Hello Mummy movie review: Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sharafudheen’s supernatural comedy is fun till the laughs last

Hello Mummy review: This Vaisakh Elans directorial makes for a breezy watch even though the second half fails to sustain the momentum.

Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sharafudheen in Hello Mummy

Hello Mummy story: Boney falls for Steffy, and agrees to her and her dad’s demands for the marriage - to stay with them at their home. But before anything else, he has to impress her mother. The only problem is that her mother passed away 22 years ago. What Boney initially assumes is a ruse to get him to withdraw from the proposal, soon takes a hilarious and supernatural turn as he finds himself trapped in a house as a newlywed with a ghost and set of rules that she wants him to follow. 

Hello Mummy review: The trailer of Sharafudheen and Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Hello Mummy promised a comedy that revolved around a new husband and his tryst with his supernatural mother-in-law. In a nutshell, that's exactly what the film entails and it's in this idea where the movie is at its peak fun. The makers of Hello Mummy have managed to turn the age-old concept of battle between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law into something fresh by inserting a son-in-law, who is new and often shocked at where he finds himself, having to follow a set of rigid rules, failing which he has to bear the consequences.

ALSO READ: Sookshmadarshini to Hello Mummy (Nov 18 to Nov 24): Malayalam releases on OTT, theatres to watch this weekend

These make for some slapstick comedy and the over-the-top tone adopted for most of the film aids in getting plenty of laughs as Sharafudheen’s Boney tries to make sense of the madness that unfolds at his in-laws place, which he now has to call home. In parallel to what's unfolding between the newlyweds, there is also a subplot — wafer-thin at best — about a tribe of immortals who are trying to chase the spirit of the mother, who herself is growing powerful by the day. 

Where Hello Mummy is the most enjoyable are the parts where Boney is trying to fit into the new (para)normal. The comedy works for large parts. Even though it would remind people of slapstick performances from another actor, Sharafudheen holds his own for most of these scenes. Jagadish, Joemon Jyothir and Adhri Joe also get parts that add to the humour quotient of the film. Despite the over-the-top meter for other characters’ performances, Aishwarya Lekshmi gets a part that needs her to tone it down and she does that well. But certain scenes, especially where Steffy or her father talks to Mummy, needed better writing as it doesn't quite evoke comedy and ends up as amateurish.

Another drawback of Hello Mummy is that the film feels shackled by a lack of budget. Sure it has some laughs going for it, but once that fades, it takes a predictable path (along with an unwarranted tease for a sequel). The subplot about the netherworld and those out to claim pure souls almost seems like an afterthought to quickly wrap up the story. And that all of this happens in the last 20 minutes in a setting borrowed from Hindi serials doesn't help matters either. 

The use of music by Jakes Bejoy at various punctures, especially for the first-night scene, elevates the humour in the movie. And at a runtime of just 2 hours and 15 mins, it's a breezy watch even though the second half fails to sustain the momentum.

Hello Mummy verdict:

This Aishwarya Lekshmi and Sharafudheen-starrer makes for a one-time watch because it has enough laughs to keep you entertained for the better part of the film. That said, there's a higher chance that children would like it more than adults.

ALSO READ: 8 Aishwarya Lekshmi movies to watch before Hello Mummy releases

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