If one were to write a review for this movie during the intermission, it would have received 5 stars unanimously from everyone. The decline begins from the second half and the inexperience of the director clearly shows itself from there. The movie is unnecessarily long and a lot of the sequences in the second half could have been edited out and done away with.
With a bit more conciseness, the film could have replicated the success of Njan Prakashan.
But there are plenty of positives too. The concept and story are good. The direction and cinematography are good too till the intermission. Not that it's bad afterwards, but as I mentioned before, the inexperience of the director shows then onwards. He didn't do a good job in properly wrapping it up. Hence it loses 2 stars for execution.
But I'd say it still is a film worth watching, preferably via streaming than in a theatre owing to its runtime. The performances of all the cast members deserve a 5 star rating though, starting from the main man himself. Fahadh Fazil once again proves why he is the best actor among his contemporaries with yet another breathtaking performance. He is the saving grace that keeps the viewers from leaving when things start to feel forced and stretched out in the second half. It's a performance reminiscent of a vintage Mohanlal in movies like Vellanakalude Naadu. While I sat and watched Fahad in this film, I couldn't help but think that if there is anyone at all capable of filling Lalettan's shoes in the future, it would be him.
The film also presents you with plenty of laughter, although you cant help but feel a pang of sadness the moment Innocent first appears on screen. As this was his last film, you could say he signed off in his signature fashion doing what he does best - making people laugh. May he rest in peace.
Mukesh and his queer car and the receptionist guy in the pharmacy never fail to make you laugh whenever they come in a scene. Vineeth, the lady who played his mother and the other 2 female leads also put in strong performances. The negative characters, especially the cruel step-grandmother also do a wonderful job. These performances, in fact, are what that carries the movie in the second half when the direction and storytelling fails.