Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna review: A light-hearted comedy that stands firm to entertain us with some cliches

Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna gives the audience an opportunity to laugh at a time when films are made with a big canvas focussing on giving larger-than-life images similar to that of other languages’ loud films.

Malayalam audiences have always loved the films of Sathyan Anthikad and Kamal which were based on villages. Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna also has the same template of old light-hearted comedy movies.

Dhyan Sreenivasan and Aju Varghese are back for this venture, after their successful movie Kunjiramayanam (2015). Aju Varghese was also a part of Dhyan’s directorial debut Love Action Drama (2019).

Directed by Vijesh Panathur and Unni Vellora, Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna is based in Kadamberi in the Kannur district. It’s delightful to watch these many films being made in Northern Kerala.

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Synopsis

The story is set in the politically volatile Kannur district which is also famous for Theyyam art forms.

Kannan (Dhyan Sreenivasan) and Vidhyadharan (Aju Varghese) belong to two different political parties. Kannan, 35, is in search of a girl to marry. Vidhyadharan also isn’t married.

Interestingly, their respective political parties take the initiative of marrying them off.

Meanwhile, the parties organise a local festival where, as per rituals, a wild boar has to be sacrificed to the local deity. This leads to an altercation between the two groups.

The story thus revolves around marriage, festivals, and hilarious moments between these events.

In one instance, Kannan’s engagement gets called off and Vidhyadharan and his friends are blamed for this.

In his desperation to get married, Kannan even places bets. Then, he marries a girl chosen by his Left-leaning party. But the girl whom he marries hails from Karnataka and she doesn’t know Malayalam at all.

Challenges in marriage

Yamuna (Pragya Nagra), Kannan’s wife, enters the scene after the interval.

The first half of the story has lighter moments with a bunch of comedy actors like Navas Valikkunnu, Aneesh Gopal, and Nirmal Palazhi.

The second half gives importance to the marriage of Kannan and the challenges he faces — right from establishing communication with her.

At a particular point, Kannan even doubts his wife as she becomes friends with Vidhyadharan who knows Kannada well. But the real intention of Vidhyadharan is only revealed in the climax.

The movie is a blend of comedy and songs that keep the story going.

The “Vellara Poomala Mele” song from the superhit Malayalam movie Varavelpu (1989) was recreated towards the interval, and it was a nostalgic journey for the audience.

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Light-hearted movie

As mentioned earlier, Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna is a light-hearted movie which also has bad jokes.

The combination of Aju Varghese and Dhyan Sreenivasan is good. But Nadhikalil Sundari Yamuna isn’t as entertaining as Kunjiramayanam.

Since Kannan and Vidhyadharan are at loggerheads, their onscreen chemistry didn’t work here as it did in Kunjiramayanam. But, their overall performances are good.

The debutant directors did deliver a decent watch.

Performances

Performance-wise, comedians elevated different scenes in the movie.

For example, Nirmal Palazhi scores in the boat journey scene where Dhyan Sreenivasan and Aju Varghese are also featured.

Nirmal, who played the role of a Left party leader, elevates the scene with his body language and mannerisms.

Navaz Valikkunnu as Shamsu and Unni Raja as the bus conductor did their roles decently well without any hiccups.

Sudheesh appears in a different character as Bhaskaran, Kannan’s uncle, who comes in an avatar similar to that in Theevandi (2018).

Banumathy Payyanur scores well as Kannan’s mother.

Pragya Nagra, the female lead of the movie was a welcome change and was apt for the role.

Dhyan Sreenivasan and Aju Varghese, who are in search of a girl to marry, play their part well. They both are good.

As assured by the duo in the promotional interviews, Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna is a decent entertainer.

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Final take

Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna is a light-hearted entertainer and aims at the family audience. In that way, the makers have done justice.

(Views expressed here are personal.)