Nadikar reviews: Tovino Thomas' meta-movie garners mixed reactions

The Malayalam film industry has been enjoying a dream run so far this year. While all other industries have been struggling to deliver a decent hit, Malayalam filmmakers surprised everyone by scoring back-to-back blockbusters, both commercially and critically. Can Tovino Thomas' latest movie, Nadikar, which was released in cinemas on May 3, continue Malayalam cinema's winning streak?

While the commercial fate of Nadikar will be clear by the end of the opening weekend, it seems the film has failed to impress the critics. It has garnered mixed reactions from both critics and audiences alike.

Before its release, Nadikar created a lot of controversy over its title. The film was originally titled Nadikar Thilakam, which is the honorary title for the late acting great Sivaji Ganeshan. The film's title underwent a slight change after fans of the late thespian took offence.

Nadikar, which means "an actor," was released amid a lot of expectations. One reason is its director. The film is helmed by Lal Jr, who has delivered hits like Honey Bee and Driving License.

Based on the trailer, Nadikar seems like a comment on the nature of cinema. It revolves around an upstart actor who finds huge success very early in his career before even fully understanding the craft of acting. The early success seems to corrupt the protagonist as he takes himself too seriously and seems convinced that he's at the centre of the universe. The hero's self-centred approach to the craft of acting seems to backfire when he gets to work with serious filmmakers, causing self-doubts. The film seems to shed light on the downside of a life of excess.

The meta-movie shenanigans of Tovino Thomas seem to have not resonated with the audiences. Many have rated the movie poorly, blaming the film's sketchy second half. However, everyone seems to have been impressed by Tovino's performance.

Besides Tovino, Nadikar also stars Divya Pillai, Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Suresh Krishna, and Bhavana.