Android Kunjappan: The other side of the coin

Think of all the robot films that you have watched. How many of them do not feature a world filled with visual effects and action sequences? Android Kunjappan is not your normal robot film. It does not come with all the extravaganza of a sci-fi. The film’s main concern is not the usual question of whether technology can replace humans. It’s the other side of the coin. It explores more about the complexities of human nature and their relationships.

Android Kunjappan, directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, is a film set in a village in Kerala. It’s the kind of place where you know each person by their name. The film is the story of one family in that village. Father and son to be precise. Father, Bhaskar, is strictly old-school. He is someone who does not like any machines in his house. There is no electronic device in their kitchen, there is no washing machine and neither is there a television. Bhaskaran is the guy who finds joy in reading a newspaper in this digital age. He is the person who has never had food outside of his kitchen for ages.

A poster of Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25

His son, Subrahmanian, is an electronic engineer. It might sound ironic that Bhaskaran, someone who dislikes the presence of electronic items, let his son study electrical engineering. We are made to learn the talent Subrahmanian possesses with the kind of job offerings he gets. However, there’s a conflict. Bhaskaran does not want Subrahmanian to leave his hometown for anything. He insists his son on finding a job in their town itself. “Only those who lack courage, leave their hometowns and run away,” he says. Subrahmanian gets a job offer at a robotics company in Russia, and this time he can’t say no to it.

After changing a couple of employees, Subrahmanian finally finds who he thinks is a suitable employee to look after his ageing father. Only to find out that none of the nurses can tolerate the conservative nature and the tantrums of Bhaskaran. Enter the robot. Subrahmanian gets a robot from the company he’s working in Russia as a nurse for his father. The relationship the robot and Bhaskaran form can be called as the heart of the film.

From this point on the film addresses the complex human relationships while establishing the relationship between Bhaskaran and the robot. Our relationships with people based on caste, race, religion and genders. When people address the flaws that come with technology, the film also shows us the flaws that always existed. It essentially points out that the flaws are within us. We, humans, are flawed. We bind ourselves within certain ideas and values and fail to be of our truest self.

The robot along with technology also signifies the innocent human mind. The robot is made to wear clothes because it is roaming around naked. This is a commentary on the way we hide ourselves behind certain values. It’s the way we cage ourselves. All this is beautifully presented on the screen with humour. One moment people are not allowing the robot to enter the temple because it’s not Hindu, and the next they’re praying to it because it displayed Rama on its screen.

As humans, we can’t basket ourselves into certain categories. There’s a character called Babu who identifies himself as a communist on Facebook, but he also likes a page called Ayappa Devotees. Bhaskaran slowly makes the transition towards technology. This is a film which has a lot to say. There were a few scenes where I had a laugh riot. However, the end of the film left me with more questions than answers. I wasn’t sure what to take away towards the end. If you’re willing to forgive the climax, then Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 is a film that you’ll thoroughly enjoy.