Bharathanatyam Movie Review: An entertaining and self-aware family comedy

Of late, there has been a noticeable decline in the kind of rooted, light-hearted comedy entertainers centred on middle-class families or extended families that were popular in the 80s and 90s. Krishnadas Murali's directorial debut, Bharathanatyam, falls into this category, with its unmistakably old-fashioned premise and a familiar conflict often seen in tearjerkers. However, the filmmaker effectively puts a fresh comedic spin on this, consistently delivering laughs. The film also cleverly plays with its title, Bharathanatyam. While it shares its name with the classical Indian dance form, here, it serves as a playful wordplay on the actions of a prominent character, which forms the crux of the story.

Director: Krishnadas Murali

Cast: Saiju Kurup, Saikumar, Kalaranjini, Divya M Nair, Nandu Poduval, Swathi Das Prabhu, Sreeja Ravi, Abhiram Radhakrishnan

Bharathanatyam opens by introducing us to Sasidharan, fondly known as Sasi (played convincingly by Saiju Kurup), the secretary of a local temple committee. The film wastes no time establishing Sasi’s role in the community and his life at home, where he shoulders the responsibilities of his close-knit family living in a traditional dominant caste household. Sasi's family includes his father Bharathan (Saikumar), his mother Saraswathy (Kalaranjini), his elder sister Santhi (Divya M Nair), after whom their house is named, his younger sister, Sreelatha (Sruthy Suresh) and his youngest brother Arun. Santhi and Sreelatha's husbands (Nandu Poduval and Swathi Das Prabhu, respectively) also live in the same house.

The casting is spot-on, with each character getting ample screen time, and most actors fitting their roles perfectly, especially in portraying the dynamics of an extended family living under one roof. While Divya deserves special mention for her nuanced portrayal, Kalaranjini emerges as the scene-stealer. The veteran actor brilliantly captures the essence of a concerned mother and wife, whose world revolves around her family's honour and reputation, with her unique voice and dialogue delivery. Her comic timing, combined with her ability to convey a range of emotions subtly, makes her a standout performer in the film, demonstrating how underutilised she has been as a seasoned performer. Her on-screen presence in her own distinctive voice—the result of an unfortunate incident in her early career—is a delight in itself. As Bharathan, Saikumar is excellent, conveying both the physical struggle and the emotional turmoil of a man whose secrets are on the brink of being exposed.

Krishnadas' script adeptly portrays the family as a unit obsessed with societal perceptions, a theme that resonates with many traditional households. This is humorously highlighted when Saraswathy worries about potential gossip regarding her son-in-law's unemployment. The narrative also shifts intermittently to Sasi's colleagues on the temple committee, played effectively by Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Sohan Seenulal, and the director Krishnadas himself, each with distinctive traits. We see Sasi and his committee members devising a plan to introduce a new ritual to exorcise the devotees' houses to cast away evil so they can make more money. This subplot serves as a sharp commentary on human gullibility and the exploitation of superstitions. It also ties into the proceedings in Sasi's household throughout the film, without being overtly didactic.

Additionally, the film works as a subtle critique of societal norms and the tendency of communities to interfere in personal matters. Through its characters, particularly Abhiram and Sasi's fellow committee members, the film reflects on the pervasive nature of gossip and societal scrutiny. Krishnadas' talent as a promising filmmaker begins to shine in the first hour, where he subverts what could have been a melodramatic revelation into a comical scenario, and he also makes sure to cleverly reference a quintessential film that dealt with a similar theme in a self-aware manner.

(Mild spoilers)

The film does leave some room for debate, particularly regarding the portrayal of cheating. While one could argue that it normalises infidelity by humanising the actions of Bharathan's character and offering a somewhat simplistic resolution, the film ensures that both Saraswathy and Rukmini (an endearing Sreeja Ravi) are treated with dignity.

(Spoilers end)

The film's second half, where most of the situational comedy unfolds, is where Bharathanatyam truly finds its stride. The laugh-out-loud moments are plentiful, leaving the audience in splits more often than not. While the narrative maintains a light-hearted approach throughout, the ending could have been handled with more finesse. The sudden emotional shift and the resolution of certain character arcs, particularly those of Saraswathy and Sasi, could have used more build-up. Nevertheless, this minor shortcoming does not significantly detract from the overall experience. The background score is impressive, particularly during the comic scenes. However, there are moments, especially towards the end, when the narrative takes a brief emotional shift, where the score could have been toned down to better suit the mood.

While Bharathanatyam does not break new ground in terms of its story, its treatment is enjoyable, with identifiable characters and a neat running time of just two hours that hardly overstays its welcome. The film also thankfully consciously avoids delving into excessive melodrama, a pitfall for stories involving family secrets.