Mangalayam Thanthunanena, directed by Soumya Sadanandan aka 'Sou', is a family-entertainer based on the marital relationship between Roy and Clara.
Two years ago, Sou won the National Award for Best Documentary at Allahabad International film festival for the documentary Chembai: My discovery of a legend. Now, she makes her directorial debut in a commercial movie under the banner of UGM Production.
In the film, Kunchacko Boban is Roy and Nimisha Sajayan is Clara, a middle-class couple. Roy is an irresponsible spendthrift who has trouble managing his finances. Clara's nature is exactly the opposite.
When Roy comes home from Dubai for his wedding, he learns that he has been retrenched from his company due to recession.
After initial days of their marriage, Roy begins to face a financial crunch.
The movie revolves around the events that unfold following this crisis and how he manages to sort things out.
The effortless screen presence of the lead actors is quite endearing. Every character has done justice to their roles - be it Shanthi Krishna, Hareesh Kanaran, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar or Leona Lishoy. Hareesh, who essays the character 'Shamsu', a sidekick of Roy, impresses the audience with an impeccable comic timing.
The soundtrack by Bijibal is soothing and enjoyable. The 'Thudakam Mangalayam' song from Bangalore Days have been repeatedly played in wedding halls across Kerala since its release, but now it would face stiff competition from 'Melle Mulle' from Mangalayam Thanthunanena.
Sou does not seem to be a novice in commercial film directing.
Mangalayam Thanthunanena promises to be a thorough entertainer worth your time. The movie is about people who get married expecting their marital life to be in a particular way. They later figure out that life is not what they imagined. Mangalayam Thanthunanena would cater to anyone who is married, unmarried, or planning to get married.
The film beautifully throws light on the elementary principles of marital life, the importance of money management and how a couple should cope with each other.