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{{more footnotes needed|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kerala Cafe
| image = Kerala Cafe.jpg
| director = {{ubl|[[Ranjith (director)|Ranjith]]|[[M. Padmakumar]]|[[Shanker Ramakrishnan]]|[[Shaji Kailas]]|[[Uday Ananthan]]|[[Anjali Menon]]|[[B. Unnikrishnan]]|[[Shyamaprasad]]|[[Anwar Rasheed]]|[[Revathi|Revathy]]|[[Lal Jose]]}}
| producer = [[Ranjith (director)|Ranjith]]
| writer = {{ubl|[[Deedi Damodaran]]|Rajesh Jayaram|Lal Jose|Anjali Menon|[[Joshua Newton (writer)|Joshua Newton]]|M. Padmakumar|[[Unni R.]]|Shanker Ramakrishnan|[[Ahmed Sidhique]]|B. Unnikrishnan}}
| starring = {{ubl|[[Sathyan Anthikkad]]|[[Dileep]]|[[Prithviraj Sukumaran]]|[[Suresh Gopi]]|[[Fahadh Faasil]]|[[Mammootty]]|[[Navya Nair]]|[[Jyothirmayi]]|[[Nithya Menen]]|[[Sona Nair]]|[[Rima Kallingal]]}}
| cinematography = {{ubl|Manoj Pillai|Anil Nair|Vijay Ulaganath|[[Sujith Vaassudev]]|[[Hari Nair]]|[[M. J. Radhakrishnan]]|[[Shamdat|Shamdat Saifudheen]]|Alagappan|Suresh Rajan|Prakash Kutty|[[Madhu Ambat]]|[[S. Kumar]]}}
| editing = {{ubl|[[Ranjan Abraham]]|[[Manoj (film editor)|Manoj]]|Samjith Mohammed|Vijay Shankar|V. T. Sreejith|[[John Kutty]]|[[B. Lenin]]|[[Vivek Harshan]]|Rajalakshmi|[[Mahesh Narayan]]}}
| music = {{ubl|[[Ishaan Dev]]|[[Ouseppachan]]|[[Bijibal]]|[[M. Jayachandran]]|[[Rahul Raj]]|[[Isaac Thomas Kottukapally]]|[[Rex Vijayan]]|[[Bombay Jayashree]]|Manu Ramesan|Thej Marvin}}
| studio = Capitol Theatres
| distributor = Backwater Media & Entertainment Private Ltd.
| country = India
| released = {{Film date|2009|10|9|[[Abu Dhabi]]|2009|10|29|[[Kerala]]|df=y}}
| language = Malayalam
| budget = 
| gross = 
}}

'''''Kerala Cafe : a film joint ''''' is a 2009 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[anthology film]] consisting of ten short film segments, combined together by [[Ranjith (director)|Ranjith]], [[M. Padmakumar]], [[Shanker Ramakrishnan|Shankar Ramakrishnan]], [[Shaji Kailas]], [[Uday Ananthan]], [[Anjali Menon]], [[B. Unnikrishnan]], [[Shyamaprasad]], [[Anwar Rasheed]], [[Revathi|Revathy]], and [[Lal Jose]]. The film stars an [[ensemble cast]] of all segments.

== List of short films ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Title
!Director
!Writer
!Cinematographer
|-
|''[[Prologue]]''
|[[Ranjith (director)|Ranjith]]
|{{Dash}}
|Manoj Pillai
|-
|''Nostalgia''
|[[M. Padmakumar]]
|[[M. Padmakumar]] (Based on the poem ''Nattuvaazhikal'')
|Anil Nair
|-
|''Island Express''
|[[Shanker Ramakrishnan|Shankar Ramakrishnan]]
|Shankar Ramakrishnan
|[[S Kumar]]
|-
|''Lalitham Hiranmayam''
|[[Shaji Kailas]]
|Rajesh Jayaraman
|[[Sujith Vaassudev]]
|-
|''Mrityunjayam''
|[[Uday Ananthan]]
|[[Ahmed Sidhique]]
|[[Hari Nair]]
|-
|''Happy Journey''
|[[Anjali Menon]]
|Anjali Menon
|[[M. J. Radhakrishnan]]
|-
|''Aviraamam''
|[[B. Unnikrishnan]]
|B. Unnikrishnan
|[[Shamdat Sainudeen]]
|-
|''Off-season''
|[[Shyamaprasad]]
|[[Joshua Newtonn]]
|Alagappan
|-
|''Bridge''
|[[Anwar Rasheed]]
|[[Unni R.]]
|Suresh Rajan
|-
|''Makal''
|[[Revathy]]
|[[Deedi Damodaran]]
|[[Madhu Ambat]]
|-
|''Puram Kazchakal''
|[[Lal Jose]]
|[[Lal Jose]] (Based on [[C. V. Sreeraman]]'s short story ''Puramkazchakal'')
|[[Vijay Ulaganath]]
|}

