Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Fathima Noorjahan is a biochemistry college student and a football fanatic who loves to talk non-stop and is known in her town as the resident chatterbox. She won’t even shut-up while watching TV alone and constantly comments on everything unfolding on the screen, from “Tom & Jerry” episodes to Marvel movies. So when her older brother requests her to provide commentary for a football event in town because the play-by-play announcer backed out at the last minute, Fathima wakes up to a new career path.
Directed by Manu C. Kumar, who has co-written the script with Suhail Koya, the 2023 movie “Sesham Mike-il Fathima” stars the energetic chirpy Kalyani Priyadarshan as the titular protagonist – Fathima. The story follows her journey to becoming a popular local commentator and struggling to make it big, all while facing resistance from her father and nosy relatives who just want her to get married.
The first half of the movie is sheer fun, with a “feel-good” mood throughout as the story steadily builds up the dynamics in Fathima’s house. Aneesh G. Menon plays Fathima’s older brother Asif, and the two have a typical love-hate sibling relationship. It’s Asif who first encourages Fathima’s potential talent as a football commentator. Actor Sudheesh plays their father Muneer, who own a small vehicle repair shop, dotes on his kids, but doesn’t have much faith in their dreams. Fathima’s relationship with her mother (Priya Sreejith) is endearing. There’s one scene that sweetly captures their bond: after reprimanding Fathima for trying to practice whistling in the house, her mother sends her husband out for an errand and teaches her daughter how to whistle herself.
“Sesham Mike-il Fathima,” however, begins to lose its grip on the story in the second half. While still mildly entertaining, the plot twists and drama culminate in a farcical ending, which is a far cry from the sweet and simple movie it started out as. Fathima moves to Kochi for an internship at a clinical lab and then enlists the help of her journalist friend Ramya (Femina George) to connect with influential figures in the state football scene (including the state’s sports minister), so it could help her land a commentary role for a significant match. Fathima practically bulldozes her way to her dreams, and while the makers try to portray her journey as a “struggle,” Fathima actually faces unrealistically few obstacles. The only redeeming aspect of the second half was the friendship between Fathima and Ramya.
Kalyani Priyadarshan infuses the lead character with chirpy energy, and is joyful to watch as the dreamy-eyed chatty Fathima. Although, at times, the character comes off as too entitled – she seems to think that just because one possesses talent, things will be handed to them on a platter. Only in movies. So, the climax is clichéd, far-fetched, and Fathima deserved a more realistic trajectory, which could have still led to a “happy ending.” If you don’t let the exaggerations and drama get to you, “Sesham Mike-il Fathima” is an entertaining film about a woman trying to pursue her dream career.
Rating: 6 on 10. Stream the film on Netflix.
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