Cuba Mukundan as Pravasi - 'Arabikatha'

Director : Lal Jose, Producer : Hussain
Cast :  Sreenivasan, Nedumudi Venu, Indrajith, Zhang Shumin, Narayanan Nair, Salim Kumar, Jayasurya, Saadique, Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Samvritha Sunil.

Film starts of with the strike on a leather factory which ends with the police lathi-charge on Cuba Mukundan (Sreenivasan) and other party followers including Anwar (Indrajith).

Leather factory is owned by businessman Kunjunni (Jagathi Sreekumar). Mukundan loves communism and is a staunch activist. Karunan is his colleague in the party and he tries for a compromise between Kunjunni and Mukundan on the leather factory’s environmental damage issue.

Karunan also wishes to see Mukundans iron grip on the local party workers loosen and wants to take over the reigns of the local leadership. Mukundan accepts no compromise with Kunjunni and vows to continue their agitation. Karunan finally join hands with Kunjunni and traps Mukundan's father ‘Society Raghavan’ (Nudeumudi Vevu), also a staunch communist, in a cheque case amounting to 20 lakhs. Mukundan finally shoulders the responsibility of his father 'Society' Raghavan's wrongdoing himself and suspends his father from the party. Already in the hospital and under intensive care, Raghavan succumbs to his illness as his ouster was being announced.

Party recommends that Mukundan move to Gulf to earn money quickly so that his huge debt can be paid easily. Mukundan for whom Gulf is Burshua territory, could not comprehend the new recommendation. However party also suggests that he studies the working conditions of the thousands in the Gulf in which he finds some charm.

Next we see Dubai. Little did Mukundan realise that Kunjunni has his roots spread far and wide including where he is headed. In the Gulf he encounters numerous problems and his day-to-day survival itself becomes a question mark. Mukundan meets Kunjunni in his office in Dubai. But Kunjunni ridicules Mukundan and rightly makes him realise he is neither good for any labour work which needs physical exertion nor he knows how to operate a computer. In fact we are made to realise Mukundan and other such party leaders, is only good to be leaders and useful for nothing other than communism.

Keralites often think Gulf as a land of opportunities with abundant money. Mukundan who has to amass a large amount of money is terrified at the future and is often left with nothing to eat and no place to sleep. He begins a new realisation and finds that many people are trying hard and tough to makes ends meet in the arid Gulf. He comes across a Chinese girl Shu Min (Zhang Shu Min) who sells pirated CDs. He has the greatest respect for Cuba and China, both being communist countries. He never expected the great Communist Chinese to be doing something illegal such as pirate CD sales. Nevertheless he falls for her in subsequent meetings and with the help of some good and bad Keralite interpreters of Chinese language.

From here on, Movie moves into a faster pace and is beautifully told. Unlike what Mukundan expected, Chinese girl flees with his money. There were also tougher problems waiting for Mukundan. He never wanted to leave his beloved Chemmannur, In his forced exile in Gulf, he could not make ends meet, leave apart amassing an amount of 20 lakh rupees to clear his debt.

Two themes, one of hardships in the Gulf and the other being futility of Communism, is told refreshingly in the film. In the contemporary politics where the state CPM leadership is on the tenterhooks staring at scam after scam, it is socially relevant too. Many Keralites still think life in the Gulf is a celebration all along while the opposite is true more often. Movie strikes a cord and is definitely worth a watch. Songs are nicely done by debutant lyricist and music director. Dr. Iqbal Kuttippuram whom the story belongs to, deserve commendation for his efforts and Lal Jose as always has done a great job of putting it all together..

6 marks out of 10.