Ayisha Review… a beautiful fairy tale with some incoherent pieces
Year: 2023
Genre: Elderly, Relations, Girly, Career, Period, True Story, Travel, Drama
Cast: Manju Warrier, Mona, Radhika, Latheefa, Salama, Krishna Sankar, Barrah Al Nizamy
Director: Aamir Pallikkal
Writer: Aashif Kakkodi
Cinematographer: Vishnu Sharma
Summary: The true story of Nilambur Ayisha who moved to Saudi Arabia in the late 80s to work as a maid. She learns to adapt to a new life while trying to forge a relationship with Mama, the rigid matriarch of the palace
Overall Rating: Beignets 
‘Ayisha’ was a breath of fresh air, it felt like a beautifully animated fairy tale.
The long duration, however, seemed as if the director was stretching and improvising some scenes making the film incoherent
~Worth Watching~
Delicious
—The director provided us with thorough insights into Ayisha’s environment in the Gulf. We learned about the rules and regulations of the palace, who was who, as well as the maids’ lifestyle.
We had a taste of the workers’ activities, aspirations, treatments, and restrictions.
It was also interesting to witness Ayisha’s (Manju Warrier) timid relationship with her daughter which we later came to comprehend.
—The dynamic cinematography increased the fairy tale aspect with camera movements that displayed the magnificence of the palace and Mama’s (Mona) romantic past. This made us feel part of Ayisha’s and Mama’s world🥰
—Watching Mama go through her illness was humbling with her regular dialysis and other painful moments.
Mama said it well: “Old age and illness come together like a couple…Your family thinks you need peaceful space, when you actually long for company and happiness.”
Ayisha’s fierceness amidst adversity was encouraging as she fought for justice and defied the odds for the betterment of others
Bland
—Let’s talk about the language confusion in the movie; Ayisha was speaking to Saudis in Malayalam and they somehow understood while her friend Nisha (Radhika) was speaking Tamil to her foreign colleagues 😳😳
—The movie took ample time to focus on Ayisha’s bond with Mama which made us wonder whether the scenario was centered on Ayisha the person or Ayisha & Mama.
The story could have been told more quickly but the fact it went on for almost 2h30m, many segments started dragging and being improvised, e.g. the play performed at the end, the clogged pump scene, etc.
Viewers’ Guide
Language none Violence
Trailer
Available on
(Audio: Malayalam, Arabic; English Subtitles: Yes)
