Painkili

Painkili is a mindless film that ends up frustrating the audience rather than entertaining them. It's hard to believe this was penned by Jithu Madhavan. Though it attempts to present itself as an experimental piece, it falters due to poorly developed characters and weak writing. The female lead, in particular, suffers from shallow characterisation driven by uninspired scripting.

While a few slapstick moments land well, they aren't enough to salvage a film that's steadily falling apart. Justin Varghese's background score works in parts but is often overly loud, and the songs feel repetitive and dull.

Abu Salim does a decent job in his comic role, whereas Riyaz Khan's comedy comes off as forced. Sajin Gopu puts in an acceptable performance, though his character lacks proper development.

By the end, you're left wondering-why was this even made?

Not recommended. Watch it only if you have time to waste-and even then, proceed with caution.

Really hard to watch the film in one stretch....take a few minutes to relax from the boring situations in the film...very poor screen play...is jithu Madhavan gave pani to the director with his very poor screenplay...really need some guts to make such a film spending crores....watched the film in Ott and not in theatre...now felt proud of it...is anyone who acted or worked in the film should show the courage to tell fahad that this would be a utter flop in theatre...that is the problem of Malayalam cinema...people start to make film without any story or screenplay..even the experienced people are not giving enough importance to the script.

Painkili attempts to be a thoroughbred rom-com, and while the comedy here is quirky, at times situational, and mostly over-the-top, the romance aspect is not established well in any sense. That is primarily due to Anaswara's character not having any semblance of an arc to speak of, which is justified by her age (where mistakes seem apparent). Yes, there are some Jithu Madhavan-certified laughs, and Justin Varghese scores the film superbly; however, the film lacks a decent flow from event to event, overall.

Sajin Gopu gets to showcase more of his acting palette compared to his previous films, but since I watched Ponman way before this, I think his performance in that film (even with limited dialogues) was a lot more impactful. Here, he's asked to go all out-crying, laughing, being unhinged-and of course, bring some adorable romantic shades. He isn't successful at all of it, but if anyone (especially, the old-school directors) hasn't taken sufficient note of the guy yet, this will wholly ensure it. Anaswara is undoubtedly a wonderful actor, but this role will likely go down as one of her least memorable ones. The scenes with Riyaz Khan and LJP, intended to be comedic, didn't work for me.

P. S. Jayaram's hysterical scene from Kaavadiyaattam was poorly re-created.

An over the top comedy that tries to be a little bit like the successful Malayalam comedies from the 90s but also doesn't really want it to be called like that. There were a lot of moments that really made me laugh out loud. Any time movies make a lot of movie references it makes me giddy and even though this only uses it in like some specific scenes, those were all great. There was quite a lot of stuff that felt really forced and thus lost the humor in it. But just in the comedy aspect, it had so much in it that, even though the stuff that didn't work was a lot, there was more stuff that worked for me.

However, the issue with this film is the story itself. There are so many plot points in this movie that are too stupid, and the characters are given a pass after questionable actions. This kind of stuff was very common among the unsuccessful Malayalam comedies of the 90s too. This plot could have worked more if they hadn't wanted to add some thematic elements and thus a heart to it, it should have been ridiculous throughout, just the way it started. Jithu Madhavan's writing intentions feel like he wanted to make it a bit emotional at the end which is still hilarious like he did in Aavesham. In Aavesham, it was all focused on one character but here, there are two main characters involved and the writing fails to make it sensible. The second act which was supposed to build a base for the climax didn't really work much and the ending was really a confused mess. Performances from Sajin Gopu, Anaswara, and Jisma really carried a lot of scenes that would have totally failed if the acting wasn't as solid.

But even with all those issues, it was still hilarious for the most part. Overall, an above-average experience for me.

As a romantic comedy that tries to strike a balance between humor and romance but falls short in execution. While some comedy scenes land well, many fail to create an impact.

The biggest positive of the film is Sajin Gopu's performance, which stands out as commendable. He brings charm and energy to his role, but unfortunately, the script doesn't give him much to work with. The supporting cast delivers decent performances, but none leave a lasting impression.

The music and background score add a pleasant touch to the film, and while the songs are good, they don't have the recall value to make them memorable.

The film starts off on a promising note, keeping the audience engaged in the first half. However, as it approaches the climax, the storytelling takes a nosedive. The writing becomes weak, and the final sequences are chaotic and confusing. The climax, in particular, feels rushed and directionless, making it evident that the makers struggled to wrap up the story convincingly.

In the end, Painlili 2025 feels like a missed opportunity. It's not entirely unwatchable, but it certainly doesn't justify a theatrical experience. This one is better suited for OTT streaming, and even then, only if you have time to kill.