Aravindante Athidhikal

M. Mohanan's 2018 Malayalam film follows Aravindan, left at the age of five outside a temple. A local hotel keeper raises him; grown, he runs the same hotel and never gives up hope of finding his mother. The structure rests on the hotel. Pilgrims arriving in Kollur stay briefly and leave, and Aravindan looks for his mother in every new guest; the narrative gives that waiting through repetition. Vineeth Sreenivasan leads, with his father Sreenivasan as the hotel keeper. The tone is warm, the humour everyday and there is no violence. The narrative advances without producing a large event and makes its emotional emphasis openly at the close. Who it's for: those who like warm Malayalam family films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a driven narrative; the film is built on everyday flow.