Rom-com with countless incomplete storylines

Film: Varane Avashyamund
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Suresh Gopi, Shobana, Kalyani Priyadarshan
Director: Anoop Sathyan
Language: Malayalam (U)
Rating: 2/5

The movie is fun! It’s a celebration of veteran actors Suresh Gopi and Shobana, and it does justice to what it claims to be.

The film, ‘Varane Avashyamundu’, is filled with throwbacks and easter eggs to the evergreen films of Suresh Gopi and Shobana. Director Anoop Sathyan, with his debut, proves his might in the ‘feel good’ genre just like his father Sathyan Anthikad, the star director of many famous Malayalam romantic comedies.

Just like some of the recent Sathyan Anthikad films, this movie also drowns you with positivity, although it’s not as cheesy. The director has nailed the proportions of fun, romance and comedy, but at times the movie loses its pitch with characters lacking determination or depth. Despite this, it manages to smoothen these rough edges by depending on the actors’ charm; something a clever director would succeed at.

However, the film takes a bad hit in a major directorial aspect and that’s the continuity of scenes. It haunts the director and the writer all through the runtime. From people falling in love with each other without having enough scenes establish that, to new neighbours interacting as if with years of acquaintance right after one moves into a new apartment.

This can be confusing to an average audience. Suresh Gopi and Shobana performed extremely well in the film, while Dulquer charmed the audience despite a bad hairstyle. Newcomer and daughter of director Priyadarshan, Kalyani makes you fall in love with her in just a scene or two.

It’s a great family entertainer and gives you good vibes during its runtime.