Premalu Movie Review: This adorable rom-com hits the right spots

Over the years, films have made us believe that a hero going through a heartbreak must drink. Premalu also has nothing novel to offer in this aspect. However, Sachin (Naslen) does not wait for his heart to break to start drinking. He needs alcohol to propose to the girl he has been harbouring affection for over four years, only to be rejected. The scene then cuts to a mid-shot of Sachin vomiting, followed by the film's title: Premalu—This brilliant introduction establishes the essence of the entire movie even before the story is set in motion. The film kicks off after that and you experience a stellar ride filled with tales of love, heartbreaks and a laugh riot.

Director: Girish A D

Cast: Mamitha Baiju, Naslen, Sangeeth Prathap, Meenakshi Raveendran, Shyam Mohan,        Akhila Bhargavan, Althaf Salim

The distinctive style we have seen in Girish's previous films like Thanneermathan Dinangal (2019) and Super Sharanya (2022), is all the more pronounced in Premalu. Remember the quirky and eccentric Ravi Padmanabhan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) of Thanneermathan Dinangal? or Ajith Menon (Vineeth Vasudevan) of Super Sharanya? Their eccentric characterisations never felt out of place in a Girish film. Similarly, in Premalu, we have Niharika Wanderlust (Meenakshi Raveendran). In the middle of a heated argument, she sings a silly song in the background without minding the events around her. Despite the camera focusing on the foreground, you hear Niharika singing; it elicits a laugh but does not dilute the emotion the scene intends to convey. Not just Niharika, Aadhi (Shyam Mohan), the film's antagonist is an ode to the legacy of Ravi Padmanabhan and Ajith Menon's wacky yet delicate and silly villains.

Making a weird character work is a delicate balance that can fall flat if the performance lacks believability. In this regard, Premalu excels as the entire cast equally carries the film. Despite the film featuring a pool of talented actors, Mamitha Baiju stands out as a charmer, effortlessly stealing the show. However, the revelation is Sangeeth Prathap as Amal Davis. With his precise timing and facial expressions, Sangeeth adds a unique comedic charm to the character and acts as a catalyst that complements the performances of both Mamitha and Naslen.

Premalu has a lot of things on its plate but it does not affect the narrative flow. The film lightly touches upon the peripheries of dysfunctional families and the apparent dichotomies of the lower and upper-middle classes living in the city. Premalu succeeded in shifting the Malayali audience's romanticisation of Banglore and Chennai to Hyderabad.

The movie excels in delivering witty one-liners and situational comedies. For instance, "stalking" is misread as a "stock market", and a teacher requests a student to sleep without snoring so that the rest of the class can continue uninterrupted. The film hits the marks with popular references such as the "Secret Chamber" from Hridayam, a recurring Instagram joke, and a reenactment of the song "Ya, Ya, Yadava."

Despite top-notch comedic performances, the film follows a serious tone in the second half. The first sets you up for an enjoyable ride while the second half invites you to feel for the characters, but it falls short. However, when the film seems to be losing track, a fun and endearing car chase sequence brings it back on its feet. Vishu Vijay's incredible score greatly amplifies such scenes.

In one of the scenes, when a character mocks the other characters' sophistication as a CBSE student, you'll crack up high—because is there any better gag to describe a middle-class existence? And when you leave the cinemas, you realise that Girish's films are not just romantic comedies but a genre of their own.