==Plots ==
Kerala Cafe is an anthology film comprising ten distinct short stories, each narrating a different tale. Though independent in theme and characters, the stories are subtly interconnected. The Kerala Cafe serves as the sole common link, with each narrative either passing through or making a brief visit to the cafe.
=== ''Nostalgia'' (First segment) ===
''Nostalgia'' that is loosely based on Venugopal's poem ''Naatuvazhikal'' is the first film that unfolds.
Johnykutty is employed in the Middle East, who claims to friends to long to return to [[Kerala]] some day. On a vacation back to India though, he despises the government and the potholes on the road, the bureaucracy and the people. Having signed a deal to sell off his ancestral mansion, enrolling his kids in a boarding school, and making fake promises to his old friend, he flies back to Dubai, to commence his nostalgic laments all over again.

=== ''Island Express'' (Second segment) ===
The hero zooms down and starts whispering to us about Jesus, Frankenstein and [[Devasuram|Mangalassery Neelakantan]], the idol trio who have had a say in his life.
With his 'editor-publisher hanging around his arms, the writer that he is, speeds off to Kerala, promising her that he would provide traditional attire to cover her up when they reach there.
An aged woman waits for her bus at a bus station, while an army officer sitting nearby dozes off, his head resting gently on her shoulders.
A dishevelled looking man in his fifties, brushes aside the advances of a teenage girl in a shabby looking lodge, as he prepares to go somewhere.
Island Express splendidly bonds together these diverse characters and more in a dramatic climax.

=== ''Lalitham Hiranmayam'' (Third segment) ===
Ramesh is caught between his wife Lalitha and mistress Mayi and has to take the big decision now.
The turmoil that goes on inside the man's mind is slickly edited and trendily depicted on screen.
Ramesh discloses his affair with Mayi to Lalitha before his accidental death, and Lalitha accepts Mayi and her child as part of her life.

=== ''Mrityunjayam'' (Fourth segment) ===
''Mrityunjayam'' has a journalist doing an investigative story on a spooky old 'Mana' (ancestral Kerala house) that in its owner's own words is a 'very different and peculiar place'.
He falls in love with a girl, the owner's granddaughter who greets him at the door there, and straight away ask her if she would marry him. She is taken aback but all the more impressed by his candidness. He then proceeds to the "Mana" to unveil the mystery despite its owner's cautionary warning, and returns to visit the girl again. In the end the journalist also succumbs to the mystery of the "Mana", and is found dead inside, the next morning. It is revealed that it was his ghost that came to visit the girl that night.

=== ''Happy Journey'' (Fifth segment) ===
A middle aged man delights himself with a bit of flirting with a girl sitting beside him on a bus from [[Ernakulam]] to [[Kozhikode]]. Edging his way into the girl's seat and engaging in worthless conversation, he is all optimistic about the night that lies ahead. The girl on the other hand is initially uncomfortable, but all of a sudden composedly takes on a different garb that stuns the man. Against all odds, she would keep her head above the water, and a calmness descends on her that is at once creepy and confident.
A psychological combat between the two ensues that concludes in an impressive climax.

=== ''Aviramam'' (Sixth segment) ===
''Aviramam'' talks of life that would go on, even as one strives to put an end to it all.
Devi wakes up to find her doting husband Ravi beside her with a cup of tea. Gulping down the tea, she talks of 'how horrible a kisser' he was.
There is talk of the recession eating into the IT sector and Ravi's business in particular before they get ready to leave for the railway station with their kids. Having seen off his family on a short vacation of three days, Ravi heads back home and gets a noose ready to finally call it a day. But the true love of Devi prevents any mishaps and they decide to take on life as it comes.

