Girish A D – Movies of the Soul

What is the movie about? :: Ashley Thankachan (Mamitha Baiju), a confident young student from Mundakkayam, moves to Angamaly to pursue studies as her family faces financial difficulties due to her father being a full-time drunkard who does not go for any job without creating any problems. The family settles down in a rented home as her mother takes charge of the home-related activities for the family of four. There is also a dispute with their family which makes it almost impossible to sell their ancestral house and land back in their hometown. He finds new friends at the location and finds Justin Davis (Nivin Pauly), a bachelor in his mid-thirties who lives in the nearby house. He is well-known and liked in the neighbourhood and runs a catering business, and he is known to help others who go through any struggle. She also meets Justin’s brother Joel Davis (Sangeeth Prathap) who spends most of his time trying to make a successful short-film with his lover Sayoojya (Parvathy Ayyappadas) as the main heroine while keeping their relationship a secret. Justin’s nearby and work-related friends Baiju (Suresh Krishna), Printo (Shameer Khan) and Glixon (Roshan Shanavas) also make themselves known at the same time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Then there are the Moreli sisters who are the cousins of Justin, Riya Moreli (Meenakshi Raveendran), Sri Reshma Moreli (Srinda) and Renju Moreli (Sreerenjini), who become best friends with Ashley – they become part of various activities of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, a church-based family unit which also serves as a creative inspiration for various activities. Glixon develops a certain romantic interest with Ashley who does not show any interest in him, but develops feeling for Justin who has remained a bachelor after the death of his fiancée many years ago, and had only recovered from depression a few years ago with his catering business becoming successful against all odds. He has been serving as a leading participant in different activities of the area since then. Justin’s aunty, Sister Cicily (Bindu Panicker) finds out about Ashley’s love for him, which comes as a surprise, but he finds out that he has the same feelings for her. But the age difference and her parents’ other plans for her seems to come as a hindrance between them. Can their love survive this upcoming crisis?

The defence of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit :: We note that the age-gap dynamic between the two characters is treated with mutual respect and clarity without providing any uncomfortable feeling. The interactions also feel natural and not like something forced on the characters as part of the acting process. Their original age gap is reflected as part of the tale, unlike those movies in which older so-called superstars playing younger men and teenage heroines playing older women to bridge the gap between their lifespans. Along with the main cast, the support is also really strong with this one. The music nicely supports the movie, and there is a certain amount of nostalgia related to the talk about the past, as many of us feel close to the hero who has had a sad past. The humour nicely comes out of situations, as ego clashes and awkward family interactions easily create them, while some natural and common silliness also adds to the same. The emotions are still maintained in a strong manner, and we see that the romantic side remains cuter than ever.

Positives and negatives :: One could still feel that the tale could have had more depth to the proceedings, with the world outside the main characters also getting some more attention. But the simplicity remains a positive quality of the movie. Yet it seems to end quickly, but it serves the feel-good well as we look at it. The light-hearted feeling remains in such a way that even when there is a big fight going on, there is no real feeling of danger; we enjoy the same, as there is always a humorous side at work. The movie’s service as an Onam flick can never be questioned as it embraces the perfect mood so well – the other movies releasing with it can still have the audience who could not get tickets for this one, and those films which changed dates of release can be glad to have escaped from this competition. The fine frames here capture the lovely feeling of a suburban Kerala parish neighborhood unit. Underneath the comic side, the film explores the family expectations, the social awkwardness around non-traditional relationships and generational friction which always exists, and the same is also done without being too preachy or melodramatic.

The performers of the soul :: After Sarvam Maya, Nivin Pauly once again returns to the kind of role in which we have loved him, moving out of the Baby Girl and Prathichaya movies which came in between in thriller mode. Another return to top form with a classic and effortless feel-good/rom-com performance has us interested. Meanwhile, Mamitha Baiju delivers a grounded, expressive and confident performance which stays close to realism. Their chemistry feels more natural than ever, and the same keeps the movie going strong. Some of the dialogues used by them and situations in which we see them in life feel like natural part of life, and there is no artificial feeling about them – most of the romance we see in many other movies had not much real about them, for the Gothic often felt more realistic than them. Unlike her previous one hundred crore movie with Naslen, this one has her in a realistic world which is close to our life, and we remember that the earlier movie was more about silliness than anything else, with improbable situations. We know that Operation Java and Kho Kho were the earlier movies in which she had our attention, and here, the level has gone higher.

Further performers of the soul :: The movie’s standout performer as far as humour is concerned is Suresh Krishna, who has moved out of those serious and antagonistic roles to bring the kind of characters whom we remember during those happy and funny moments in life. His humorous moments will stay with us for quite some time, and it is also a character whom we would love to have around. Sangeeth Prathap once again has a fun role, and he repeats his good work in a territory which seems to work so well for him. Roshan Shanavas also has his fun moments, and the humour starts early for him in this movie and goes on well. Shyam Mohan’s work is also worth a lot of attention, and he shines very well in those final moments and the humour about him keeps the final moments going. Vinay Forrt also brings more effectiveness with a defining character. Srinda and Meenakshi Raveendran comes up with the characters we would remember too, and it is always nice to see the latter around for more as she our favourite from that acting reality show.

How it finishes :: Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is that return to the feel-good that we have always wanted, especially with the one leading actor who has been an expert in the same. As far as the director Girish A D is concerned, he gets his best movie so far with this one, and pushes Thanner Mathan Days to the second spot, with Premalu being pushed to the third, and Super Sharanya in comparison, is nothing but a shadow that comes alive only when that forced final romantic track is not active. Here, he has achieved the pinnacle of normal and realistic feel-good rooted in simplicity. As a lighthearted, warm and realistic family rom-com with breezy comedy, this one is clearly the winner of the Onam season. Without jokes made with bad intention or poor intent, this one is that kind of a film which is suitable for all kinds of audience. Despite a strong emotional side, the movie’s feel-good with the lighter elements keep it working all the time as humour thrives with ease. The quick one hundred crore collection is a reflection of the same, and as family audience do not have that much of a choice during this festival holiday season, the movie should continue to do well.

Release date: 21 August 2026
Running time: 155 minutes
Directed by: Girish A D
Starring: Nivin Pauly, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap, Vinay Forrt, Suresh Krishna, Shyam Mohan, Roshan Shanavas, Bindu Panicker, Srinda, Meenakshi Raveendran, Sreerenjini, Shameer Khan, Priya S Babu, Parvathy Ayyappadas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vampire Owl: We were never really planning to watch this one.

Vampire Bat: We are way past romantic comedy right now.

Vampire Owl: Well, who falls in love during these days of chaos?

Vampire Bat: There are always people who falls in love.

Vampire Owl: It is a human thing, I guess.

Vampire Bat: Yes, just like violence, hatred and hostility.

Vampire Owl: Humans are trying to hide their true nature with this?

Vampire Bat: They will have to show their terrifying true faces at some point.

Vampire Owl: We will enjoy this veneer applied on them for now.

Vampire Bat: Their world, their movies, their valentines.

[Gets a Kolkata Kathi Roll and three cups of Darjeeling Tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sachin (Naslen K Gafoor) is a jobless young man who managed to get his degree from a random college where he had fallen in love with a girl whom he know, but that thought itself never made any sense as the girl hardly even knew him. He gets back home and finds that his visa to the United Kingdom is rejected. He meets his old friend Amal (Sangeeth Prathap) after a long time, and decides to go with him to Hyderabad and attend GATE coaching, even though he has no clue about what he is doing. They are invited to the wedding ceremony of their teacher Shobi (Althaf Salim), scheduled to take place in Andhra Pradesh. At the function, he falls in love with Reenu (Mamitha Baiju) who had recently joined an IT firm in Hyderabad and was there with her colleagues. Their first meeting is not that great to talk about, and fails to create an impression as he almost kills her colleague and admirer Aadhi (Shyam Mohan M) and Reenu’s best friend Karthika (Akhila Bhargavan) feels that they have other motives.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Reenu and Karthika has no way to return to Hyderabad after the function, they choose to go back with Sachin and Amal. Aadhi who has been in love with Reenu since they first met, does not agree to the same. The journey makes them good friends and Sachin wishes to make sure that Reenu falls in love with him. At the same time, Karthika feels that Amal has fallen in love with her, which should be the reason why they keep contacting the two girls. Sachin and Amal invite Reenu and Karthika to a pub to attend a part for couples, but in the absence of a partner for their flat mate Niharika (Meenakshi Raveendran), they decline the offer. But this brings them to Thomas (Mathew Thomas), a science-addict who is paired with Niharika. The visit to the pub is messed up as they realize that nothing good is going to come out of all of these. But Sachin is still infatuated with Reenu, but is there any way for him to make love happen, and what can Amal do about all these?

