The Indian (Malayalam) movie, Malikappuram came out on December 30, 2022. Malikappuram is the word used to address female pilgrims and means “Goddess of the Manor.” The entire movie revolves around the unshakable faith of a little girl, Kalyani, aka Kallu, in Lord Ayyapa.
According to the “rules,” females are only allowed to go to Sabarimala temple before reaching adolescence. As Kallu is 8 years old, her window of opportunity is closing rapidly, and she is stubbornly determined to make the pilgrimage. The movie runs about the idea of bringing the faith of deity to children and also shows the innocent yet strong-willed character of the kids.
The Story Behind Malikappuram:
Kalyani is played by Deva Nandha. Her father promises to bring her to Sabarimala, but as her father, Ajayan, commits suicide due to embarrassment-as he was thrashed in front of the crowd for not paying back his loans, Kallu is crushed at the thought of not being able to visit the temple.
Kalyani is accompanied by her friend, Piyush, during the travel to Sabarimala temple. During this time, the parents panic and report that their children are missing. The children get on the bus and request help from a fellow passenger to help them reach their destination.
The “fellow passenger,” Mahi, is actually the antagonist and is a pedophile/kidnapper. Piyush gets uncomfortable and tries to persuade Kallu to return home; no amount of persuasion can shake her. The unsuspecting Kallu wholly trusts Mahi to bring them to see Lord Ayyapa.
They get on the bus to Pamba, and while traveling, they meet a man who introduces himself as Ayyappan. He senses that Mahi is up to no good and stays with the kids and also promises Kallu that he will guide her and make sure that she sees Lord Ayyapa. The movie then goes about the schemes of Mahi to kidnap the girl and how Ayyappan fights off Mahi’s henchmen.
Whilst in the fight, Kallu envisions that Ayyappan is actually the deity who is accompanying them to guarantee their safety. She explains her visions to Ayyappan and shows him the sketches she drew of them. They finally reach the temple and see God the subsequent day.
After being content with seeing her “dear” Lord Ayyappa, Kallu and Piyush are taken back by the police to their parents, who were worried sick. It is later revealed that Ayyapan, alias Ayyappadas is actually a policeman, CPO D. Ayyappadas. He also arrests Mahi and his gang, as they are actually wanted criminals.
Malikappuram Honest Review
Let’s go through the plot again but in a lucid way. So to start off, Kalyani, along with her parents, lives in Panchalimedu village. Kalyani’s father is knee-deep in loans and cannot pay them off on the exact due dates. The lender, Ambadi, publicly beats Ajayan, and because of this, Ajayan is humiliated and self-conscious about staying in the village; hence he attempts suicide and unfortunately dies.
Her father previously promised her that he would take Kallu to visit the Sabarimala temple. To recap, Kallu is avid to see Lord Ayyappa, she is an ardent devotee and wants to go to Sabarimala, but as she is 8, and children above the age of 10 are not allowed, her chances to accomplish her goal are getting harder by the minute.
After the death of her father, the house is seized by the bank, and Kallu, along with her mother, is forced to stay at the house of one of Ajayan’s friends, Unni. They are welcomed with open arms by Unni and his family.
Piyush, Unni’s son, is a close friend of Kallu and knows about her desire to see the almighty at least once in her lifetime. Both the kids decide to take matters into their own hands and go on their own to Sabarimala. On their way, they meet Mahi, who is actually a kidnapper; Kalluasks for help and, seizing the opportunity, feigns his innocence and offers them assist them throughout the journey.
Piyush gets weird vibes from Mahi and tries to convince Kallu to drop their plan and just return to safety, but Kallu does not budge and is determined to travel no matter what. Along comes, Ayyapan, who we know is the protagonist and actually the police(this is revealed near the end). He also promises to make sure that Kallu sees Lord Ayyapa safe and sound. Ayyappan notices that something is off with Mahi and takes him down.
Mahi is furious that his plans are wrecked and sends his minions to beat up Ayyappan and kidnap the girl. Fortunately, Ayyappan is alerted of this scheme and is prepared to fight back. During this time, Kallu hallucinates that Ayyappan is actually the lord himself and shares her revelations with him. Kallu and Piyush are taken to Sabarimala the next day and pray to Lord Ayyappa.
After praying and fulfilling her wishes, Kallu is taken back to her mother along with Piyush. They return safely, and the movie ends with Ayyappan, aka Ayyappadas arresting Mahi and his goons.
Our Opinion
This movie brings back the long-forgotten faith in the gods that have been buried deep inside of us. It takes you through a pleasant yet action-packed journey, and I would suggest watching the movie at least once. The overall plot is thoughtful, and the story has potential, but it is slow and might be boring to some viewers. The acting of the kids is astonishing, and Unni Mukundan has made a severe impact on the movie.
His presence gave a boost to the overall performance of the movie. Deva Nandha, the girl who played Kallu, pulled off a huge role at a very young age. The entire movie revolves around her, and she has taken to the role and has played it well. There are some heart-touching moments as well as moments that make you sit up in your seat!
The movie is wholly for the people who have a close relation to the Sabarimala Pilgrimage; for the rest of the people, there are some points that you may not understand. The average moviegoer may have some inconvenience in understanding and may not enjoy it as much. Except for a few scenes, the movie is a bit dull and lags a lot.
To conclude, it feels like there was a good plot, but it was ineffective and not put to proper use. It is not a movie for everyone out there; while some might enjoy it, others will surely say that they have wasted potential on this.
Malikappuram is a Tedious Try at Bringing Sevotion and Drama Together
I would give this movie an honest 2/5; it can be enjoyable or dull. It all depends on the perspective. The movie could have been majorly improved, but to end this, I suggest watching it at the minimum- once, to see what the hype is all about. The movie also plays the religion card a LOT. Overall it could be a good movie, with a few (MAJOR) tweaks?!?
Our Rating: ⭐⭐
