[***1/2 stars/*****]
Can a robot replace a son?
This is the single line premise of this delightful Malayalam sci-fi drama, currently streaming on Amazon Prime (India).
Hollywood action film makers may have made another city-demolishing, people screaming, robot gone bad movie out of this, was surprised at how Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 is a social drama with a message - man's greatest need is to be needed.
The straight-faced wit, simplicity, compassion and emotional interplay in debutant director Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval's Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 is immediately relatable and compelling.
The director sourced the core theme from his own experience - he was not always around to help his bedridden mother.
Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 story
Bhaskara Poduval, a stubborn, grumpy and conservative old man (Suraj Venjaramoodu) lives in a sleepy Kerala village with his son Subrahmannyan (Soubin Shahir).
As events unfold, Subrahmannyan procures a lucrative job in Russia at a Japanese robot-making firm but is unable to urge his father to join him. He can't abandon the job offer either.
Later, the son gifts the father a helper robot prototype, intending to make the ageing man's life easier and less lonesome.
The repercussions are comic-tragic and uncommonly captivating, except for some unresolved plot threads.
Simple, slice of life storytelling
Suraj Venjaramoodu, a middle-aged actor known for his comic timing, is brilliant as the old man. Soubin Shahir, Kendy Zirdo and Saiju Kurup make up a superb supporting cast.
The makers sketch a universal Malgudi-like quality into the colourful rural characters.
The jokes and life lessons come at unexpected points in the story. The old man's initial reactions to the robot are hilarious, reminding us how getting used to technology can be a scary, discomforting experience.
Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 review
Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 deserves to be viewed by a world audience to ponder over the fascinating aspects of future robot-human interactions.
(Kunjappan means - a 'small man.')
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