Theevandi

Fellini T P's 2018 Malayalam film follows Bineesh, who cannot stop smoking. His family, his girlfriend and the villagers pressure him; he does not know what he wants and each time follows other people's decisions. The film uses the habit as a political analogy. Bineesh's dependence sits between village politics, family expectation and personal irresolution; rather than lecturing him, the narrative shows that everyone around him has a dependence too. Tovino Thomas leads. The tone is light and the humour local; the music serves a function inside the narrative. The final section does not turn quitting into a story of transformation and stays open-ended. Who it's for: those who like Malayalam comedy and light political satire. Who it's not for: viewers expecting addiction treated seriously; the film runs the subject through humour.