Shyamaprasad's Ritu: Seasons change... Do we? cannot claim to change the gloomy weather Malayalam Cinema is passing through. But, the effort is worth aplauding.
Ritu is about youngsters working in the Information Technology sector. It tells the story of three childhood friends who drift apart as grown ups. One of them clings on to the memories of the good old days and wishes to work on their juvenile aspirations. This leads to revelations about the hidden facades of their personalities and how it changes the equations of their relationships with others. This forms the crux of the story.
Sarat Varma (Nishan) returns from the US (where he was looking after the IT Company owned by his brother-in-law), to join a small company to initiate an ambitious new project. He coaxes two of his childhood friends -- Sunny (Asif Ali) and Varsha (Rima Kallingal) -- to join him. They reluctantly agree. It does not take long for Sarat to realise how his friends have changed in their attitude and lifestyle. Varsha seems to be flirting with males on her phone while Sunny showes homosexual traits.
We may be reminded of director Kamal's Minnaminnikkoottam released last year with mainstream star cast like Meera Jasmine, Narein, Indrajith, Jayasurya and others. It also boasted of IT as the backdrop but the similarity ends there.
One of the film's drawbacks is it's characterisation which is faulty. Sarat is shown as a goody-goody fellow who internalises every humiliation. The film also perpetuates the myth that females working in BPO/IT sector are sex fiends. The socialist tirade that sprouts in between is also jarring. IT Parks and other such places are presented as symbols of capitalist dystopia where the poor are robbed of their land and provided menial jobs in compensation while the rich loot and milk the place dry.
The film maintains high standard as far as the look and the feel is concerned. Shamdat captures the past (mostly outdoors, a lakeside hangout of the three chums) in hazy form giving it a mushy music video feel. On the other hand, the present -- the CFL lit corridors of an IT conglomerate -- is bright.
The cast consisting of newcomers succeed in doing a proficient job. The three main characters exude confidence that defies their inexperience. Nishan as the sensitive wannabe writer Sarat, the feline quality in Asif as Sunny always alert looking over his shoulder for any lurking danger and Rima prove that they are here to stay.
Ritu is a worthwhile experiment by seasoned director Shyamaprasad with a predominantly new team, and it does not disappoint.
Rediff Rating: 
