Pavi Caretaker review: Dileep finally returns to his forte — comedy

Malayalam actor Dileep has been trying hard to deliver a hit after Ramaleela (2017). His previous films Bandra (2023) and Thankamani (2024) were flops.

His latest outing, Pavi Caretaker, was released when Malayalam films were doing good business at the box office.

True to its intention, Vineeth Kumar’s directorial makes the audience laugh initially.

Now, let’s see how Pavi Caretaker fares:

Synopsis

Pavithran (played by Dileep) works as a caretaker at an apartment in Kochi in the morning and as a security guard at night. He also runs a mini supermarket in the apartment.

He represents the people who like to peek into others’ lives. He doesn’t allow anything that society finds wrong. For example, he thinks that a man and a woman talk to each other only if they are in love or have an illegitimate affair.

Pavithran is a bachelor and stays alone at a house rented out by Chettathi (Radhika Sarathkumar).

The story begins with hilarious sequences by Dileep. The comedy gets a pause when the plot gets a romantic twist.

Pavithran falls for a woman he has never seen or met. The twiest reminds us of Siddique’s Bodyguard (2010). However, the story is different in both films.

Pavithran’s encounters with the residents of the apartment and the fellow security guard (played by Johny Antony) keep the movie going till the interval.

In the second half, the protagonist keeps writing letters to his love interest. Revealing more about the woman would be a spoiler. However, the character plays a key role in the film.

Who is the woman? Will Pavithran ever meet her? Will his love succeed? This forms the crux of Pavi Caretaker.

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Dileep’s one-man show

Dileep, as Pavithran, runs the show till the end. His mannerisms evoke laughter in the theatre.

Interestingly, one would not expect a comedy film with such fine moments from Vineeth Kumar, who earlier delivered a serious movie like Dear Friend (2022).

Many sequences in Pavi Caretaker capture the traits of a “vintage Dileep”, especially at the beginning of the flick. Similarly, Pavithran’s encounters with a civet that keeps entering a flat are hilarious.

It’s been quite a long time since Dileep appeared in full form with his fabulous comedy timing. His superhit films like Kalyanaraman (2022), Meesha Madhavan (2022), and Kunjikoonan (2022) were all comedy entertainers.

Though comedy is the core element of Pavi Caretaker, some scenes could have been avoided because of the cringe elements.

However, in a scene, a female character tells Pavithran that a male friend would unhesitantly disclose his issues or secrets to a female friend as there is no gender ego. The dialogue draws huge applause from the audience.

At one point, the plot shifts from comedy to a serious mode when Pavithran’s problems are revealed. But it soon gets back to the comedy track.

Pavi Caretaker has surely been inspired by the films of Priyadarshan and the old movies of Dileep — a master in slapstick comedy.

This is a befitting comeback for the actor to humour.

The film has several female characters, mostly played by debutantes. Interestingly, they are all meaty roles.

Music is another highlight of the flick. However, the “Onam” song sounds similar to the one in Dileep’s Karyashtan (2010).

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Performances

The film is a treat for Dileep’s fans as their favourite star hero finally returns to his forte — comedy, after Ramaleela (2022).

Johny Antony, as a security guard, is good. His scenes with Dileep are impressive.

Radhika Sarathkumar, as a retired SI named Mariyamma, is apt.

Juhi Jayakumar, Shreya Rugmini, Rosmin, Swathi, and Dilina Ramakrishnan do justice to their roles.

Final take

Pavi Caretaker is a pure comedy film. It showcases Dileep in his full form. Vineeth Kumar delivers a wholesome comedy entertainer without any lag.

(Views expressed here are personal.)