Painkili movie review: Laughs aplenty in this over-the-top but inconsistent comedy starring Sajin Gopu, Anaswara Rajan

3/5

Painkili story: After believing that his actions led to the death of a thief, Suku, on the advice of his friend Pachan, checks in to an asylum to prove that he is insane. Meanwhile, Shiba, on the advice of her teenage friend, decides to elope every chance she gets. When the duo’s lives collide, what are the crazy consequences that result from this?

Painkili review: Within the first 45 minutes of Painkili, those who have watched director-writer Jithu Madhavan’s Romancham and Aavesham would notice how he has used people with psychological conditions effectively in his scripts. Painkili, which is scripted by Jithu and directed by Sreejith Babu, also such a character as its protagonist, albeit this time he doesn’t keep it subtle, and in fact lets it play out in an over-the-top manner that suits the tone of this comedy.

The main characters of the film are Suku (Sajin Gopu) and Sheeba (Anaswara Rajan). While the former believes that he has killed someone and needs to fake insanity, Sheeba has made up her mind to elope with a man. After a series of incidents shake Suku’s world, Sheeba enters his life, thanks to a friend, wreaking further havoc.

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Sajin is an inspired choice for the role of Suku, who doesn’t care what his father thinks, much less the people around him. His mobile cover has a ‘no love’ symbol and hanging out with his friends is his favourite past-time. All of these are details that the makers bring back in the second half to deliver plenty of laughs, while putting Sajin in situations that challenge his belief in himself. His scenes with his friends, especially Roshan Shanavas who plays Pachan, and the climax sequences with Anaswara and what follows are a hoot.

Much like Jithu’s previous scripts, he has fleshed out the traits of each character – be the father essayed by Abu Salim or the next-door-neighbour played by Jisma Vimal – and used these effectively to draw out laughs. But that’s not really the high points of Painkili. It’s in sequences where the movie shows the pain that its protagonists go through – trying to find an escape from their circumstances – that gives the movie its heart.

But because of the tone of the film, which is almost always zany and needs every does of sensitive message to be wrapped in humour, it doesn’t linger too much on these high moments. It’s loaded with pop culture references, with the one from Happy Days, Kavadiyattam and Kaiyethum Doorathu, hitting the bullseye. Those double the laughter, but then it’s also followed by patches of sequences where you feel the story is going anywhere. It’s only in the last hour that the movie hits solid ground and the payoff, especially if you can catch the references, is rewarding.

Anaswara Rajan plays a quirky role in the film. It's a character that can be frustrating to watch because the makers don’t reveal her intentions till the final leg. It’s only after that, you would empathise with her situation. Roshan Shanavas, who had also shared screen space with Sajin in Aavesham, is another actor to look out for – especially for his comic timing. Justin Varghese’s music also suits the quirky mood of the film.

Painkili verdict: If you are in the mood to watch a good comedy without being bogged down by messaging, then Painkili is much recommended. And the cast of the film elevate it with their inspired performances.