'Ritu' Film Review

Ritu, the new Malayalam movie by the acclaimed Director Shyamaprasad was a disappointment.


The film revolves around the past and present of three childhood friends, Sarath, Varsha and Sunny.

Sarath who left his friends high and dry for a lucrative career in USA is forcing his friends to come back to join him for a new venture. They join the venture out of their old sentiments towards him, but Sarath never gets back the old warmth he missed for so long in USA. He and the filmmaker seem surprised that his friends have changed.

Sarath the protagonist is depicted as a romantic idealist who clings on to his dreams.

Varsha and Sunny are portrayed as pragmatists who change according to seasons.

In between we hear the clichéd stories of failure of old revolutionaries [Sarath’s father and brother] and the hardships of the displaced people.

Varsha, is looked down upon because she slept with many even though she come to Sarath in the end with the realization of true love. Sarath in the style of a ‘true’ Indian hero rejects the ‘tainted’ Varsha. Varsha is finally depicted as ‘paying’ for her 'sins' by doing community work.

Sunny is the villain of the film and is said to be ‘gay’. The fact that he is ‘Gay’ is mentioned in a conspiratorial tone. Was there are an implication that his cunning and untrustworthy nature is because of his sexual orientation?

The film is slow and the intermission is long awaited for some refreshments. The point the filmmaker wanted to say seemed to be stretched beyond a point of redemption.

The actors, especially Asif Ali as Sunny did a good job. The cinematography by Shyamdat is good. The songs may not be remembered for too long.



After enjoying 'Ore Kadal', Ritu was a great let down. Still it is a film to be watched and talked about because very few Malayalam films that are released nowadays are worth talking about.