Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela Review: a soulful family movie

Creating a space through the characters and conveying something emotional is sometimes the purpose of a cinema and Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela directed by debutant Althaf Salim has done just that. Last year we had Anuraga Karikkin Vellam and Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela seems like its equivalent for this year. Realistic treatment and soulful story makes this family movie a really enjoyable entertainer.

Kurien an NRI who wasn’t doing anything great with life in London comes to his hometown when he got a call from his mother. He thought it was for his marriage purpose. But when he came, he and the entire family were taken aback by the shocking news from his mother. How the family faces this situation is what Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela talking about.

Cancer and other major diseases were always presented under this intellectual melodramatic tone. But Althaf and George Kora decided to tweak it in a way the emotions are relatable to the common audience and the practical humor is still there. The narrative has the similar feel of Premam and Neram. They merge with the situation. Even though it has this outlook of a simple fun film, there is that emotional baggage of facing a bitter truth. There is a scene where Kurien recalls his childhood memory about his brave mother, and that scene strengthens the emotional core of the film.

Nivin Pauly who has played the lazy son act in other films too comfortably becomes Kurien and the scene mentioned in the above paragraph was performed really impressively by him. Lal as the father was really good. Whoever decided to cast Ahaana and Srinda for the roles of the siblings deserves appreciation. Siju Wilson and Krishna Shankar are there in characters with screen space. Sharafudheen, Dileesh Pothan, Antony Kochi and Saiju Kuruppu are there in other supporting roles. Heroine Aishwarya Lakshmi doesn’t have much screen time here to prove herself. The best among the lot was Shanthi Krishna who played the role of the brave mother with elegance. Maturity of that character was safe in her hands.

Althaf takes care of the realness part very effectively. The conversations and character outbursts are pretty natural. The likeability of the movie is mainly due to that soulfulness. There are certain small inclusions to certain scenes which gets its due in later portion of the film and that wasn’t really cheesy. The love story of Kurien is the only weak link in the film and Althaf has tried his best to merge it with the main narrative. Mukesh Muraleedharan helps his director in making the movie look natural. The music department was also pretty effective.

Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela is entertaining for sure. But more than that, the story of the film and the world it creates within a limited time manages to create a genuine impact on its viewers.