the
hardships
of
a
Malayalee
maid
in
a
Sheikh"s
house
in
Saudi
Arabia.
It
tells
the
tale
of
Aswathy
who
takes
up
a
Khaddama"s
(maid)
job
in
Saudi
to
support
her
family
after
her
husband
(Biju
Menon)"s
untimely
death.
The
film
makes
every
possible
effort
to
explain
and
emphasize
the
hardships
of
life
in
the
Middle
East,
and
more
so
of
the
Khadammas.
We
meet
many
familiar
faces:
The
agent
who
gets
a
'sponsor
visa",
Malayalee
shop
keepers,
drivers,
a
newspaper
editor
and
even
a
goat-keeper,
and
more
importantly
the
good
samaritan
social
worker
portrayed
by
Sreenivasan.
Here
is
a
character
we
have
seen
or
heard
about
in
Paravasalokam
on
Kairali
TV.
Unlike
other
Gulf-based
Malayalam
movies,
this
realistic
tale
takes
the
viewer
into
the
villa
of
the
Arab
Sheikh-
the
ruthless,
uncouth,
insensitive
,
petro-dollar
nouveau
riche
guy.
These
traits
run
in
their
family,
with
every
family
member
including
women
and
children
being
portrayed
as
cruel,
and
inhuman-to
put
it
mildly
here.
A
lecherous
senior
Sheikh,
a
barbaric
woman
and
a
hyper
obese
sadist
kid
-all
in
this
family.
Though
the
story
shows
an
instance
of
this
kid
having
a
heart,
the
damage
already
done
does
not
leave
any
room
for
the
viewer
to
like
him.
The
screenplay
narrates
Kavya"s
past
and
present
on
parallel
tracks
and
they
converge,
flawlessly
explaining
the
conditions
that
drove
her
into
this
mess.
Sreenivasan"s
life
is
another
track
that
runs
through
the
movie,
a
selfless
gentleman,
who
has
taken
up
helping
the
needy
as
his
vocation,
leaving
the
shop
he
owns
and
struggling
to
do
justice
to
his
family.
The
movie
has
a
light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel
effect
through
out,
stories
of
lives
rolling
on
wheels
of
hope
against
hope-
something
that
sums
up
the
struggles
of
the
Gulf
Malayalee.
The
sheer
brilliance
of
Kavya"s
acting
skills
hits
you
hard
to
leave
you
in
admiration
for
her
and
the
character.
In
a
completely
believable
turn
of
events,
her
ordeal
through
places,
people,
and
police
leads
her
to
finally
leave
the
land
of
dreams.
Not
just
the
times
of
hardships,
even
during
the
initial
happy
days,
Kavya
plays
the
naive
and
innocent
village
girl
to
perfection.
Manoj
Pillai"s
camera
takes
you
to
the
unending
stretches
of
the
desert
with
the
hot
and
swirling
desert
wind
that
brushes
against
your
senses-something
that
lets
the
viewer
feel
a
portion
of
the
hardship.
Adding
to
the
visuals,
Shreya
Ghoshal
voice
and
M
Jayachandran"s
music
haunts
you.
Somehow,
Biju
Menon
does
not
fit
into
a
ruffian
role,
he
is
too
decent
for
that.
Muralikrishnan"s
mannerisms
remind
you
of
his
father,
Bharat
Gopi,
and
clearly
convey
that
he
is
a
very
promising
actor.
Let
us
not
forget
his
excellent
performance
in
Bhramaram.
Suraj
does
not
over
act
and
does
a
good
job.
Kavya
makes
a
terrific
come
back
with
Gadhama.
Without
any
doubt,
this
is
her
best
performance
till
date.
Story first published: Monday, March 28, 2011, 16:20 [IST]