Charles Enterprises review: A divine comedy ruined by a ‘hole-y’ plot and poor storytelling

Touted to be a satire piece, Charles Enterprises comes with an unusual blend of devotion and business.

The premise of this movie is quite similar to Hindi films like PK (2014) and Oh My God (2012), but the question remains as to whether it makes any sense. 

The synopsis

The focal point of Charles Enterprises is a Ganesha idol from the Chola era. While Lord Ganesha is worshipped by Hindus in large numbers in India and elsewhere, the director attempts to find a connection between worshipping an idol for devotion and its monetary value in the world.

Gomathi (Urvashi) is an ardent believer of Ganesha and she also believes in astrology. Ravi Kumaraswamy (Balu Varghese) is her son who suffers from night blindness (nyctalopia), a condition that does not have a proper treatment. 

The problems faced by Ravi, his life with his separated parents, and how the Ganesha idol — which is in his mother’s custody — influenced him at a crucial point in the story forms the crux of the movie. 

Divine comedy 

The Ganesha idol is believed to have been gifted to Gomathi’s forefathers. Her relatives, who are believers too, urge Gomathi to return the idol to their ancestral house in Kollengode, Kerala. 

This is a smart way for the director to convey that the idol of Ganesha is needed by all as its monetary value is very important. Here, beliefs and superstition are dealt with effectively, but they soon lose their sheen.

The tale takes a wild twist when the protagonist steals the idol and attempts to sell it to one Charles. Hence, the title Charles Enterprises.

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A ‘laughter’ ride

The second half of Charles Enterprises is more or less an effort to sell the Ganesha idol. This escapade to sell the idol without being detected is specifically packed to evoke laughter, but unfortunately turns out to be a dud.

Whether the two finally succeed to sell the idol and the result of it has a larger meaning that comes together at the end.

To add to the laughter, the storyteller has thrown in many characters like Gomathi’s relatives and others extras. In one scene, Ravi meets a girl named Sangeetha and when he asks her if he can call her “Sanghi”, she refuses. 

This is one joke — that trolls right-wing Sanghis — that went down well with most people in the theatre. 

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Belief vs Reality 

Gomathi is a believer. She and her fellow women live in Lower Kubera Colony. The name of the colony itself is meant to evoke laughter as Kubera is believed to be the God of Wealth in Hinduism. 

This reference gives an outlook of how people name their residence or the place they live, connecting it to wealth. It’s clearly all about wealth for some! All these are interesting factors in the movie. 

Another important thing is the beehive on the sunshade of Gomathi’s house. According to her, it protects her Ganesha idol. A mention of rats in the movie is also hilarious as Gomathi asks people not to kill rats as it’s the vehicle of Ganesha.  

Blind faith

Towards the end of the movie, Gomathi faints and she is taken to the hospital by Ravi and Charles. The stolen idol is below the seat of the car.

When Gomathi regains consciousness en route and looks at Charles, she feels it is Ganesha who is driving the car. The director tries to show how blind faith can influence people. 

In the climax of the movie, the Ganesha idol stolen from Urvashi’s house is seen in a museum. This is a clear reference that if the idol is kept in a house, people will worship it. However, when it’s kept on display, it’s considered a historical piece with high monetary value. 

Blind worship and reality are two aspects of the movie, but most of the scenes didn’t go down well with the audience.

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Pretty good act

Balu Varghese and Kalaiyarasan have good roles to play. Balu puts up a decent performance as someone who suffers from night blindness, and Urvashi too delivers her usual best.

Guru Somasundaram’s role was his typical one with his Tamil slang. 

Technically, the movie is a decent watch with good cinematography by Swaroop Philip and songs by Subramanian KV do justice to the movie. 

Final take

Charles Enterprises has an interesting premise, but the execution of the subject failed.

(Views expressed are personal.)

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