‘Pallotty 90s Kids’ movie review: A heartwarming trip down memory lane

‘Pallotty 90s Kids’ captures the essence of growing up in a simpler time and finding joy in the smaller things

Debutant director Jithin RTaj’s Pallotty 90s Kids, which won the Kerala State Award for Best Children’s Film in 2022, harks back to a lost time. Those who grew up in rural and suburban Kerala of the late ‘80s and ‘90s would find plenty to relate to as the movie takes the audience back to a simpler time. Through the eyes of two friends — Kannan and Unni — we see the world as kids do, along with how they view grown-ups while giving them a perspective on grown-up stuff.

The film’s title, ‘Pallotty,’ is a toffee made of jaggery that sticks to the teeth (‘pal’ — teeth, ‘otty’ — to stick). In the film, the confection acts as an ice-breaker, friend, peace-maker, and sometimes, a currency to bargain with amenable adults. The nostalgia it evokes lingers.

Child actors Kannan (Davinchi KS, who landed the State Award for the Best Child Actor) and Unni Damodaran (Neeraj Krishna) live the roles of two primary school boys growing up in the ‘90s. Kannan, who lives with his grandmother and mother, is mechanically inclined, constantly innovating and making things. His family’s financial condition is precarious. Unni’s family lives next door. The film is an ode to friendship as the boys share a close bond. Kannan, the older of the two, is protective of Unni. Subhi (Adhish Praveen) bullies the kids sometimes while he is also friendly with them.

Despite not having a single narrative thread, the episodes in the movie are strung together cohesively. The movie starts in the present, with a man (Arjun Ashokan) buying a Harley Davidson motorbike. The opening doesn’t hint at what the film is about. We find out later that he is the grown-up Unni who returns with a gift for his childhood friend. He tells the grown-up Kannan (Balu Varghese), “They say God gives you a family you cannot choose. You can, however, pick your friends. No, friends are also a gift from God as you are!”

Actor Saiju Kurup plays Manjulan chettan, the person who the boys think has all the answers. He is a big brother of sorts who helps them with their apprehensions and broken toys. His estrangement from his mother is resolved when he sees how the boys’ friendship is based on an absence of expectations.

Pallotty more or less comes together cohesively. That said, there are certain instances where the suddenness of the cuts can unsettle the viewer. For example, we see Kannan blowing a bubble out of gum when we suddenly see Arjun (Unni) doing the same thing. A couple of such scenes leave the viewer wondering about the back story.

The child actors capture the subtle nuances of several situations. Davinchi and Neeraj are superlative, the former especially. The humour is the kind that makes one laugh out loud, drawing from the notions kids carry. When Unni swallows a bubble gum, he and Kannan are worried that he will die. The solution Kannan comes up with is that Unni should not sleep. “Only if you sleep will you die, isn’t it?” he tells a worried Unni.  I bet many of us would have lost sleep over a swallowed bubble gum or orange pit!