Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham review: A well-made movie on Covid-19 lockdowns and hardships

Basil Joseph’s latest film, Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham (This World is Complicated), reminds us of the pandemic-induced lockdowns, penalties levied for not using masks, containment zones and Covid protocols.

The movie is an emotional story set in Chamundi Valappu, a coastal town near Beypore in the Kozhikode district of Kerala.

Though the title is quirky, the story by Harshad isn’t funny. It deals with a family who faces hardships due to their financial constraints. Debutant director Muhasin incorporates the Covid protocols and reveals how social life changed for the common people during the pandemic.

Real-life instances

The story happens during the pandemic and is set in 2020-21. Bachu aka Basheeruddin (Basil Joseph) is a struggling entrepreneur.

Bachu’s ailing father Kamaruddin works in Qatar. He decides to return to India and spend the rest of his life in his village. Hence, Bachu’s parents want him to leave for Qatar to make money.

Nevertheless, Bachu is reluctant to go to the Gulf and wants to prove to his family that he can survive in his hometown through his business. Amid mounting debts, he tries taking care of his mother Nabeesa (Sreeja Ravi) and sister.

However, a tragedy strikes the family. A day before his Kerala trip, Bachu’s father dies in Qatar. Bachu has to get the body back and cremate his dad in his homeland.

How he succeeds in the task forms the crux of the film.

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An insight into the sad realities

Reports of quarantine for NRIs, Vande Bharat flights and news of dead bodies being piled up in airports in Gulf nations aren’t a passe.

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham focuses on the hardships faced by common people and NRIs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Special mention must be made about Bachu’s efforts, after the interval bang, to get his father’s body back to his village. They evoke anger and sadness among the viewers towards the system.

Harshad presents the story from the point of view of the common people. He criticises the government’s response to the helplessness of people during the pandemic.

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham highlights the plight of Keralites who couldn’t pay last respects to their loved ones because of Covid restrictions.

The film reminds us of several articles published in the media during the pandemic, particularly the photograph of a Covid-affected man helplessly watching, through the window of his house, his father’s body being taken away in an ambulance for cremation.

The movie showcases how the governments levied fines for not wearing masks and also the lectures delivered by the police and health officials to the uninformed general public.

Director Muhasin meticulously incorporates all these incidents and sad realities into the story.

Absolutely soulful #SwargakkathuPattu from #KKAK is here to rule your playlist! 🎶♥️https://t.co/eE8Uak8PH7

A #GovindVasantha Musical
🖊 #Umbachy
@basiljoseph25 pic.twitter.com/S1yj2ZBroN

— Think Music (@thinkmusicindia) April 21, 2023

Strong characters and brilliant performances

All the characters in Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham have their own identities.

Bachu himself is a strong character who strives hard to make a living. This is Basil Joseph‘s career-best performance as he portrays all the emotions subtly and effortlessly.

Dubbing artist-actor Sreeja Ravi as Bachu’s mother Nabeesa is a strong character, too. She does justice to the role.

Rashid (Binu Pappu) is also an important character. His male ego gets hurt every time his wife Bushra (Fara Shibla) asks him to apologise to her.

Fara Shibla as Bushra is a surprising package.

These are minute character sketches penned by Harshad to portray the common people in villages.

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Swathy Das as Asu gets little screen space but she is impressive.

Jaffer Idukki, Indrans, Sudheesh and Nirmal Palazhi have pivotal roles to play.

The songs of the movie by Govind Vasantha were good considering the emotional feel the movie has. The cinematography by S.Mundol and Arjun Sethu was perfect.

Final take

Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham is a well-written and well-crafted film on pandemic hardships. All the actors, especially Basil Joseph, leave a mark on audiences with their mature performances.

(Views expressed are personal.)