The defence of Premalu :: The simple fun movie mode is turned on with this movie from the beginning to the end. The happy and light mood keeps making things better. The funny counters are really good, and might be repeated in the comedy shows for the new generation, as we see this as the first full comedy of the year. The movie becomes the reminder that there can be jokes which are suitable for everyone, even though sometimes it seems to show small tendencies to deviate to the other side. Friendship and romance, even when not new, feels refreshing, as the attempt to keep this interesting with moments can be seen. The stars have also been doing some great job in promoting the movie – saw them from a distance at Puthettu Cinemas, Palai last week, and that seemed to be a cheerful group of Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap and Meenakshi Raveendran. The happy nature seems to be reflected in the film very well. We do have this movie showing the naïve nature of the youth that works pretty well.

The claws of flaw :: There is almost nothing to be taken seriously in regards to Premalu, as we see the characters go through the simple problems touched with humour. In the attempt to remain funny at all times, we see that trivial matters gain importance over everything else. This means that the amount of silliness that comes in between might be too high, but that kind of a feeling would be suitable more for films like Kunjiramayanam that could thrive on the foolishness of the characters from the beginning to the end, typecasting them. The movie is also a little too long for one’s liking, as there is not that much of a content to continue to ponder over. There is too much of a repetition for people who are less interested in the genre. The idea of having a foolish hero getting to marry a smart and intelligent heroine remains ridiculous; the happy ending seems forced, and these people separating forever would have been the right choice here. The weakness of second half is clearly seen in this movie, as the film seems to be confused where to stop.

The performers of the soul :: Naslen K Gafoor has been the boy next door for quite a long time, proving his point multiple times often considered in combination with Mathew Thomas of Kumbalangi Nights fame. The two made a fine combo in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal as well as Jo and Jo. He shines with the shades of comedy, even though there is some overdose. Naslen has gone further, as it was earlier somewhat shown in Kuruthi while Mathew also has a cameo role here which raises the interest of viewers. Mamitha Baiju has been a favourite among the youth more than ever in the recent years, starting with Sarvopari Palakkaran followed by Varathan a long time ago, but getting the big roles in Operation Java and Kho Kho. She has once again proven the point that she is perfectly suitable to this kind of roles. Meenakshi Raveendran is a joy to see again after that feel-good of Tholvi F C, but has too less to do. Sangeeth Prathap provides very good support here with shades of humour all over. Akhila Bhargavan is a lovely addition and Shyam Mohan with some memorable comic dialogues also add to the interesting young cast who make the impact here.

How it finishes :: Premalu is that kind of a romantic comedy which focuses on the humorous side so well that it remains entertaining throughout its run, and provides nothing more with content. The movie has found that kind of a cast that works like a dream. It becomes an enjoyable journey for families including children and youth, but not that much for people who are looking for some serious content. If we look at the same as we have intended it to be, there would be a smooth run here, and one can be left happy in the end, while going through laughs in between, without brains. It could be the bliss of solitude in parts, as there is no attempt to get into a darker mood even when things seem to go down for the protagonist. The success of the movie is a reminder that we have not lost that touch in enjoying the movies with no serious content, even though thrillers have remained the big scorers at the box office, with the last two being Abraham Ozler and Neru. Well, we still know that there are more big releases coming up and Premalu has to fight hard to maintain its good spot at he box-office.

Release date: 9th February 2024
Running time: 156 minutes
Directed by: Girish A D
Starring: Naslen K Gafoor, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap, Shyam Mohan M, Akhila Bhargavan, Meenakshi Raveendran, Althaf Salim, Shameer Khan, Ranjith Narayan Kurup, AR Rajaganesh, K S Prasad, Mathew Thomas (cameo)