I write this just a few minutes after I watched Kireedam for the first time. I am blown away by this film. After seeing films like Manichithrathazhu (1993), Manasinakkare (2003), and Kireedam, I have a totally new respect for Malayalam cinema. Because most Malayalam films are basically about super-hero men who walk around giving melodramatic speeches, I spent my whole life thinking that those silly Bollywood blockbusters were India's best films. But now I know better. While the Hindi film industry has offered some fine films (e.g., Dil Chahta Hai and Sholay), the majority of the best Indian movies I've seen are Malayalam films.
I became a Mohanlal fanatic after watching his performance in Mani Ratnam's criminally under-appreciated Iruvar (1997). For me, seeing Kireedam cements Mohanlal's position as one of India's top 2 or 3 greatest actors, if not the greatest.
What makes Kireedam so special is that it is completely plot-driven. As we all know, a completely plot-driven film is a rarity in Indian cinema, North or South. Also, this movie is an intense character study both of a young man whose bright future deteriorates before his very eyes and of a father (Thilakan) who is forced to watch helplessly as it happens. Before seeing Kireedam, I never realized how brilliant an actor Thilakan can be.
Kireedam is one of Indian cinema's best films, and it is a cultural treasure for every Malayalee. I actually think that I understand my parents' native Kerala much better now that I have seen this film.
