Welcome to a fantasyland folks, where director Johny Antony’s Ee Pattanathil Bhootham happens. It’s a world where a friendly ghost manages to escape from a fiery wizard and eventually saves a few from certain danger. Remember, that this film is aimed at the children and once bear that in mind, things will start making sense.
The film opens with a ‘Manthravadi’ (Pithamagan Mahadevan) an evil magician spiriting away a friendly ghost (Mammootty with horns) to obey to his commands and make money through crime. Meanwhile a group of kids and their benefactors are held hostage in a circus camp by the baddies, who has taken over the show.
Ancy (Kavya) is coming back from Delhi, to take charge of the circus company founded by her father Philipose (Janaradhanan), who was found murdered. On reaching there, she is told that her father was stabbed to death by a bike-jumper named Jimmy (Mammootty).
In fact Jimmy, his foster father Krishnettan (Innocent), aide Sisupalan (Suraj Venjarammood) and a gang of street children were all invited by Philipose to join his circus group.
Meanwhile the ghost (Mammootty, in his other role) appears, becomes friendly with the kids and takes a more stylish shape of Jimmy. Thanks to the ghost, Ancy realizes that Jimmy was innocent in the whole issue. Now the battle between the good and evil begins.
Now haven’t we seen the friendly ghost playing the savior and friend, some twenty five years back in My dear Kuttichathan, which had the world looking at Malayalam films with awe for its genuine experiments and technical brilliance?
Johnny Antony has borrowed liberally from old Bollywood hits like Mr.India and Brahmachari. The film may certainly not be in that league, but it still could qualify as a decent entertainer.
The plus points of the film are Mammootty’s all round performance, especially in comic scenes. He does not romance Kavya, and the film is made for children there are no smutty language or scenes. It’s clean fun all the way. On the downside the plot is amateurish and predictable, with no twist in the tale and is too long. It looks more like a kids stage play than a mass entertainer.
Mammootty looks eminently handsome and is evidently at ease playing both
his avatars, though it would have been better if he had used his trademark voice for the ghost as well. Kavya Madhavan has nothing much to do other than look pretty and play to the tunes of the hero.
Suraj Venjarammood, who plays the dumb sidekick and Salimkumar, as a stupid cop, scores with their comic acts. Mahadevan who plays the wicked magician, looks convincing in his role.
Utpal V Nayanar’s visuals and Shaan Rahman’s music are among the highlights of the film. The song Mamarangale… is a nice melody and has been shot well. The special effects and computer graphics is the best we have seen in recent times.
Here is a comedy caper that will work with its target audiences, the kids who are sure going to lap it up.
Cast: Mammootty, Kavya Madhavan
Direction: Johnny Antony
Music: Shan Rahman