Ayisha review: Manju Warrier shines in a movie that’s inspired by a real-life character

Ayisha created a buzz after its makers released online a peppy song with quirky dance moves by Manju Warrier.

The movie is not just the story of a group of maids, or Gaddama as they are known in Arab nations. It is a different genre — an emotional journey of the life of a maid and her female boss.

The film has been released in the Arabic and Malayalam languages as the story is set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ayisha has a connection with real-life characters, which makes the viewer curious.

However, the makers did not reveal this before the film’s release which only gives an unexpected experience to the audience.

Not a biopic

Ayisha is based on the life of Nilambur Ayisha, an iconic figure. She became the first Muslim woman to act in a Malayalam drama in 1953.

At the age of 18, she was shot by religious fundamentalists who were against women venturing into acting. The incident occurred at Melakam in Manjeri and gets a mention in the movie.

However, she had to quit theatre as offers dried up. The film makes references to these aspects of Nilambur Ayisha’s life.

Ayisha also focuses on a rich Arab family living in a palatial house in Riyadh. The actress, in her real life, worked in Riyadh as a domestic help.

This apart, the story mentions the Communist movement in Kerala in the 1980s and 1990s but doesn’t take any political stand.

The makers have given importance to the Arab family and the maids, and their life.

Till the interval, the cliched formulae, like the tiff between the head maid and her assistants, and how Ayisha tries to make her presence felt in the house, is portrayed.

Post-interval, the story gets quite emotional with the personal life of Ayisha getting connected to the rich Arab family.

Her commitments back home and her strong decision at a crucial juncture make it an emotionally-driven movie.

Acting par excellence

Manju Warrier carries the movie on her shoulders. She is exceptional as Nilambur Ayisha, as one can feel the pain of the character.

A dancer herself, her moves for the Kannile Kannile song are too good to watch in the middle of the emotional drama.

Prabhu Deva’s choreography adds energy to the song composed by M Jayachandran.

The other actors, mainly the foreigners, played their parts well, but there’s nothing exceptional to mention here.

Well-intentioned attempt

The portrayal of Nilambur Ayisha as the central character of the movie is a sincere attempt.

At least the new generation would now know about the women who stood at the forefront of a revolutionary change in Kerala society some 70 years ago.

Nilambur Ayisha was shot with an air gun on a stage in 1953. She was also slapped while on stage by a Muslim fundamentalist and her ear drum was injured. This gave her a permanent hearing disability.

But she continued to act in plays. She was part of a social reform movement in Kerala with the help of art and culture. She later continued acting in Malayalam movies.

However, this part has been omitted in Ayisha; it was possibly an effort not to make a biopic for an actor with Communist background.

The story is set in 1987-88 and 1991. And the use of cassettes to record messages and send them to Kerala is quite interesting to watch.

Ayisha also talks about Islam, its values, and how Arabs treat others (in a positive way).

The bilingual has Krishna Shankar and Classmates-fame Radhika in pivotal roles.

Writer Ashish Kakkodi tries to strike a chord with the family audience.

The cinematography by Vishnu Sarma captures some of the amazing visuals in the UAE where the movie was shot.

The editing by Appu N Bhattathari is decent.

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Verdict

Ayisha showcases Manju Warrier’s stellar performance in an iconic role. Emotional drama has the power to connect with the audience.

The bilingual movie has elements to woo the Arab audience, too. However, the script could have been balanced, given it has a real-life character.