Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela review

There's a common belief that the mothers form the crux of the family tree, she is the root. Without which, its trunk and the branches would crumble. In Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, the lady of the house, Sheela Chacko, pretty much reminds us of the scenes from every household. In fact, one wonders if the title, Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, is a metaphor for her character (living amid crabs?). The film is centered on Sheela, a college professor who is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

Of the several things, Sheela first needs to win over the dysfunctional family consisting of a not-so-courageous husband Chacko (Lal), who is not accustomed to dispose off cigarette butts until his wife snaps at him.

We see an elder daughter, Mary, whose husband Tony (Siju Wilson) graciously donates Rs 3.5 lakh for his mother-in-law's treatment. We later learn that it was the debt he owed Chacko. There's the younger daughter Sarah (Aahana Kumar), whose glowing eyes are far bigger than her role. Lastly, our hero, Kurien Chacko (Nivin Pauly), who returns from London. He misinterprets a call from his mother as the sign of an arranged marriage set up in India. The family reunites to support Sheela, mentally.

In one of the several hilarious scenes, Chacko has to break the news to the family. When Sheela returns to the dining table, she is comforted by others upon hearing that it's her husband who has cancer. Remember Chacko's courage? Sympathy is the least that Sheela expects from the others, who offer relentless prayers. Sheela is a brave and a rational woman. Especially when she leaves for chemotherapy. Sheela, however, says that she's not superstitious, but anticipates very little that's left of her 'journey' when Kurien tries to start the car.

This is perhaps the defining scene of Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, which appears to be an emotional at first, but has nice touch towards the end. For those expecting a Premam of sorts, a lovely romance brews between Kurien and Rachel, whose father, too, is a cancer patient. You wouldn't be surprised that the boy-meets-girl happens inside a hospital. But what about Nivin Pauly, the star? When Rachel asks Kurien whether he knows anything about love, the latter says, "Even kids know about my Premam." Of course, you remember 'Operation Gurukulam'.

Director Althaf Salim has to be appreciated for writing a light-hearted comedy about the lives of Chacko and his family. Take this scene for instance. When Sheela shaves her head after the chemo session, the family flips out. Chacko rings up the doctor at night, followed by Kurien. The doctor candidly says, "Remember, Newton's third law." To which, Kurien shrugs and replies, "One moment." Nivin's timing is fantastic.

What's amazing about the Malayalam industry is its capacity to floor the audiences with compelling dramas. In a way that some of the stories are not 'great' per se. But when one leaves the dark room, one feels happy and satisfied. Because these are films that have 'theatre' moments that don't resonate on Netflix or Amazon Prime. In that sense, Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela is a thoroughly satisfying family drama that works better as a comedy drama.

credit : indiatoday