=== ''Off Season'' (Seventh segment) ===
Kunjappai gets all pepped up as he comes across a foreigner couple on an almost empty [[Kovalam]] beach. His hopes of earning some quick money are dashed when he learns that they are broke and have actually traveled all the way from [[Lisbon]] looking for work in India. But Kunjappai and the couple bond well, and soon all's well that ends well

=== ''Bridge'' (Eighth segment) ===
''Bridge'' illustrates the obvious symbols of loss, misery and desolation.
The film talks about two parallel tracks, the first one involving a boy and his pet kitten. The father discards the pet kitten to discipline the child, but the child falls ill, and the father then sets out to find the kitten to calm his son, but to no avail.
The other story has a son, who lives in poor surroundings, deciding to leave his ailing mother in the street.
In the end, it is shown that the old lady and the kitten have found each other, and both are sitting on the verandah of Kerala Cafe.

=== ''Makal'' (Ninth segment) ===
''Makal'' explores the theme of child exploitation. The story follows a girl who is taken from her village by a couple under the guise of adoption. While it initially appears to be a generous act, the narrative gradually reveals a darker motive, exposing issues related to child-trafficking.

=== ''Puram Kazhchakal'' (Tenth segment) ===
''Puram Kazhchakal'' portrays a nameless man aboard a bus trudging along a hill terrain.
His anger and impatience at the slow moving vehicle is being amusedly watched by a fellow passenger who gulps down his own memories.

==Cast==
*[[Sathyan Anthikkad]] as himself (introduces the film)
=== ''Nostalgia'' ===
* [[Dileep (actor)|Dileep]] as Johny
* [[Navya Nair]] as Sheela, Johny's wife
* [[Sudheesh]] as Jose, Johny's classmate
* [[Suresh Krishna (actor)|Suresh Krishna]] as Suresh, Johny's coworker
* [[Babu Namboothiri]] as Johny's father
* [[Sreelatha Namboothiri]] as Johny's mother
* [[Ambika Mohan]] as the mother superior
* [[Anil Murali]] as Sreekumar Pillai

=== ''Island Express'' ===
* [[Prithviraj Sukumaran]] as Leon
* [[Jayasurya]] as Vishal Krishnan
* [[Sukumari]] as Narayani
* [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]] as Renjith
* [[Maniyanpilla Raju]] as the driver of Island Express
* [[Kani Kusruti]] as Zeba, Leon's love interest
* [[Shelly (actress)|Shelly Kishore]] as Kaveri
* [[Sreejith Ravi]] as a person in the club
* [[M. A. Baby]] as himself
* Geethu Christie as Renjith's love interest

=== ''Lalitham Hiranmayam'' ===
* [[Suresh Gopi]] as Ramesh
* [[Jyothirmayi]] as Lalitha, Ramesh's wife
* [[Dhanya Mary Varghese]] as Hiranmayi, Ramesh's love interest
* [[Jayan Cherthala]] as Ramesh's friend

=== ''Mrityunjayam'' ===
* [[Fahadh Faasil]] as the journalist, after died (Sprit)
* [[Thilakan]] as Thirumeni, owner of Vanneri Mana
* [[Rima Kallingal]] as Thirumeni's granddaughter
* [[Anoop Menon]] as James, officer of IB
* [[Meera Nandan]] as James' step-sister

=== ''Happy Journey'' ===
* [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] as 'JK'
* [[Nithya Menen]] as a JK's co-passenger
* [[Bindu Panicker]] as JK's wife (voice only)
* [[Mukundan (actor)|Mukundan]] as the journalist
* [[Mythili]] as a person in the cafe
* [[Pradeep Kottayam]] as a person in the cafe

=== ''Aviraamam'' ===
* [[Siddique (actor)|Siddique]] as Ravi
* [[Shweta Menon]] as Devi, Ravi's wife
* [[Sudheesh]] as Jose (Character in segment Nostalgia)

=== ''Off Season'' ===
* [[Suraj Venjaramood]] as Kunjappayi, a tour guide
* Vindhyan as Razak

=== ''Bridge'' ===
* [[Salim Kumar]] as Manikandan
* [[Kalpana (Malayalam actress)|Kalpana]] as Manikandan's wife
* [[Kozhikode Shantha Devi]] as Manikandan's mother
* [[Jinu Joseph]] as the father
* Molly Kannamali as Mary

=== ''Makal'' ===
* [[Sona Nair]] as Sethulekshmi
* [[Augustine (actor)|Augustine]] as Sathashivan
* [[Sreenath]] as Sajeevan
* [[Sasi Kalinga]] as the person who traffics the child

