‘Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham’ movie review: A feel-good film set in a pandemic-hit coastal village

A still from ‘Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham’

Stories of young, struggling entrepreneurs are a familiar theme in Malayalam cinema. Now, the pandemic-related challenges faced by small-time businesses in Kerala are getting space in movies. Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham, starring Basil Joseph in the lead, narrates the hardships faced by a youngster during the stringent lockdown in Kerala.

Helmed by Muhashin and scripted by Unda writer Harshad, Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham takes viewers to a picturesque coastal village of mostly fishermen. In this close-knit community, everyone knows each other and there is no sense of ‘us’ and ‘we’.

A feel-good film set in pandemic-hit Kallai in Kozhikode, Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham narrates the story of Bachu, aka Basheerudin, who dreams of making it big as an entrepreneur. He refuses to fall in line with his family’s wish to go to the ‘Gulf’ like his father and take up a job there. However, Bachu faces a series of setbacks as the lockdown-induced challenges force him to cut corners to earn money and keep creditors at bay.

A major crisis in the family compels Bachu to rethink his goals. The incident reflects the heartache suffered by many families in Kerala, and almost divides the narrative into two; first, Bachu’s efforts to make money, and later, taking on the responsibilities of his family and trying to make amends for some of his hasty decisions.

Woven skilfully in the film are events related to the lockdown, some of which had made headlines then. There is a sense of déjà vu in scenes that show the strict quarantining for overseas visitors, fines for those without masks, declaration of containment zones, and imposition of social distancing.

Basil, riding high on the success of his two previous outings in the lead ( Palthu Janwar and Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey ), scores a hat trick with Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham. His Bachu seems like a familiar person although his Moplah accent slips here and there. His constant anxiety about his finance, stubborn nature and his complex relationship with his father is easily portrayed by the Minnal Murali director who has now come good as an actor too.

Dubbing artiste and actor Sreeja Ravi plays Nabeesa, Bachu’s mother who finds it hard to understand her eldest son and his dreams. Fara Shibla, Indrans, Sudheesh, Jaffer Idukki, Binu Pappu, KP Naisal and Swathy Das Prabhu look natural in their characters. Parvathy R Krishna, Johny Antony and Anad Bbal are also in the cast. Meanwhile, Sharfu’s lyrics have been set to music by Govind Vasantha, lead vocalist of Thaikkudam Bridge.

The film does not have the political astuteness of Unda or the kind of slapstick and goofy humour one usually associates with Basil’s films, but there is a warmth that suffuses the characters. Surprisingly, unlike many popular Malayalam films, there are no stark black-and-white characters. There is no villain, and even the characters with shades of negativity seem to have a heart after all.

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham is an ideal festival release that emphasises the harmony of a coastal community that has not been fragmented by politics or religion; the film is a pleasant rewind to the days of the lockdown that we experienced in Kerala.

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham is currently running in theatres