Bro Daddy movie review: Mohanlal, Prithviraj's glossy family-drama works only because of its stellar cast

3/5

Story: More than being a father and son, John Kattadi and Eesho Kattadi share a brotherly relationship, because of the age-gap between the duo. But an ‘accident’ in Eesho’s life has the two rushing the latter’s wedding with Anna, the daughter of John’s best friend Kurian. The challenge, however, is keeping this incident a secret from Kurian till the wedding is over. But that’s not easy when the families share a history. Add this to a surprise that John and his wife are expecting and there’s a mishmash of incidents that has the father and son trying to come to terms with the changes in store.

Review: Mollywood actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran wasn’t joking when he said that Bro Daddy required him to think differently from his directorial debut Lucifer. While the 2019 thriller was packed with layers of information with each character and their intentions fleshed out, Bro Daddy, which is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, relies primarily on the dynamics of its lead characters and the situational comedy that unravels.

The movie has Mohanlal and Prithviraj playing father-son duo John Kattadi and Eesho. With the son being born when John was just 24 years old, their bond is more brotherly in nature; in fact, Eesho addresses his dad by his name. This works in the favour of the story, as it’s the father who steps in to untangle the knot that his son has made by plotting his wedding to Anna (Kalyani Priyadarshan), his best friend Kurian’s daughter. Their challenge is to keep Anna and Eesho’s relationship a secret till their wedding is over. But considering the relationship the two families share, this becomes tougher by the minute, thanks to Eesho’s consistent efforts to impress Kurian almost always failing and John and his wife having another task to deal with.

The strength of Sreejith N and Bibin Maliekal’s script are the comic sequences between the father and son, and the portions where Eesho has to confront the unexpected challenge ahead of him. The first half of this feel-good entertainer is a joy to watch, with Mohanlal infusing energy to his scenes while Prithviraj scores with his minute expression changes and comic timing. Even when the dialogues seem predictable, the brilliant chemistry between the duo keeps the laughs coming in the first half.

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Credit must also be given to the makers for giving every actor enough screen time, even though the movie has two big Mollywood stars leading the cast. Kalyani, as Anna, proves that she can pull off comedy with relative ease. Kaniha, as Anna’s mother, takes on a different role in the film but aces it nonetheless. Lalu Alex’s Kurian is probably the best developed character in the movie, allowing the veteran actor to flaunt his comic timing as well as lend gravitas when required. Meena doesn’t have too much to do in the film, while Unni Mukundan and Soubin Shahir come in extended cameos – one to take the plot further and another as a comic relief that doesn’t quite help the movie’s pacing.

In fact, the film runs out of steam and jokes in the second half. The subplot with Soubin’s character breaks the flow of the movie and the humour in these scenes too seem forced. This also slows down the film that is 2 hours and 39 minutes in duration. In fact, the urgency of the entire sequence where Kurian finds out what’s happening and rushes to meet John, is hampered by the frequent stops along the way. Even the minor seeds of misunderstanding that is sowed doesn’t quite have the impact that director might have hoped for in the overall story.

The sequences leading to the confrontation between Kurian and the Kattadi family appear superficial. The overall glossy feel doesn’t quite help either when the situation takes a serious turn. Though the father-son conversation in the end quickly ties it up, it does feel disjointed from the overall arc of the film. Deepak Dev’s score complements the mood of the movie, and Abhinandan Ramanujam successfully elevates that feel-good factor through visually-pleasing aesthetics.

Verdict: Mohanlal and Prithviraj’s comic timing drives this feel-good film that might be slim on the storyline but is bubbling with energy thanks to its cast and aesthetics. The movie has enough laughs to keep you entertained, even though it’s on the longer side.

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