PremiumGuruvayoorambala Nadayil review: Vipin Das’ craft elevates Prithviraj and Basil Joseph’s crisp entertainer
Guruvayoorambala Nadayil review: The ‘cause and effect’ narrative that plays out throughout Prithviraj and Basil Joseph’s film is what elevates it to an entertaining watch
Last Updated: 02.23 PM, May 16, 2024
Guruvayoorambala Nadayil story: Years after being spurned by his lover, Vinu finally agrees to get married - a major reason for this being his fiancée brother Anandan. After the duo finally meet days before the wedding, certain unexpected twists from their past put them at loggerheads with the marriage ceremony hanging in balance.
Guruvayoorambala Nadayil review: If you take stock of the past few years, there’s probably no other film industry that has made so many comedies with the weddings being the centre setting as Malayalam. But that’s also become the limitless and chaotic possibilities that a wedding springs to life, and director Vipin Das’ latest starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal and Anaswara Rajan is set against such a frenetic backdrop.
The filmmaker, much like his previous outing, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey , uses that setting and a bunch of loud characters to craft a fairly engaging comedy from Deepu Pradeep’s simple story that benefits more from its editing, making and an eclectic cast.
In a nutshell, the film is about an unexpected twist that becomes the reason for the groom-to-be and his brother-in-law, who become thick as thieves, to turn against each other and how they and their friends shuttle between wanting to call off the wedding and otherwise. Vipin and Deepu, fully understanding the limitations that script would pose, has crafted the screenplay such that there’s multiple things happening in parallel and how an incident at one place impacts the other. This ‘cause and effect’ narrative plays out throughout the film is what elevates Guruvayoorambala Nadayil an entertaining watch, even when the second act slacks when it strays to supporting characters.
The film has plenty of laughs and most of these stem from hilarious interactions between Prithviraj and Basil’s characters. Certain references from popular films such as Drishyam and Nandanam are also organically weaved into the storyline to keep these laughs coming, even when the narrative loses a bit of steam after the duo’s wager.
Prithviraj has a blast as Anandan and also gets a few ‘mass’ moments in the final few minutes of the movie, where Basil’s character takes a backseat. However, till then Basil goes toe-to-toe with the actor in comedy. Both Nikhila Vimal and Anaswara Rajan have very little to do in the film. It would have been good if their characters too had got their due, except for just two impactful scenes for the two. Jagadish and Baiju get some memorable dialogues, but Yogi Babu’s cameo doesn’t quite make an impact.
Johnkutty’s editing keeps things crisp at a runtime of just over 2 hours and 15 minutes, perfect for a film of this genre and storyline, while Ankit Menon’s music sustains the pace and vibe of the comedy entertainer.
Guruvayoorambala Nadayil verdict: If you are in the mood to watch a fun comedy entertainer with a great cast, then this Prithviraj and Basil Joseph-starrer is just what you need to brighten up your day.