Aneesh Upasana makes interesting films, with the 2012 Maqbool Salmaan and Mythili starrer "Matinee" being his best. However, this comedy film here takes a dastardly approach.
Kinder (Shine Tom Chacko) is a young jobless man who has come to Kochi in search of a woman he saw on a video shared on WhatsApp. As idiotic as that may sound, his acquaintance Joy (Bhagath Manuel), another jobless young man who shows signs of wicked enthusiasm in all things gangsta, vows to help him find the girl. Once while roaming around the city to find his potential lady love, Kinder meets Sharon (Srinda Ashab), a petite bride-to-be who is in search of her boyfriend. Things get messier when Sharon hires Kinder to find her boyfriend who lives in Nashik, Maharashtra. Adding to the mess is Sharon's cousin Milton (Soubin Shahir), a policeman currently on suspension.
Writer Shani Khader has developed a story that takes its viewers on a fun-filled ride from Kochi to Nashik. It is a part adventure, part comedy narrative where slapstick plays an important role in making you roar with laughter. The first half, although implausible, is better than the second, because the degree of feasibility is low in the former. The instances where Milton decides to marry a random Maharashtrian girl and when Kinder is cajoled to donate his kidney are interesting. What follows next is what the biggest problem with the film is. Director Upasana must have thought that it would work if they introduce a twist in an already-twisted story. But, it doesn't. People who are sitting at the edges of their seats are forced to go back and get their spines rested because this particular twist takes all the glory out of the film, making you shrug.
Cast performance is rather decent with Chacko, Ashab, and Shahir portraying their characters very well. While Chacko is the star here, it is because of the overall cast and their well-directed performances that the film becomes at least watchable. Overall, it is made with all the right ingredients, which could have been more polished to make it better. But, it bites the dust because there are too many layers here and the plot fails to handle them properly.
BOTTOM LINE: Aneesh Upasana's "Popcorn" is a fun affair which takes its Malayalam viewers to a Maharashtrian land possibly for the first time. The only problem is the foundation and construction of the story. Watch it on YouTube or when it airs on TV.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
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