Lalitham Sundaram
RATING
Introduction
The last new release from the weekend and I finished watching the Malayalam film Lalitham Sundaram on Hotstar last night. The times are such that whenever there is a new Malayalam film in town, I am curious to watch it. You may call it a reputation or a certain level of assurance in terms of quality but it is almost a mandatory practice to watch every Malayalam film which are doing the rounds(although I may not always be successful). That said, the buzz around Lalitham Sundaram was a bit low which prompted me to push it to a weekday. Finally I have finished watching it and here are my two cents on Lalitham Sundaram.
Story & Screenplay
Lalitham Sundaram follows the story of three siblings who are super busy in life, decide to visit their home on their mother’s death anniversary. The story is quite sweet although we have seen a hindi series Sutliyan released recently on Zee5 which had a similar premise. The screenplay is taut but slightly inconsistent. The major issue with the screenplay is that the situations created aren’t too novel. The conflicts are evident unlike say a Kapoor and Sons where a lot of it was help back only to be revealed towards the end like opening a can of worms! But here the drama is simple. You are introduced to the main protagonists and the lives which they are living. This until they return to their home. The drama is sweet with a tinge of warmth which keeps you engaged. But had it been a little more consistent, the drama would have been even better. The conflicts could have been slightly better penned too as I felt the writing was a tad too convenient for my liking. But the film comes alive in the last 30 minutes where all the characters are stacked up in a party. The conversations and discussions are interesting culminating into a heartwarming final act. So this is a decently penned screenplay which could have been better.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and they are pretty good for most parts. The music is melodious and the idea of a medley towards the end was a refreshing one. The BGM is smoothing and does justice to the drama. The cinematography is breathtaking and captures some beautiful frames effectively so. Director Madhu Warrier does a good job here. Had the writing been sharper the direction would automatically have been better but he still does a commendable job.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. Asha Aravind, Zarina Wahab and Remya Nambeesan have their moments to shine. Sudheesh as Rajesh is first rate. Deepti Sati as Simy looks pretty and does a pretty good job. Anu Mohan as Jerry is earnest and quite an affable character. Saiju Kurup as Sandeep is one of my favourite characters here. A very understanding and rational character which is expertly portrayed ny Saiju. Biju Menon(also seen in Ayyapannum Koshiyum) as Sunny is simply exceptional here. He has to bottle up so many emotions and he does so quite effortlessly. Manju Warrier as Annie is charming here and does a fabulous job. A performance that could potentially light up your day!
Conclusion
Lalitham Sundaram is a sweet little film which can be watched once, but remember to keep your expectations in check. Available on Hotstar.