Skip to main content

Aye Auto Malayalam film directed by Venu Nagavally: Mohanlal at his best!

Mohanlal starrer Aye Auto: Another super hit movie that Venu Nagavally is famous for is, Aye Auto, the first commercial entertaining movie of its kind that delved into the lives, conversations and relationships of auto rickshaw drivers in Kerala.

                                                  [Source: TMdB]

Mohanlal's heartwarming portrayal in Aye Auto Malayalam movie
Once again, it is Mohan Lal’s exceptional acting abilities coupled with humorous dialogues that made the movie so popular in Kerala. The story is about a poor auto rickshaw driver who meets a girl called Meenakshi from a rich, well known family and begins to fall in love with her. She teaches him English and dreams of seeing him as someone who can speak the language with confidence while he dreams of her as someone as beautiful and priceless to his life just like the auto that he calls ‘Sundari.’

There is no ‘sugar coated romance’ as such but from the way they look at each other and care so deeply about each other, you can guess how deeply they are in love and yet fighting the conflict within to not acknowledge it because the divide is too great.

Aye Auto Malayalam movie: Celebrating Aam Aadmi
Also, no director had ever bothered to delve into the pressures, working conditions and lives of autorickshaw drivers before. Even the little details about how they are treated badly in a status conscious society are dealt with in such a heartrending way through scenes that are so often snippets of what we really see around us in real life. 

A rich guest is treated with greater respect and hospitality by the host while a poor guest, who has no social status as such, is treated with contempt and indifference. 

Not all do it but yes, it is a fast growing norm and inevitable crisis that we are learning to struggle with. The movie subtly questioned the society’s upper crust and their rules that they alone can dictate the terms of how to treat others.

The goodness, the warmth of characters and the dose of reality combine all the essential attributes of a successful entertainer, which is finally, what this movie is all about. Other directors made similar attempts to make movies around the lives of auto rickshaw drivers but came up with sloppy rendering and slapstick comedy. The mark of a good director, after all, is not something every Tom, Dick and Harry can imitate.

And that’s exactly the legend Venu Nagavally was. If you liked reading this Malayalam movie review, check out my review of the film Sukhamo Devi too!

Comments

R. Ramesh said…
sad this guy died ya..also, murali the bangalore guy who acted in 100 films died in his 40s...shocking..
Preeti Shenoy said…
I remember I had seen this movie in the theatre in ernakulam when it was first released and was very impressed by it.
Thanks for stopping by :)
Cheers
preeti
Suja Manoj said…
May his soul rest in peace..he was indeed remarkable and so his creations
Lovely post..a real tribute.
Unknown said…
Hi,

My first time here...You have a lovely blog...

Dr.Sameena@

www.lovelypriyanka.blogspot.com
www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com
www.samsondentalclinic.blogspot.com
Fathima said…
love your reviews here! I am sure that Venu Nagavally's great movies will keep him alive in Keralite's minds!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Thank you all, for the heart warming appreciation about this tribute to Venu Nagavally. His demise is a huge loss for Malayalam cinema itself. My endeavor was just to reflect on his movies and the value he tried to add to the society and to our way of thinking by portraying the society in the bold way that he did.

Glad that each one of you here found it worth reading. That means a lot to me. Thx!

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

A Book Review: I too had a love story by Ravinder Singh

I don’t like reading mushy romance. But Ravinder Singh’s book ‘I too had a love story’ got me crying. The book is a spell-binding, honest tale of Ravin’s love story with Khushi – the girl he loved but couldn’t marry. Ravinder Singh’s narrative resonates with honesty, passion and an innocence that is rare among today’s Indian writers. He tells you of how passionately a man can love and respect the woman he loves and how desperately he can fight for her life in the midst of life threatening crises. Most Indian love stories end predictably. Ravinder Singh’s story is not like that – I had tears flowing down my cheeks when I read Khushi’s last words to him in a moving bus. I could personally relate to that surreal experience of saying good bye forever. It has happened with me but in a different context. And then, what broke my poise was the last chapter. There’s a sentence he writes where his father tries to persuade him to marry another girl. Ravin’s reply is

Gayatri Mantra as Panchamukhi: Get it right or let it go

Most people do not understand the importance of chanting the Gayatri mantra because they are not aware of its power. It is only when I began to read Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings that I learned how sacred and powerful the chanting of the Gayatri mantra is.    The Vedas represent the breath of God. The Gayatri mantra is the very basis of the Vedas. Try not to undertake chanting the Gayatri mantra as a light endeavor or as a hobby. It has to be chanted with faith, discipline and purity of mind and body. Be steady with your sadhana if you want to reap the spiritual dividend associated with the Gayatri mantra  and never once hesitate once you decide to do it.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that the Gayatri Mantra is referred to as Pancha Mukhi, the Goddess with five faces that represent the five pranas or life forces. Here's more on it. .  Also read: The Power of OM   Chant the Gayatri Mantra correctly: Pause Five Times Here are some important thi

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he  goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery. 7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidi