Autorickshawkkarante Bharya review: A bland, old-school story that never veers off its predictable path

2/5

Story: Sajeevan, an autorickshaw driver, whiles away his time either playing games on his mobile or taking rest, instead of actually doing his job. As debts begin to pile up with Sajeevan too lazy to change his ways, his wife Radhika decides to take matters into her hands.

Review: Every time writers of a novel get to also script its onscreen version, you would think they would bring in something more than what was there in the books because films offer a much larger scope for storytelling. But for Autorickshawkkarante Bharya, writer M Mukundan, who is also making his scriptwriting debut, sticks to the basics and the results are rather ordinary.

The movie, helmed by Harikumar, follows the lives of couple Sajeevan and Radhika. The former is an indolent autorickshaw driver, who is too lazy to do what’s necessary to clear off his mounting debts. His wife Radhika, the smart one in the family, pushes him hard but to no avail; she finally decides to take matters into her own hands and becomes an autorickshaw driver. Her aim, which is obviously predictable, is to drive her husband and get him to take life more seriously – which he, again predictably does.

The film doesn’t veer off this safe and predictable path, even in its third act where the couple face a conflict. It’s a story told in the most outdated manner with bland dialogues and ordinary performances from both its lead actors. Both Suraj Venjaramoodu and Ann Augustine only get to do so much in the film where they are put in usual situations that the audience can see a mile away.

The few positives lie in how Radhika’s character is shown as the outspoken and bold one, but this too offers hardly anything new and is told through scenes that are done to death now. In fact, Autorickshawkkarante Bharya would have probably worked better had it been released decades ago because it fits nowhere in the current crop of Malayalam films that are lauded for its making and storytelling. The characters in the film too are written in a way that they do not evoke any emotions from the viewer.

Verdict: Autorickshawkkarante Bharya is a ride that you can afford to miss because of its predictable story told in the most banal manner.