Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Bringing back exuberance of campus life

Classmates

Classmates is a scriptwriter's film. James Albert has written the story and screenplay intertwining the nostalgia for the past with the liveliness of campus life and adding a whodunit element to it. The deft handling of the subject by director Lal Jose sees to it that the spectators remain glued to their seats as the film fast-forwards to a grippy climax.

The story centres around a college class of 1991. Now after 15 years they are meeting again at the same college for a get-together with their teachers. Among them are Sukumaran, Thara, Satheesan, Pius, and Razia. The reunion is arranged in memory of Murali, their classmate who met with a tragic death during their college days. Sukumaran (Prithviraj) is a diamond merchant in Mumbai. Thara (Kavya Madhavan) is a famous classical dancer, Satheesan (Jayasurya), an MLA, and Pius (Indrajit) is employed in the Gulf. Razia (Radhika) refuses to reveal anything about herself. After the reunion celebrations, they are put up in the rooms of the college hostel for the night.

That night, Sukumaran is found in his room, his neck strangled with a string of wire. He is hospitalised in an unconscious and critical condition. From the notes in his diary the police think it is a case of attempted suicide. Or did someone try to murder him?

Seeking an answer, the film takes us back to 1991 where we see the characters in their student days. Sukumaran is a firebrand leader of a leftist student organisation. The rival organisation is led by Satheesan. Thara is the daughter of an MP. Pius is a habitual flirt. Razia is a shy girl always clad in a purdah. Murali (Naren) is the best singer of the college. Satheesan wants to marry Thara to pursue his political ambitions. But Sukumaran and Thara fall in love.

So, Satheesan cunningly engineers things to instil hatred in Thara towards Sukumaran. Razia is forced by her father to stop her studies midway. Next day Murali dies in what seems to be an accident. Meanwhile, spurned in love, Sukumaran decides to leave college and seek a job in Mumbai. The portrayal of the college love affair between Sukumaran and Thara lacks conviction. But the romance involving another pair that is taking place at the same time unknown to everyone (including the viewers) is well conceived.

G. Jayakumar

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

DIC(K) to discuss merger with NCP
Bringing back exuberance of campus life
Chikungunya viral fever: preventive action strengthened in Vizhinjam
Government for High Court Bench in Kozhikode also
Onam celebrations conclude
All in a day's work
Music concert
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today
Law & Order

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu