This is the third Malayalam film of the year dealing with communism. While Oru Mexican Aparatha was a college campus story with plenty of action, Nivin Pauly’s Sakhavu dwelled on the values of an ideal communist. The Amal Neerad-directed Comrade in America follows a comrade from Kerala to the USA. The comrade in question is not on a mission to spread the party’s ideology in capitalist USA, but matters of the heart bring him here.
Aji (Dulquer Salmaan) is a left party member in Kerala while his father Mathews (Siddique) belongs to the Kerala Congress. Despite the different political paths followed by father and son, the bond they share is unaffected. Aji, like most young leaders, continues to hang around in college when not participating in the party’s protest march against the Congress’ corrupt activities.
On one of his college rounds, Aji intervenes to save student Sarah Mary Kurian (Karthika Muralidharan) from getting bullied. Sarah is from the USA pursuing her studies in India. And, you guessed it right... love blossoms.
The first half begins with promise. Delightful moments are found in the father-son bond. There is good humour in scenes with Aji and party workers (played by Soubhin Shahir and Dileesh Pothan). But soon the writing goes downhill.
Sarah leaves Kerala without informing Aji and later calls up from the USA to inform him of her marriage arranged by her parents. She wants Aji to come and save her. Our comrade in love has a fortnight to reach the US and save his lady in distress. With no visa in hand and little chances of getting one, Aji, embarks on a challenging route of entering the USA. He flies down to Nicaragua and then starts off by road to Mexico from where he hopes to slip across the US border.
Does Aji finally make it to his Sarah?
This love story lacks intensity. A Tamil film Vaarnam Ayiram comes to mind, where the hero follows his love to the USA. That was so well written. Comrade in America suffers from weak writing. The second half is hurried.
Aji has a group of illegal immigrants who trudge on foot to reach the US border; a family of four that has sold everything, a Chinese person, a Sri Lankan Tamilian (John Vijay in an interesting Malayalam debut) and a young Indian woman (Chandini Sreedharan) who is keen to visit the place her father worked.
From a love story, Comrade in America meanders into a movie about the plight of illegal immigrants. Though there was scope to develop that part, it is fleetingly touched. And, an actress like Sreedharan has very little to do.
What holds up the sagging story is Salmaan’s charisma, the comedy in the first half and the understanding relationship shared by Aji with his parents. Salmaan’s finest moment is the scene where a drunk Aji talks about his love to the communist leaders, Marx, Lenin and Guevara.
This one is clearly for Salmaan fans.
