Ustad Hotel

Abdul Razak (Siddiq) dreams of fathering a son. And, he is gifted with one only after giving birth to four baby girls. His wife passes away. Razak flies abroad with his five children. His only son, Faizal (Dulquar Salman) is brought up by and amidst of his four sisters. As he grows, his love for cooking also grows. Eventually, it turns as a passion that he goes against his father’s wishes and opts to become a chef! Will Faizal reach heights as a Chef? Is cooking really his passion? Is a good chef one who fills the tummy or the one who both fills the tummy and fills heart with an air of happiness? This forms the rest of the story.

Thilagan, as Dulquar’s grandfather shines. His acting is subtle and he plays the role of a mentor beautifully. The glint in eyes whenever he talks about cooking or his hotel brings a smile in our own face. His crisp flashback on his lady love is charming.

Nithya Menon is gorgeous as ever. She has lost loads of weight and looks charming. She acts as a reflection of today’s generation and their thinking process. She portrays how she is a Gen-next girl amidst of orthodox upbringing.

But, the show stealer with his breath taking performance is Dulquar indeed. He comes across as confused young man. His acting is matured and he is here to stay.

Kerala’s sensational hit – Appangal embadum song – loiters around us and we can’t stop ourselves from humming the song. And, the scenes that follow are something fresh and refreshing.

All the supporting casts, including the kitten stay in heart. The narrative and the simplicity in the narration is the backbone. Also, the background score blends with scenes.

In short, I loved the film. Now, Malayalam cinema is going through radical changes. It is effectively portraying you and me. That is where this movie scores high. The characters are not heroic. They are mere you and me. They are as confused as we are. They are as human as we are. Tears roll down from the eyes of the hero too. He feels hurt too. Such realism only adds to the charm of the film.

I don’t deny that the screenplay could have been a little bit more swift and eventful. But then, I thought, our life is not that rapid or eventful, isn’t it? We lead a normal life and so does the characters in the movie.

Go for the movie. You will feel happy. A smile of satisfaction creeps within.

Four stars and thumbs up for this amazing film…

Watch out for Dulquar…

He is here to stay…

He is the Malayalam cinema’s Ranbeer Kapoor…. If I may say so!!!