Arun Kumar Aravind directed LEFT RIGHT LEFT makes another major breakthrough in Malayalam Cinema proudly announcing that they are not making movies just to earn some quick bucks at the box office. But are certainly having a strong thought process behind their projects made with a definite vision, strong scripts and brilliant contribution by the entire technical team, writer, director and the performers.
Having said that, LEFT RIGHT LEFT is also not an easy watch and might not appeal to many due to its joyless social theme mostly talking about communism, its revolting leaders, corrupt politicians and crooked policemen, all put together. Representing the interconnected lives of three diverse characters following their own ideologies and aim; it begins with 3 distinctive eras i.e. of 60-70s, 80-90s and the present time of the 21st century. Plus the opening 20 minutes of the film clearly give you an indication that this is not going to be any run of the mill stuff with any usual commercial content and sequences.
Skillfully introducing its key characters of a shrewd political leader, a corrupt sub-inspector, a physically challenged revolting activist, a beautiful clever nurse (who knows how to use men for her own benefit), a dependent mother and a loving wife, LEFT RIGHT LEFT actually starts spelling its magic post the initial hour, when a newspaper scoop disturbs the life of everyone involved quite drastically. Having many powerful dialogues and performances in its second half, the film successfully leaves a mark and one has only praises in mind for the meaningful effort made by the entire team as it ends (with a blackout).
A sensibly conceived political drama, LEFT RIGHT LEFT is just interested in conveying its daring message to the interested audience and doesn’t really care to please the others with any amusing sub-plots added forcibly. And it’s this focused vision only which gives the film an impressive depth ahead of many other similar projects based on politics. Scoring much on the technical grounds too, it has an inspiring tag line saying ‘Revolution is homemade’ and its title actually depicts the much required rhythm to be maintained for a balanced living saying LEFT RIGHT LEFT.
However at the same time, it is not any fast paced entertaining drama providing the routine 3 hour amusement to its audiences too. Besides, the culmination also points towards a negative solution to the problem which could have been dealt differently. The film takes time to grow on till the intermission and then starts forming the grip with a better second half forcing you to take a look at all the questionable social standards around supported by We the people only quite ignorantly, In short, you are not going to see any truthful Hindi remake of this in all possibilities, since it doesn’t have any of those so called commercial values to make a killing weekend and remains a bold, tense but thought provoking film raising many valid questions on our social system, bravely.
In fact, the outstanding one line premise it is based on, will clearly give you an idea about its artistic value praised above, wonderfully summing up a human life as,
“A Man is a part DNA, part unknown and part what he sees & goes through as a child.”
The phrase beautifully describes the way we all become adults with a sum of what we get from our parents, what we see while we were kids and what we acquire through the other natural and unknown influences of life in the later decades. And the thought gets brilliantly portrayed in the film beginning with the childhood of its three main characters witnessing a cruel death and then living life as they had learned it marching towards their own individual end with the rhythm of LEFT RIGHT LEFT.
Adding to its negatives, though the director daringly displays his understanding of the medium with a powerful execution of a fine script. But he still needs to clear few important misconceptions he might be having about the mystic master OSHO, as its quite childish to see him using the name again in a sex related issue like an ignorant being who has not even read anything by the mystic before commenting on it.
Anyway moving ahead of this one silly insertion, LEFT RIGHT LEFT indeed is a worth watching insight on the current scenario but only if you are willing to witness a more artistic and meaningful onscreen projection with a message.
Rating : 3 + 0.5 / 5 (with an extra 0.5 just for the superb one line premise)
