New Delhi: Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan watched Girish AD directed Bethlehem Kudumba Unit with his daughter and her friends, saying the Nivin Pauly-starrer brought back memories of his childhood in Kerala.
“I enjoyed it so much with my daughter and her friends and finished watching Bethlehem Kudumba Unit,” Satheesan wrote in an Instagram post.
In his post, written in Malayalam, Satheesan said his busy schedule prevented him from watching films. However, after a break, he watched the film in one sitting and was moved by its depiction of the Kerala he remembered from his younger days.
The film has emerged as Malayalam cinema’s biggest box-office hit of all time, collecting nearly Rs 331 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. Starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, it revolves around Justin, an unmarried man approaching middle age, and Ashley, a younger woman who moves into his neighbourhood.
What stood out for the 63-year-old chief minister was the film’s treatment of its characters and setting. He said he never felt bored while watching it and found himself connecting with the memories it brought back.
“The countryside we saw back then, the people there, the ordinary lives we saw there, the love between them, the warm romances,” he said.
Satheesan said the film captured his childhood so completely that he wondered why he had waited so long to watch it.
“After watching it, I thought, ‘Why am I late?’” he added.
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Praise for cast and crew
Along with the lead actors, Satheesan praised the supporting cast, saying even characters who appeared for only a few scenes managed to make an impression. The film also features Sangeeth Prathap, Roshan Shanavas, Meenakshi Raveendran, Bindu Panikkar, Srinda and Jayashankar.
“Not only the characters who can be called the hero and heroine, but even those who appear in one or two scenes made their presence known. This movie is complete teamwork,” he said.
The chief minister said the film made him laugh at times and left him feeling sad at others, but he enjoyed it from beginning to end. He added that he does not usually write reviews after watching films, but this one was special enough to make him share his thoughts publicly.
Satheesan also said he called director Girish AD and actor Sangeeth Prathap to congratulate them. However, he was unable to reach Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju.
“I could not reach Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju on the phone,” he said.
Satheesan also singled out Roshan Shanavas’s character, Glixon, who repeatedly tries to impress Ashley, played by Mamitha Baiju, but fails each time.
“Along with them, one person who came to my mind is Glixon. Poor Glixon,” he wrote.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)