A great filmmaker who has a handle on his craft doesn't really need fancy equipment, unlimited budgets or big-name stars to tell us a good story. Tharun Moorthy showcased that in Operation Java (2021) and Senna Hegde underlined the same in Thinkazhcha Nishchayam (2021) and now we have another name to add to that accomplished lexicon. Nithin Lukose and his gloriously minimalistic, poignantly engaging retelling of the Romeo-Juliet story in Paka is a bonafide masterpiece. It holds your attention for the entirety of its runtime with its spine-tingling narrative style and a clutch of superb performances.
The Illikkal and Vettikkal families take the place of the Montagues and Capulets in a rustic rural Wayanad setting, sworn enemies due to a bitter rivalry generations past. Basil Paulose shines as Johnny, the young scion of the Illikkal clan who abhors violence and his family's gruesome history along with being haplessly in love with Anna (Vinitha Koshy) from the Vettikkal family. How the pair of star-crossed lovers move heaven and earth to be together amidst the furore thrown up by a bunch of blood-thirsty relatives forms the rest of the story.
While we have seen similar storylines in the past, such as Godfather (1991) and Annayum Rasoolum (2013), Lukose takes a different approach altogether, with a disconnected, almost forlorn narrative style that is both disconcerting and too good to turn away from at the same time. Scenes that call for grotesque, gory violence are dealt with in an impressively minimalist fashion, focusing on the actors' facial expressions, accompanied by symbolism, excellent sound design and use of light communicating the fury and hatred much more than the actual bloodshed.
The team deserves immense praise for the casting, with Jose Kizhakkan an absolute standout as the ageing ex-convict patriarch, Kocheppu of the Illikkal clan, while Athul Johny as Paachi and Nithin George as Joey put in eye-catching shifts. Nithin Lukose's minimalism comes to the fore through his use of just a pair of hands and a voice to portray the ageing, bedridden but scheming Illikkal family matriarch, a narrative device that would fall flat if not executed to perfection as he has. Paka is a towering example of how a filmmaker can make even the most cliched stories engaging by using their own authentic narrative styles and visual treatment, backed by a keen sense for casting all the while being constrained by a budget. Needless to say, I cannot recommend this film enough. The movie is now streaming on SonyLiv and is available in its original Malayalam language alongside Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dubs, accompanied by English subtitles.