Biju Menon has metamorphosed into a true comic hero since his "Ordinary" days, and with Vellimoonga, he succeeds again.
The start was dull, yet potent. Talking about the central character Maamacchan (Biju Menon), who is the sole breadwinner of a family now that his politician father is dead, the film does not really have a story to tell and chiefly depends on humor. How Maamacchan is a barn owl for the villagers and uses his wit and cunningness to get things done is what is told in the better part of the film. He is abhorred by the people of his village and could be seen by the viewer as an anti-hero.
The romance is fine and looks enforcing. Good-looking Nikki Galrani disappoints, with not much screen space nor any dialogs. Her air irritates; all she does is walk in slow-mo throughout the film, swinging her ounces of hair here and there. But the real hero of the film is definitely Menon. Every single frame has his presence and his peculiar style of talking will make you laugh your stomaches off. The comedy that comes out through his idiosyncratic diction is very appealing. Aju Varghese is a catalyst in here, and is funny, too. The second part of the film is awfully fast and sees politics written all over it. There is a twist or two in the end, with special appearance by Asif Ali, which will keep your delight from fading.
The whole theater was full, which is a rarity here in Mumbai, and the folks did not hesitate to clap during comedy scenes. Which means, our hands and stomaches and jaws started paining in the second hour. Hilarious situations that must have taken huge efforts from the writers, the debut director, editor and choreographers and the cinematographer salvage the film even though there is no plot to consider. Talking about plots, it is better to have such comedies which are light-hearted without a speck of tension in them, than producing ennui-inducing slapstick with superstars. In spite of having 2-3 plot holes, I am ready to accept Vellimoonga with all its glory.
BOTTOM LINE: A laugh out loud comedy which comes out as a very good entertainer of recent times. My uncritical partner even gave a rating of 9 for the film, which she loved to the core. There are many reasons to watch Vellimoonga this weekend.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
