On a rain-drenched polling day, five friends travel to an idyllic spot for a boozing session. After getting inebriated, their deep rooted prejudices start surfacing. And finally they play a game in which the players draw lots to be designated as King, Minister, Cop and Thief. The Cop identifies himself and then has to guess the Thief from among the other three. Saying anything more about the plot will amount to a spoiler. Suffice to say that the climax is chilling and deeply disturbing.
But the film is not a statement against rampant alcoholism in Kerala, as some people thought during the post-screening discussion. Alcohol is a mere lubricant to bring the bigotries and duplicities out of the closet. It is a deeply layered film with metaphors strewn all over, perhaps demanding multiple viewing to understand them all. The film often cuts to a lovely pond after intense sequences; the director is apparently holding up a mirror to our face. Are we any different from those characters? Brilliantly done, I think.
The film is based on a short story, but only loosely scripted according to the director. The characters are not played by professional actors and the dialogues reportedly evolved during shooting. This gives a life-like hue to the film. The camera becomes an observer, even an accomplice during the disturbing climax. Television news about the election provides much of the background score; music appears only towards the finale.
Ozhivu Divasathe Kali is a brilliantly nuanced film, which makes for compelling viewing. It will haunt you for a long time.