Oru Kattil Oru Muri review: A movie with right amount of love, suspense and fine performances

Oru Kattil Oru Muri which translates to “A cot and a room” tells the story of three people and how they are connected.

It is written by veteran writer Raghunath Paleri and directed by Shahnavas K Bavakutty.

Raghunath Paleri is known for some of the greatest scripts in Malayalam, with his films being a point of discussion among movie buffs. 

His films like Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988), Mazhavil Kavadi (1989), Vanaprastham (1999) and Devadoothan (2000) all have unique concepts and are vastly different from each other.

Keeping up the reputation, his latest Oru Kattil Oru Muri too has the Raghunath Paleri touch.

Shanavas K Bavakutty who has previously done critically acclaimed Kismath (2016) and Thottapan (2019) has come out with a different movie filled with mystery and love.

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Synopsis 

Tripura Sundari alias Akkama (Poornima Indrajith) is a Tamil woman who is living with the memories of her estranged husband and a cot, which she and her husband used.

Madhumiya (Priyamvadha Krishnan) alias Parijatham is a young lady who is staying as a tenant at Akkama’s flat. Her character is a bit of a mystery for the audience. She is portrayed as someone who is unmarried and is dealing with serious issues in life. In the meanwhile, she also finds a job in a construction company.

Akkama and Madhumiya become good friends, who share their woes. Their relationship adds warmth to the movie.

On the other hand, there is a parallel plot of Rukmangathan (Hakim Shahjahan), who is a taxi driver. Rukmangathan is chased by goons at regular intervals owing to his debts. There is another major issue which if revealed would be a spoiler.

Rukmangathan joins the duo, as he starts renting the same place, that has been rented out to Madhumiya. The catch however is that both of them don’t meet each other as Madhumiya goes to work in the morning and uses the space at night, while Rukmangathan works at night and uses the space in the morning. Amid all this, it is the cot that is common among the trio.

While the audience keeps guessing the link between the parallel storylines, it is only in the climax that the makers tie everything together surprising the audience. The makers reveal the mystery without any hiccups.

Flawless writing 

As expected, the script and screenplay are flawless. The dialogues reflect the realities of life. 

The characterisation of Akkama and Madhumiya is one of the many highlights of Oru Kattil Oru Muri. Akkama is a woman who is struggling to move on from her estranged husband, while Madhumiya has issues with her parents. Similarly, Rukmangathan also is shown dealing with many internal conflicts.

Oru Kattil Oru Muri also has a comical undertone, contrary to Shanaya’s Bavakutty’s earlier films, which were serious.  However, the only drawback, is that the negative characters are very loud and cliched.

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Performances 

Oru Kattil Oru Muri has some good performances by the lead actors. Poornima Indrajith’s role as Akkama, a caring woman is one of the finest performances of her career after her amazing performance in Thuramukham (2023). The actor’s body language and her subtle nuances were apt for the movie.

Hakim Shahjahan as Rukmangathan has a very interesting name itself. His character as a taxi driver entangled in many issues was a little challenging for a young actor. But he did it well and it’s good to see him getting good roles. His previous role in Katha Innuvare (2024) was also appreciated.

Priyamvadha Krishnan is another performer in the movie and her role as Madhumiya had many emotions to be played, and the young actor aced it. 

Final take

Oru Kattil Oru Muri is well crafted with fine performances by the lead actors. It’s not a usual drama, but has its moments throughout.

(Views expressed here are personal.)