Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil Review: Prithviraj-Basil Joseph Pull Off A Complete Joy-Ride
Comedy film Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil directed by Mudhugauv and Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey fame Vipin Das anchored by Prithviraj and Basil Joseph is a complete joyride with the vibes of industry hits like Shafi”s Kalyanaraman and Siddique-Lal”s Godfather where the wedding threads culminates in treachery, deceit, love and celebration. Prithviraj, the pan-Indian Malayalam star, who is better known for “muscling up” his performances a lot, humbles him down to the level of a perfect comedy actor to deliver a movie full of fun and romance. On the opposite side, he is up against and sometimes joining with him is Basil Joseph, who has proved his mettle to adept with a script that demands simplicity and humour, and emerges successful when he collaborates again with the director of his hit from last year, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey.
(Spoiler alert) Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil is a story about Vinu (Basil Joseph)”s efforts to get married to Anjaly (Anaswara Rajan) and the developments surrounding it. Anand (Prithviraj) is Anjali”s brother and in the process of wedding preparations, Vinu becomes much closer to his would be brother in law more than to his fiance. But, as everything goes smoother, things take a difficult turn and there movie goes to another level. That is the crux and the main thread of the movie.
However, while the movie presents itself well as a comedy, it still has some flaws. These are the same flaws that Malayalam movies often fail to overcome when dealing with full-fledged comedies, especially those by directors like Priyadarshan and Siddique-Lal. Specifically, it”s the mayhem they create at the end of the movie. It seems that in comedy movies involving weddings or the culmination of a romantic story, these directors have set a stereotype: complete chaos to enhance the fun. Vipin Das and writer Deepu Pradeep are entangled in this complex web. In movies like “Godfather” and “Vettam,” the former directors pull off the mayhem with precision, while Vipin Das fails in this regard. The treatment of the climax by the “Antakshari” director is more clichéd than a cliché.
Another issue the movie faces is the predictability of the story. For almost the second last quarter, the movie is full of comedies and the viewer would easily manage to entertain themselves, especially the phone calls and the combo scenes between Prithviraj and Basil. But, then, they lose the audience to the predictable conclusion.
On the acting front, the supporting cast including Nikhila Vimal, Anaswara Rajan, Jagadish, Baiju, Rekha, Akhil Kavalayoor among others have joined Prithviraj and Basil for a decent performance, especially the two leading ladies. It is the expressions Nikhila Vimal showcase what helps the movie get the main thread of the movie flourish as she was portrayed with less dialogues compared to others. Though, Anaswara is given enough room to better herself as an actor, she is, may be as per the character demands, placed where she was in her previous movies (not including Neru or Abraham Ozler where she manifested two different roles than her normal business and thrived), and not seen as improved.
Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil is a good full fledged comedy movie happening in Malayalam after a long time.
Director: Vipin Das
Writer: Deepu Pradeep
Cast: Prithviraj, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal, Anaswara Rajan, Yogi Babu, Jagadish, Baiju Santhosh, Irshad, Rekha
Cinematography: Neeraj Revi
Timeline rating: 3/5