=== ''Puram Kazhchakal'' ===
* [[Mammootty]] as a passenger in the bus
* [[Sreenivasan]] as a writer
* [[Sshivada]] as the writer's former lover
* [[Manikandan Pattambi]] as the conductor of the bus
* [[Shalu Kurian]] as a passenger in the bus

==Themes ==
On a common theme of journeys, each filmmaker presents their cinematic impression of contemporary times in Kerala. The independent narratives integrate when, during these journeys, their characters pass through Kerala Cafe—a quaint railway cafeteria—thereby creating a joint mosaic of issues and impressions.<ref name="mb">{{cite web |title=Kerala Cafe |url=http://www.keralacafe.moviebuzz.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009064703/http://keralacafe.moviebuzz.org/ |archive-date=9 October 2009 |access-date=8 October 2009}}</ref>

The project involved ten different cinematographers from the industry. The project features ten different stories from different settings in [[Kerala]], providing ample scope for a diverse bouquet of visual styles. The intersection of the ten stories happens in a railway cafeteria called "Kerala Café", where there is an interaction among the characters of the different stories. This portion was collectively shot by the participating directors and the cinematography was done by Prakash Kutty. [[Ranjith (director)|Ranjith]] was the compiler and the producer of the project.

==Soundtrack==
The only song featured in the film is "Kathayamama, Kathayamama, Kathakalathisadaram", an ode to [[Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan|Thunchath Ezhuthachan]]'s famous verse, shown in the end credits. The lyrics of the song were written by [[Rafeeq Ahamed]] and the music was composed by [[Bijibal]], and sung by [[P. Jayachandran]].

==Release==
The film was released in [[Abu Dhabi]] on 9 October 2009.<ref>[http://www.snehasallapam.com/showthread.php/yes-we-are-858.html Yes we Are]. Sneha Sallapam. {{dead link|date=October 2012}}</ref> The film released in India on 29 October 2009.

==Reception==
Critics gave the film generally favourable reviews. Giving it four stars out of five, Nowrunning.com commented: "Open up this box of assorted candies, and you see them all laid out on a salver, quite uneven in manner and matter, posture and perspective and yet it all builds into something quite incredible that makes this ambitious enterprise a fascinating filmic feast."<ref>{{cite web |author=Veeyan |url=http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/6976/malayalam/kerala-cafe/2383/review.htm |title=Kerala Cafe Review — Malayalam Movie Review by VN |publisher=Nowrunning.com |date=2009-10-31 |access-date=2012-10-18 |archive-date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329094401/https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/6976/malayalam/kerala-cafe/2383/review.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Movie Buzz of Sify.com said, "Here is a film that looks different from the rest and catches the viewers' attention quite easily."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sify.com/movies/kerala-caf-review-malayalam-pclxtkiedhaca.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701144138/http://www.sify.com/movies/kerala-caf-review-malayalam-pclxtkiedhaca.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 July 2016|title = Kerala Caf|website=[[Sify]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-malayalam-review-kerala-cafe/20091029.htm|title=Review: Kerala Cafe is a worthwhile experiment}}</ref>
==Legacy==
Some of the emotional scenes became viral through social media. Also, one of the dialogue by [[Prithviraj Sukumaran]] in this film became a subject to trolls and memes in social media.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|1539997|Kerala Cafe}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Kerala Cafe
| list =
{{Anwar Rasheed}}

{{Shaji Kailas}}
{{Lal Jose}}
{{Shyamaprasad}}
{{M. Padmakumar}}
}}

{{Ranjith}}

[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Indian anthology films]]
[[Category:Indian avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:2000s avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:Films about adoption]]
[[Category:Films directed by M. Padmakumar]]
[[Category:Films directed by Shaji Kailas]]
[[Category:Films directed by Anjali Menon]]
[[Category:Films directed by B. Unnikrishnan]]
[[Category:Films directed by Shyamaprasad]]
[[Category:Films directed by Anwar Rasheed]]
[[Category:Films directed by Revathi]]
[[Category:Films directed by Lal Jose]]
[[Category:Films scored by Rex Vijayan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ouseppachan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Isaac Thomas]]
[[Category:Films scored by M. Jayachandran]]
[[Category:Films scored by Rahul Raj]]
[[Category:Films scored by Bijibal]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kochi]]
[[Category:Films shot in Idukki]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kozhikode]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tamil Nadu]]

Kerala Cafe - Revision history

ClaudiaEncarnaci at 13:53, 23 March 2026