Plot
People are recuperating financially from the 2018 floods in the Palakkad village of Muthalakodam by becoming self-sufficient through multiple farming endeavours. During the flood, four youngsters and an elderly person come to the village and lend a hand.
The locals implore Edathala Mathai, the richest man in the area, to donate his 18 acres of property to the government in light of the new state law that requires any vacant and unutilized land to be turned into farmland. His helping nature with the locals infuriates Mathai. Neyyattinkara Gopan is attacked by goons sent by Mathai, but Gopan thrashes them.
Then Mathai, who is involved in money laundering, hawala, etc., is revealed by Gopan. Then Satheeseelan was killed by the youngsters. A.R. Rahman appears on Gopan’s show as a guest. After defeating the group, he arranges for their arrest by the NIA. The NIA then shot the youngsters and Guruji. Shortly later, a policeman reveals that Gopan is not Col. Suryachandra Lal and that the real Suryachandra Lal is receiving depression treatment in an army hospital. The identity of Gopan is later revealed to be a secret agent who takes part in numerous covert operations under numerous guises.
Review
Aaraattu, Lalettan, and Unnikrishnan’s fifth collaboration after a variety of projects are blatant in its intent to be an entertaining film. From the very beginning to the very end, there is unrepentant celebrity worship, with Lalettan’s arrogance being magnified well beyond what has been seen in recent times. Aarattu is a mash-up of old movies and characters that never tries to be unique because it’s mostly a celebration of the main cast with a joyful atmosphere. The film will also appeal to residents of Thiruvananthapuram on a whole new level because it uses slang in a controlled manner, unlike most other examples where the protagonists either fail horribly or go too far.
In the first half, Lalettan is in top form, whether it’s through sheer volume, natural charisma, flawless speech delivery, or unrivaled comic timing. Even at 61, this guy is still sane! Then there are political correctness references that are made fun of by the pseudo-intellectuals (man, this movie must be a nightmare for them). Despite a few clever turns, the second half becomes a little monotonous as the plot fails to emotionally engage you. The songs are alright, but Rahul Raj’s BGM is fantastic. Overall, Aaraatu could have been cut down because the second half contains a few unnecessary sequences that are depressing. Other than that, it’s a party for Lalettan fans and others who enjoy clean masala entertainment.
The movie deserves a 2.5-star rating because of its “cliche commotion of iconic ‘Mohanlal moments’ and tropes.
