Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 - An endearing tale

From big screen to small screen, directors have been playing with the concept of AI and its aftermaths for a long time now. The shows like WestWorld and Person of Interest (my personal favorites) have taken AI to different level. But those shows makes things extremely complicated. So here comes a movie that is successful in depicting the AI theme in a simple and realistic way. The story itself has the same familiar AI based themes setup. It starts off with the Stephen Hawking quote "A full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race and this will be a new form of life that will outperform humans". How far that statement holds good in this film is told in a more relatable and interesting way. And at the same time the film smartly addresses two social themes.

Set in a remote village near Payyanur, the story unfolds neatly when the Son decides to leave his ageing father to be taken care by a Robot. The Robot introduction just does not come out of the blue.There are some interesting sequences and debates between the father and the son in the first half involving some hilarious small tea shop chit chats , multiple failed attempts by home nurses etc. The backstory sets the moods for the movie. Suraj Venjaramood as the father delivered an incredible performance on screen. The second half focuses on how Suraj and the Robot comes in terms with each other and side effect of that.

The daring effort of including the Robot in the overall village setting really paid off. The stakes feel real and relatable to today's issues throughout. This is compelling analysis of human nature and it's reactions to technology. Those who embrace it, those who reject it both are catered for here. This is a smartly written film with a lot of heart, in more ways than one.

I wish the anti-climax had the same flow like the rest of the film, it felt rushed and the transformation felt bit odd, but the climax is just too sweet and you will leave the theater with a big smile. Book your tickets now.

Verdict - 3.5/5(A Robotic Vibe in Mallu world)