'Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal' review: This Anaswara-starrer is a light social commentary that lacks intensity

Marriages and funerals in India are almost always the occasions that bring families together. And when the entire family assembles under one roof, there is bound to be drama. Debutant filmmaker S Vipin uses both these premises in his first film, with Anjali’s (Anaswara Rajan) wedding serving as the backdrop. A funeral in the family takes centre stage after a dear one passes away, setting the stage for relatives and neighbours to show their true colours.

The film is not mounted on an ambitious or intense scale like Lijo Jose Pellissery’s ‘Ee.Ma.Yau’, one of the few Malayalam films that infused plenty of humour into a funeral setting. ‘Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal’ is a simpler, less intense film, where death is used more as a device for social commentary than as a tool for a layered narrative.

The film is peppered with situations that are organically woven into the narrative. This leads to some good situational comedy, with most of the humour flowing naturally. Though the film offers very few intense moments, the pacing keeps the drama intact.

The performances help elevate the storyline. Anaswara Rajan puts up a solid act as Anjali, who is smart and level-headed. Mallika Sukumaran steals the show as a lively granny. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Mallika play a character speaking the Thiruvananthapuram dialect, and her scenes with Anaswara — though brief — are impressive. Anaswara, whose previous film ‘Painkili’ failed to make an impact in theatres, is in better form here, playing a more grounded character, even though her screen time is limited.

Joemon Jyothir is a delight to watch as he plays the sidekick to Siju Wilson’s character, which is central to the film. Azees, Baiju, Aswathy Chand Kishore and Noby Marcose also deliver in their roles. The music by Ankit Menon is effective, though the film surprisingly has very few songs given its theme.