Perumani

If you're looking for a light-hearted escape, this simple comedy movie is a perfect pick. The plot centers around a series of amusing misunderstandings and quirky characters that keep you chuckling from start to finish. The humor is clean and relies on clever dialogue and situational comedy rather than crude jokes.

The cast delivers strong performances, with great chemistry that enhances the comedic timing. The lead actors, in particular, shine with their effortless charm and impeccable delivery. The supporting characters add depth and additional layers of humor, making every scene engaging.

The film's pace is brisk, ensuring that there's never a dull moment. It's a feel-good movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, making it an ideal choice for a relaxed evening. While it may not reinvent the comedy genre, it succeeds in providing pure, unpretentious fun.

Overall, this movie is a delightful watch that guarantees laughter and a good time, making it a worthy addition to your comedy collection.

Perumani is a village, with its unique traditions and spiritual lore, and here, the prosperous Nasir (Vinay Forrt) is set to marry the beautiful Fathima (Deepa Thomas). While Nasir, with his two gold teeth, is considered a catch, his constant suspicion about whether his fiance has connections with other men, makes Fathima want to break off the engagement. She does not want the life of abuse that her brother Mujeeb's (Sunny Wayne) old lover is now experiencing with her expat husband. The arrival of house painter Abi (Lukman), who was a childhood friend of Fathima, doesn't do any favours for Nasir's jealous suspicions.

Alongside this, is the story of a, basically, spaced out migrant worker, whose presence is the cause of small miraculous changes in the village. As the villagers debate about whether he is divine or just a scam artiste, the young friends bond again and Fathima seeks Abi's help to stop the upcoming wedding. Will the plan succeed? Will the villagers solve the mystery of the brooding Bengali?

Maju, who has written the screenplay, populates the film with many characters, yet succeeds in lending most of them a distinct identity. But, Perumani's central concern remains the character of Nazar and his impending wedding with Fathima. Nazar is the kind of toxic character who would get suspicious even on seeing an innocuous painting of a pair of deer in his fiancee's bedroom. He would go to great lengths to prove his suspicions. Manesh Madhavan's wide-angle shots are used to lampoon such characters, including the ones who turn the village into a den of superstition. On the other hand, his camera treats Fathima and Ramlath (Radhika Radhakrishnan) with dignity, although their assertions of independence are not portrayed loudly, but as something natural.

Writer-director Maju's third venture (after French Viplavam and Appan) is a quirky satirical comedy enhanced by its rich, vibrant frames (DoP Manesh Madhavan) and punctuated by soulful Sufi music (Gopi Sunder's best work in years). The titular fictional town, its pristine natural beauty, and each of its unhinged, wacky characters contribute something memorable to the screenplay. While the developments are familiar, the performances (and characterizations) are fresh and enjoyable.

Vinay Forrt leads from the front, with Lukman, Sunny Wayne, Deepa Thomas, and Navas Vallikkunnu offering ample support. There's a definite influence of the films mentioned above, though Maju gives his plot setting a fun little spin. A mute "godman"-like character somehow becomes paramount to the story, and this is the only area where the writing could've been sharper. The humour does land on most occasions, yet I feel there was missed potential. However, it's definitely worth watching if you're in the mood for something unusual.

A social satire, Perumani is moulded in concurrent anarchy regarding religion, humour, friendship and romance.

Vinay has proved again that he is a versatile actor, except with his accent in dialogue delivery. All other casts have put in their better performance. A lagging storyline might be boring for particular audiences. Maju, as a director, he gave his best efforts for the movie. But as a writer, he could have done better. The crew behind the lense were amazing, especially the cinematographer and costume designer. An appreciable job from them. Not much memorable music score. Overall, an enjoyable movie in the genre.