Arabikkatha is a 2007 Malayalam film directed by Lal Jose

Lal Jose

Lal Jose is an Indian film director. His debut film as a director is Oru Maravathoor Kanavu . His popular films include Meesa Madhavan , Classmates and Arabikkatha .- Biography :...

 and written by Ikbal Kuttipuram

Ikbal Kuttipuram

Dr. Mohhammad Iqbal kompathel also known as Iqbal Kuttippuram is a Malayalam Film Script and Story writer. He has written stories for the popular films like Niram, arabikatha etc. He has worked almost a half dozen of films till now.-Biography:...

. The film was a critical success and a commercial success in India and the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

. It deals with differences within the Communist movement, and was produced against a background of real-life splits in the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...

 (CPIM) in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

.

Plot summary

The film narrates the story of Cuba Mukundan (Sreenivasan) who can be called an ‘impractical idealist.’ He is a staunch leftist who lives for the movement. Circumstances force him to take up a job in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

. But he finds himself a misfit as he has never worked nor seen life outside Kerala. He also realizes that the Malayalis working in this region, whom he had earlier mocked for leaving the country for monetary gains, actually leave due to lack of opportunity back home. They perform menial jobs and physical labor in order to support their families back home. He has always had a soft corner for China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 as a result of his leftist leanings and when he meets a Chinese girl, she quickly finds a special place in his heart as she symbolizes China to him. Later he understand that she is from the group of anti communists and is there to make money for the treatment of her boy friend who fought against the Chinese Government, he gives her his earnings saying a communist never keeps money more than his requirements.

The movie depicts Mukundan who lives in backward Kerala being catapulted into the real world of commerce and industry that gives employment opportunity to workers from Kerala. Mukundan who finds himself in present society where sticking to any ideology without any compromises is perceived as something of an anachronism

Anachronism

An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...

. Mukundan often fails to change with the changing times.

Cast

• Sreenivasan : Cuba Mukundan
• Jayasurya
  Jayasurya
  Jayasurya is an Indian film actor and comedian. He made his debut in 2001 in the Malayalam film Dosth and has since acted in about 50 films, notable ones being Swapnakkoodu , Pulival Kalyanam , Chathikkatha Chanthu , Classmates , Gulumaal , Happy Husbands and...
  
   : Sidharthan
• Zhang Chu Min : Zhang Chu Min
• Samvrutha Sunil
  Samvrutha Sunil
  Samvrutha Sunil is a South Indian actress from Kerala. She was introduced to the film industry through a Malayalam film Rasikan opposite Dileep. She had acted in several films in Tamil and Malayalam...
  
   : Maya
• Jagathy Sreekumar
  Jagathy Sreekumar
  Sreekumar Achary, better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar, is an Indian film actor who has performed in more than 1,000 Malayalam films. He has also directed two films and has written screenplays for two films...
  
   : Kunjunny Mothalali
• Nedumudi Venu
  Nedumudi Venu
  Nedumudi Venu is a popular Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.- Early life :...
  
   : Society Gopalan
• Saleem Kumar
  Saleem Kumar
  Salim Kumar is a National Award winning Indian film actor and mimicry artist predominantly acting in Malayalam cinema....
  
   : Karim
• Indrajith
  Indrajith
  Indrajith is an Indian film actor. He is the elder son of late Malayalam actor Sukumaran and actress Mallika. His brother Prithviraj is also an actor...
  
   : Anwar
• Sadik: Abbas
• Kozhikode Narayanan Nair:
• Suraj Venjaramood
  Suraj Venjaramood
  Suraj Venjaramood is a Malayalam film actor and mimicry artist. He mainly plays comic roles, though he has played some lead roles as well.-Life:...
  
  : James
• Guruvayoor Sivaji : Karunan
• Augastine:
• Atlas Ramachandran : Coat Nambiar
• KTC Abdulla : Himself