Sudeep Elamon and Mukesh Chhabra's cinematography, Prakash Alex's music, and impressive performances save this film.
A poster of the film 'Qalb'. (X)
Qalb (Malayalam)
Qalb is yet another love story. It is helmed by Sajid Yahya, who earlier directed Idi (2016) and Mohanlal (2018)
Love stories have been the selling point for a long time. In Qalb, the director showcases extreme and impractical love.
Gone are the days of Romeo and Juliet’s love. But, if a director wants to make a film with Shakespearean love, the story must have some extraordinary moments to engage the audience. But, in this case, there is nothing of that sort.
Read on to understand what I mean to say:
‘Qalb’ is directed by Sajid Yahya. (Supplied)
Leo Calpo (Ranjith) lives on Dolphin Island in the picturesque Alleppey district with his dad Sayyip (Siddique), who runs a restaurant called “Catamaran”.
One of the interesting dishes served in the restaurant is “Steamed Pizza” made using Idli or Idiyappam vessels.
Calpo dreams of moving abroad for which he flirts with a foreign woman who is visits the district. But a “love at first sight” moment happens for Calpo when he meets Thumbi (Neha Nazneen Shakil), a Muslim girl who lives with her abusive father and helpless mom.
Calpo and Thumbi fall in love with each other. They start dating, and several melodies add zing to their love journey and their romantic moments.
There is nothing unusual in this love story till the climax.
Here, Thumbi’s abusive father does not approve of their love, while Calpo’s dad is in favour of the relationship.
The story in Qalb is shown through different stages of love as per the Sufi traditions — Dilkashi (attraction), Uns (infatuation), Ishq (love), Akidat (trust), Ibadat (worship), Junoon (madness) and Maut (death).
However, the director adds one more stage to the story — Life, referring to what happens to the love story and the couple.
Interestingly, this is an interfaith love story; Calpo is a Christian, and Thumbi is a Muslim.
Sajid Yahya uses many metaphors in the film. For example, he shows a single dolphin on the seashore towards the climax. But sadly, these metaphors don’t connect well.
‘Qalb’ has a bunch of newcomers. (Supplied)
The major highlight of Qalb is its frames. Cinematographers Sudeep Elamon and Mukesh Chhabra beautifully capture the sea, the lighthouse, forts, and fishing boats in Alleppey.
The visuals of the moon and the sky are outstanding.
The cinematography elevates the flick to a great extent and compensates for the cliched tragic love story and its flaws.
The songs composed by Prashant Alex are too good and set a different mood for the viewers. There are about 20 songs in the film — with a flavour of Sufi music!
Performances play a key role in this tragic love story. Let’s start with senior actor Siddique, who is an integral part of Qalb.
His appearance as Calpo’s dad makes a mark. The relationship between father and son is portrayed well. Though the police station scenes are cliched, Siddique is effortless in those sequences.
Ashiq delivers a subtle performance as the abusive father of Thumbi. In the end, when he cries, we don’t feel pity for him.
Neha Nazneen Shakil, as Thumbi, is good. But some of her scenes, especially towards the end, need more energy and emotions.
Ranjith Sajeev, as Calpo, gets a good screen space as the protagonist. This is his second movie after Mike, and the actor is here to stay. He is impressive, especially in the theatre fight sequence.
Lena, as Thumbi’s mother Sauda, is decent. Her expressions of fear and despair as the helpless mother who regains her strength at a particular point leave a mark on audiences.
Qalb is a routine love story with an overdose of melodrama. However, the overall performances of the actors and the songs make it a one-time watch.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
