The first words that appear on screen -- as the credits for Mammootty's Vishu release Thuruppu Gulan begin rolling -- are 'Thank God'. It is good to acknowledge the Almighty, but it makes one wonder whether the makers of this film were so sceptical about their product that they had to thank God it saw the light of day in this supposedly bad phase for the industry. Or was it because superstar Mammootty had agreed to do a role any ordinary actor would have squirmed at?

Thuruppu Gulan isn't an outright bad film. But you tend to feel sad when someone of Mammootty's stature has to stoop so low just to prove he can handle comedy well.

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The film is no different from the recent Mammootty films where stories are woven around the actor who is given a distinct characterisation. So, it was a man with an extended family in Bus Conductor, or a buffalo trader in Rajamanickam. One was touted as a family social film, the other as a comedy. Here too, the Rajamanickam formula is used (or should we say stretched) to the hilt, with over-the-top characterisation, gaudy costumes and all kinds of paraphernalia for support.

Coming to the story (or lack of it), Mammootty plays Kunjumon aka Gulan. He is supposedly good at cards, but is never shown playing them. Gulan runs a Thattukada (roadside eatery) in Kozhikode, but he can also bash up hooligans, help an honest cop, or beat up an inspector inside a police station and put him behind bars! These are regular incidents in this Johnny Antony-directed film. A typical hero-worshipping effort where you sometimes feel like clapping and, at other times, like hooting.

The only thing that works here is the humour. It comes from Uday Krishna and Siby K Thomas, the team behind Dileep's success as a comic hero. There are some scenes that bring the house down. Particularly the entry of Mammootty during a dance class (aimed at his detractors), where he says he wants to be a Kala Thilakam like Navya Nair and Co and then try his luck in the film industry. There are a few more scenes like these, but you get tired of it all after a while.

The supporting cast includes the regulars -- Innocent, Harisree Asokan, Salim Kumar and Jagathy Sreekumar, but none has anything substantial to do. Even heroine Sneha's presence is forgettable.

So, it is solely up to Mammootty to salvage some pride for this project. He is earnest, there is no denying that, but his efforts appear to be wasted. The story is a kind of patchwork. If it were on solid ground, it would have truly highlighted the actor's effort. That not being the case, we are just left feeling sorry for him.

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