Fables and fairy tales are stories that we are all told while growing up, like happily-ever-after stories such as Cinderella and moral stories such as The Tortoise and The Hare. These stories are painted into our minds in such a way that we believe in them, although we know they won’t actually happen. But when a fantasy is placed so delicately into the fabric of our reality, our minds are instantly tuned in. We don’t think for even a minute that the story is a fantasy or a fable. Instead, our minds are nudged down a path that makes us believe the story is a reality.
In case you didn’t already figure it out, I was talking about Charlie, starring Parvathy Thiruvothu and Dulquer Salmaan.
The first time I saw the movie, I wasn’t paying much attention to the story. I was just watching the vibrant, mystical colours flow beautifully across the screen, and I was absolutely mesmerized. I never thought the colours of a movie could spark so much hope and inspiration until I saw Charlie. If it weren’t for those colours, the movie wouldn’t have been nearly as fantastical as it was. It still could’ve been pulled off because of its great cast and writing, but the colours really made the story imbue a hopeful feeling in me. The strong kind of hope that makes you believe that miracles happen. But because I didn’t necessarily pay attention to the story, I had to watch it a second time. So I did.
After paying attention to the story, I thought that Dulquer Salmaan’s role as Charlie brought out the most liveliness. If everyone on Earth was as kind and as selfless as Charlie, there might not be any wars or arguments. Personally, however, I thought that Parvathy’s character as Tessa was more inspiring than Charlie (which a lot of people might disagree with). She was bold, spoke her mind, and followed her heart. She didn’t let people down while making herself happy. I couldn’t help but let a smile grow on my face when she first went into Charlie’s old flat. Besides the vivid colors and charisma of the flat, Parvathy’s initial reaction (one of magical curiosity) made me think, “Imagine living life like THAT!” Discovering life as it comes, living the way you want, and going on a journey (more about finding yourself than it is finding someone else) seemed like something EVERYONE needed (and still needs).
There’s a sense of community and belonging in the movie that makes you feel that even you could fit in to that wild universe. One of the best examples of this is in the song “Akale” at the beginning, when we are carefully shown all of the different people in the boat. Even though none of them met each other (yet), there was still a beautiful feeling of community there.
Near the end, when Charlie and the Magician (Nassar) perform their magic trick, Tessa was watching it with curiosity rather than the fact that she might not find Charlie in the crowd, until she saw Charlie in the magic trick. That’s when her gaze shifted from curiosity to jaw-dropping awe. She instantly recognized him. Imagine that happening in real life. (That’s an instant happiness that money can’t buy. More instant than your 2-minute Maggi.)
I couldn't find a still of her reaction at that scene, but I would've totally put it here if I found it.
What makes this movie even more special is that it lives inside you, and no matter how many times you watch it. It’s the experience of being able to live a character in your mind and feel their gains and losses that elevates your emotions (hope, happiness, sadness, shock, etc.) during the movie. You know a movie impacted you when it lives in your mind rent-free, like Charlie did to me.
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