Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu, the comeback movie of Bhavana after a six-year hiatus, is a refreshing tale about family and ‘lost and found’ love, with plenty of fun and emotions thrown in.
The movie focuses on the love story of Jimmy (Sharaf U Dheen) and Nithya (Bhavana). Jimmy, a middle-class man in his 30s, with a failed love story of 12 years, revisits the sweet moments of his lost love when he accidentally bumps into his childhood sweetheart Nithiya, who is now a mother and on the verge of divorce.
The story is told from the perspective of a young girl, Marriam, played by Saniya Rafi who aced the role of Jimmy’s younger sister, taking us through the life of her ‘ikkakka’. Her character stands out as a vibrant, and supportive sister, and the bond between Jimmy and his sister is fun to watch.
Although she comes into the scene only in the second half of the movie, Bhavana has come up with a wonderful performance in her comeback movie, as she plays a school teacher struggling to get out of a toxic and abusive marriage of nine years.
Sharaf U Dheen comes across as a perfect lover boy with his excellent performance. Even as he portrays a character with some emotional baggage, he does manage to entertain the audience with a few witty dialogues. Other standout performances include Ashokan, who plays Jimmy's father, and Anarkali who plays Fida.
Although it is Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu is a love story, with plenty of lighter moments, it also deftly deals with a few serious themes like domestic abuse, child abuse, women empowerment, and mental health. Through Nithya, the movie talks about the struggles of a single mother and a woman dealing with divorce. Of course in the end, Jimmy and Nithya have a happily-ever-after with Nithya’s villainous ex-husband out of the picture.
The directorial debut of Adhil Maimunath Ashraf is powered by a neat screenplay that stays away from melodramatic scenes and cliche dialogues. The soulful songs composed by Paul Mathews, Nishanth Ramteke and Joker Blues, and a lovable background score by Bijibal add to the overall tone of the movie.
Of course, there are no surprises in the movie and there is a bit of a lag in between. Besides, a fight between Nithya and Jimmy towards the end appears to be shallow and unconvincing. These minor flaws aside, Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu is a complete family entertainer.
Director: Adhil Maimoonath Ashraf
Starring: Bhavana, Sharaf U Dheen, Ashokan, Anarkali, Shebin Benson
Rating: 3.5
