Bheeshma Parvam

Bheeshma Parvam (2022) is about the head of a family in Kochi and draws on two sources: the Mahabharata and The Godfather. Bheeshma Parva is the name of a section of the Mahabharata. Bheeshma is the family's elder protector, forced to fight against his own blood, and no one can harm him directly. Michael in this film is exactly that. The 1980s. Michael leads a large family in Kochi, spoken of with fear and respect, his past unclear. When the younger members chafe under his authority they start working with his enemies. The threat does not come from outside, it comes from the dinner table. Amal Neerad's style is unmistakable: slow motion, a dark palette, long entrance sequences. Some find it stylish and some find it slow. The running time is what it was most criticised for. Mammootty was seventy and the whole weight of the film rests on how he stands. He almost never raises his voice. Soubin Shahir is in the cast; he directed Parava. It broke box office records for Malayalam cinema, passing fifty crore on its fifth day. It runs 144 minutes. Good for: Indian gangster films, family epics, and Malayalam cinema. Less good for: the violence is harsh, the cast is large and the names are hard to track. It is long and the first half is slow.