Review - Gramaphone

Language: Malayalam
Hero: Dileep
Director: Kamal
Music: Vidyasaagar


Again Dileep. The history of Soothradharan repeated. Look at the five Dileep movies just before Gramaphone. They were Mazhathullikkilukkam, Kuberan, Meesa Madhavan, Kunhikkoonan, and Thilakkam. Then the Gramaphone came. The former five films where just comedy films, in one way or the other way. And Gramaphone is too much serious. (And some even considered it as an art film. It is a little bit true. Director Kamal was on the track of art films when he did Madhuranombharakkatu, Megha Malhar and then came Gramaphone. After that he slipped back into commercial movies when he did Nammal and Swapnakkodu. But Gramaphone due to some reasons was released only after Nammal.) Actually it surprising to see that Dileep who is the most successful actor these days, when comes together with Meera goes for serious character and eventually lead to a failure.

Another reason for reason for the failure of the film was the increase in the star value of Dileep. Gramaphone was shot before Meesa Madhavan. After Meesa Dileep became a super star. Gramaphone is heroine oriented. Dileep fans could never accept the story. Thus Dileep pushed Kamal to change the climax after the film was released. He had to do this inorder to satisfy his fans and to balance his star value. But the fate will not change!

Gramaphone said the story of the Jew Street at Cochin. It told the problems of a very few no of Jews who where left over in India. And it concentrated on the heroine Jennifer and her love story.

In the Jewish street Sachidanandan (Dileep) runs an antique shop that specialises in selling old Gramaphone records. Sachis close friend is Jeniffer, Luyi uncle, Saigal Yousuf, Bhaskarettan and others. Sachis father was a great music director who died leaving him with a lot of musical instruments and some gramaphone records, which nobody wants. Sachi hates music, as he believes that his father has not made any money out of it. Aryadevi, a famous singer, who has been given her first break by Sachis father Raveendran comes to Kochi from Bombay with her daughter Pooja (Navya Nair). They stay in a hotel where Jennifer works in the housekeeping department. Pooja and Jennifer become friends and she introduces the mother and daughter to Sachi. Jennifer has a soft corner for Sachi who is unable to express his love for her. Meanwhile Pooja slowly starts falling in love with Sachi. Then the news come that a young Israeli soldier is coming down from Jerusalem, after seeing a photograph of Jeniffer. The old man Gregory is delighted that now at least he and his family can go back to motherland. But there is a twist in the tale as the triangular love story reaches its climax.

The story concentrated on Jennifer. Even though the story was expected to give equal importance to both the heroines, when kamal made it out, it just became biased. Thus it diminished all other characters including the hero and the character done by Navya Nair. Navya did the character of a friend of Jennifer. The role was much insignificant when compared to that of Meera. In some scenes she just had to watch silently the dialogs said by Meera. Remember that Navya was considered as the No.1 in Malayalam at the time when Gramaphone was released. The fault was not her but the film was released too late. Thus film was disappointing to mainly three people Dileep, Navya and the producer. But again Meera gained. Even though the film was a flop Meera got good appreciation. It was a different character which viewers got after Kastooriman.

And finally about the climax. Every one who saw the movie said that the first climax was better. The second climax was created just for the hero. The first climax ended with Jennifer being married by an Italian guy. In the second climax the Italian guy turned out to be the villain who was beaten up by the hero. Poor guy!!!