Ante Sundaraniki follows the story of a young couple who look to manipulate their conservative parents for marriage by a sequence of lies. The story is light and frothy and slightly over the top but entertaining! I remember my grandmother telling me not to lie or wish for something bad and it may come true at some point. That advice somehow has stuck on with me where I do not wish anything bad for anyone. Somewhat based on this theme, Ante Sundaraniki had a promising premise. The screenplay standing at almost 3 hours is outright daunting and one of the reasons why I didn’t get to the film yesterday during the day(where I opted for a much shorter Malayalam film Dear Friend). And while watching the film too I felt that some portions could have been trimmed out for a crisper watch.

But there is so much to like in the screenplay. Firstly the screenplay is layered and there is a constant TO and FRO between timelines, all throughout the film. This for me was interesting given that the story was fairly simple so I really appreciate the efforts of the writer to try a different template for the screenplay. Secondly, the proceedings are entertaining to the core. Despite its length, there is never a dull moment. On the contrary, the sequences are breezy and frothy and also at times hilarious which constantly keep you engaged.

There are so many set pieces which are impressive in the writing which falters only towards the end where the drama gets slightly melodramatic. The drama is fairly predictable but some of the twists and turns are quite interesting especially before the melodramatic final act. This contributes to several heartwarming moments as well between the couple and their banter with their parents makes for a fun watch! The issue of an interfaith marriage and age old customs are nicely woven in the screenplay which never get too tiring. Overall, the screenplay has its fun element intact which makes for an entertaining watch!