Akkara Kazhchakal

Akkara Kazhchakal is an Indian Malayalam-language sitcom that aired on Kairali TV from 2008 to 2010. The series consisted of fifty episodes which chronicled the lives of a middle-class Malayali family settled in the United States of America. The show was created by Abi Varghese and Ajayan Venugopalan and starred relative newcomers as the leads.

The show is regarded as the first true Malayalam sitcom with real-life situations and witty dialogues minus any drama or artificiality seen in other Indian serials. The series was a refreshing break for the Malayalee audience who were fed on a staple diet of treacle-filled and unrealistic TV serials. It broke broadcasting conventions when it was uploaded to YouTube in its entirety by the show's creators. Akkara Kazhchakal has enjoyed widespread popularity during its initial run as well as in the subsequent years. The series has been especially commended for its realistic portrayal of day-to-day Malayali life, social commentary and satirical humour. Josekutty Valiyakallumkal has been widely praised for his portrayal of George Thekkinmoottil, the patriarch of the family.

The show's popularity lead to a film titled Akkarakazhchakal: The Movie.

Characters
The show focuses on George Thekumoottil (Josekutty Valiyakallumkal), a struggling insurance agent. His wife Rincy (Sajini Sachariah) is a nurse who prefers a more luxurious life. While George and Rincy grew up in Kerala, India, their children Matt (Febin Joseph) and Chakki mol (Felisha Joseph) were born and raised in the United States and prefer the American way of living. The show also features Jacob Gregory as George's insurance assistant, Gregory and Paulose Palatty as George's father.

Other episodes follow the lives of Mahi (Hari Dev) and Babykuttan (Sanjeev Nair), two nurses who recently immigrated from Kerala and their housemates Krish (Jayan Mathew) and Baiju (Geo Thomas), who moved in with them after losing their jobs during the IT recession.

Other recurring characters include Pallilachan (Jose Paramus), a priest from the New Jersey church, Rincy's friend Shiny (Shine Roy) and Shiny's husband Jacob Embranthiri (Saji Sebastin).

Premise


George Thekkinmootil is a Malayali from Aymanam. He moved to the U.S., after marrying Rincy who is a nurse working in New Jersey. Having grown up in Kerala, he is often nostalgic and emotional about his homeland. Rincy, by contrast has accustomed to the American life, and is not bothered much by it. A running gag throughout the show is the cultural divide between George and his children. Though he is critical of their embracement of the American culture, he is a loving father and often tells them how fortunate they are to enjoy such a great life in America. At the onset of the series, George is stuck in a job that he dislikes and tries launching various businesses, all of which backfire. He finally settles down as an insurance agent after clearing the Insurance License Exam, and starts his own Insurance firm.

Gregory is George's ever-stammering insurance assistant. Even though his actual name is Gregory, George calls him "Girigiri" because of his stammering. His constant need for snacks is often criticized by George. Rincy is very fond of Gregory and considers him like the younger brother she never had. Gregory walks out after being irritated by Appachan, and Candy is recruited to take his place. But soon Gregory joins back as Candy steals George's laptop & runs away and He got fired from his job.

Another plot line that runs parallel to George's is Mahesh (Mahi) and Babykuttan (bobby). They lands in the U.S. through George's cousin, who is a placement agent in New Jersey. On their very first day, they almost ended up being arrested by a cop (Richard Lampone) after the fire alarm went off because they burned an omelet. The police officer mistook their Puttu Kodam, used for making Puttu, for a marijuana vaporizer.

There are a few episodes in which Appachan prepares grape pickles around the grape season, and Girigiri helps him sell them in the local Indian grocery store under the brand name Appachan's Achar.

Film locations

 * The house of George Thekkinmootil's family is located in Englewood which is Abi Varghese's real home.
 * Mahi and Babykuttan stay in a house that is located in North Brunswick, Ajayan Venugopalan's real home.

Akkara Kazchakal - The Movie
Following the success of Akkara Kazhchakal, the team planned to release a movie calling it Akkara Kazhchakal - the movie. The movie was released in the United States on 29 April 2011, and produced by Infamous Coconuts & BOM TV.

In the film, Thekkinmootil Family decides to move Appachan and Ammachi to an old age home in Kerala. Meanwhile, between the jobs and a new insurance office, George and Rincy finds it hard to spend time with the family. With Rincy, kids and Appachan complaining about a much needed break, George finally decides to take the family on a vacation to Niagara Falls.

Critical reviews
Nita Sathyendran of The Hindu reviewed, "It looks like George has not only delivered on his promise but has also managed to endear himself to his viewers." Jacob A. C. of Mathrubhumi said, "The victory of Akkara Kazhchakal lies in the fact that it was able to introduce the day to day life of an Malayali-American a lighter mood."

Viewership
This sitcom had an estimated 80,000 weekly viewers.

DVD releases
A DVD of Akkara Kazhchakal was released during Onam 2008 celebrations of Kerala Association of New Jersey (KANJ) by the cast members.