Veteran director Sathyan Anthikkad's attempt at being one more up on actress Manju Warrier's hot comeback trail is effective, while being lightweight, in spite of skirting over many themes that could have taken this into heavy, dark territory. Now, as to whether that is an (actually, many) opportunity lost, or a director firmly in grasp of his medium, ensuring he covers everything with a deft/light touch, is something I am unable to make my mind up on. And that's not a bad thing, because I do remember being entertained for most of its running time, and is that not what most audiences, as well as film- makers want?
For one whose life is not littered with achievements (character- wise, in this one), Mohanlal has to be playing one of the most self- assured characters ever rendered on the screen. A person who's egotistic to the point of being more than just narcissistic, who lives his own life by a few simple pointers he has laid out for himself, his character doesn't have an arc, as in a redemptive one, that makers are usually prone to inflict on mainstream, as well as Indie audiences, though, to be fair, that chances of that happening in an Indie production are less. He simply does not change, and is unapologetic about whatever he does, not even being PC when it has to do with treating those he considers as beneath himself, or lesser in stature than him. There are always 2 ways of looking at this. One, is to laud those behind the scenes in not compromising on bringing realistic characters to the screen, no matter how they might be perceived, or two, to be extremely critical of the makers for perpetrating stereotypes. I've found myself on both sides of the fence on this issue, and firmly believe that movies that make one think, instead of being a statement-of-fact make us belong to one or the other camps. On this one, in spite of its many mis-steps, which I will come to in a bit, I believe the makers were well-aware of what they were showcasing, and did so unapologetically.
Manju Warrier looks better than she did in 'How old are you', and it seems like she's firmly on the road to get in as much good work as possible, considering the time she has lost in the industry. Not a bad thing. Between this and her earlier work post-comeback, this is more accessible, and more mature, and has fewer mis-steps than the previous one did. She also gets a chance to meta-refer her life, keeping the identity of her ex outta the frame for the running time.
Mohanlal, on the other hand, has done a lot of trash between his last blockbuster, 'Drishyam', and this one. This falls into the realm of a comeback of sorts for him as well, and he has a firm grasp of the character, and for all its flaws, makes it his own, and endears himself to the audience in each and every frame he's in. Her characterization though, leaves a lot to be desired, and is not well-etched, when it comes to work. Also, it does not help to have a realistic kinda case and the laughable, falling-flat-at-humor denouement doesn't help her character, and blame for that should firmly be laid elsewhere, not at her feet.
In spite of the fact that the classical dance-sequences seemed shoehorned-in, they're welcome, since it's been a while since I've seen it done well ('Sagarasangamam' always comes to mind, since the ones in this have been picturized as beautifully). If they were not shoehorned-in, they might have created more impact, but I'm not complaining.
The underlying humor in each sequence, especially featuring Mohanlal, seems organic enough, and evokes the needed laughter, while keeping us engaged in the lightweight plot.
One of the best things in the movie is how supporting characters remain in-character throughout, without allowing certain events bring about a sea-change in them, as they're wont to, in most mainstream productions that do not require thinking minds. Also, the female lead characters, and supporting ones, are perhaps given more to do than the lead male protagonist, and are all achievers in their own right. Given that, it is a testament to Mohanlal's performance, in spite of his character not having a typical-redeeming arc, that he manages to make his character endear himself to the audience (not sure if it is just to the males in the audience though) in spite of being surrounded by giants, in terms of standing tall in life.
The background score is mostly OK, with the other departments chiming in to support the narrative. 1/2 songs are also pleasant- sounding, but do interrupt the overall flow. Not complaining hard, though. The in- car driving sequences in front of projected moving horizons are unnecessary, and call attention to the low budget/visualization capabilities of the makers, and along with some shoddy production design and location-work, divert from the movie- watching experience, and could have been done better, especially in this day and age, on digital, using real-locations. Sigh.
So, what makes up for everything that could've been better? The finale. It's pitch-perfect, esp. since there are quite a few things going on by then, and any kind of a logical conclusion may have juxtaposed itself in a slipshod way, the way life is wont to do, with another ongoing thread. In fact, this is one of the problems with the flick, where nothing much happens in the first half, and too much happens post-interval. However, the ending kinda caps it off in a way that left me with no complaints.
All in all, a movie worth your time, effort and dough, in spite of all things that could've been written/rendered better. A lightweight, easy watch, though you might not remember it when it comes to compiling this year's best.
