'Madhura Manohara Moham', which is costume designer Stephy Zaviour's debut directorial work, has the flavour of a family comedy entertainer, but is daring enough to break some cliches in familial equations and romantic relationships.
It starts off by showing a family, which is strongly associated with the Nair Service Society. Hence, inter-caste marriages are a strict no-no as that would ruin the reputation of the karayogam and the family's name. So, when Manu (played by Sharafudheen) finds out that his younger sister Meera (Rajisha Vijayan) is in relationship with a Christian man, he and the family initially try to hush it up. But, due to circumstances, they decide to unite the couple. The unseen, unexpected turn of events that take place in the latter part of the first half, form the crux of the story.
What works for the film is the apt casting. Bindu Panicker as the mother reminds you of the kind of humourous characters she has essayed in the past.
Rajisha Vijayan nails her role, playing her character with the subtlety that it requires. Aarsha Baiju, who plays Manu's girlfriend, almost successfully shrugs off the sly character she essayed in 'Mukundan Unni Associates' to play the sassy, cute romantic girl.
The humour in the film is situational, though it may not satisfy everyone, but nevertheless actors like Althaf Salim and Biju Sopanam carry it off well.
There are some misses, of course. While Meera's character is quite different from the kind of women essayed in Mollywood films, the makers could have explored her personality a little more in depth. She is someone who is quite complex. Writers Mahesh Gopal and Jai Vishnu try to use her as a mirror to the kind of characters that exist in modern times and also make her a tool to take a dig at society in general.
Being a Stephy film, all eyes would definitely be on the costumes and Sanooj Khan has done a fine job, though it could have been more eye-catchy.
The coffee-shop scene is a recurring trope and adds to the humour in the film, which also pokes fun at the 'love-jihad' angle and the age-old superstitions. Overall, Stephy has done well in her debut venture.
