Guruvayoorambala Nadayil: A Vibrant Wedding Comedy, Bursting with Energy!

In the world of Malayalam cinema, we’re used to seeing stories centered around couples, friends, siblings, or even strangers. However, it’s not often that we come across a tale about two brothers-in-law. Vipin Das’ latest film delves into one such quirky bromance. The story revolves around Anandan (played by Prithviraj Sukumaran) and Vinu (played by Basil Joseph), who are soon-to-be family as Vinu is about to marry Anandan’s sister, Anjaly, much to the delight of both families.

Interestingly, there’s a strong and sweet bond between the two prospective brothers-in-law. The first half-hour of the film emphasizes their deep connection as we see them constantly on the phone, discussing their lives and relationships, while also showering each other with praise and motivation. While Vinu adores and respects Anandan, there are hints that there’s more to Anandan than meets the eye. Naturally, it’s only a matter of time before the sweetness takes a sour turn.

Vipin Das portrays Vinu and Anandan with an over-the-top tone, while the two women, Anjaly (played by Anaswara Rajan) and Parvathy (played by Nikhila Vimal), are portrayed as practical and level-headed. This is a technique that Das effectively used in his previous film, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (JJJJH), where only Jayabharathi (played by Darshana Rajendran) made sense. Unfortunately, unlike JJJJH, the women in Guruvayoorambala Nadayil don’t have much agency. They are mostly sidelined and made to dance to the tune of the two men.

However, to give credit where it’s due, the film attempts to break the stereotype of the ‘theppukari’ and offers a fresh perspective.

Basil is his usual self in this film, just like in his other movies. However, Prithviraj’s portrayal is truly unique and perhaps one of his best in a comedy role. There were concerns before the film’s release about whether he could handle this type of comedy, but he puts all those doubts to rest with a performance that stands out among the rest.

The first scene with Basil and Prithviraj together is built up quite a bit, and Vipin justifies it by making it a hilarious stretch. The iconic song ‘Kannam Thumbi’ is brilliantly placed, adding to the humor. Similarly, the popular 90s Tamil song ‘Azhagiya Laila’ pops up at a defining and funny moment in the film.

After a mostly enjoyable first half, Guruvayoorambala Nadayil loses some steam when it takes the slapstick route. This is also where new characters and their conflicts are introduced, reminding us of a world inhabited by characters from Priyadarshan’s 80s films. The last half hour of the film feels reminiscent of those ‘confusion comedies’ from that era, with lots of characters and chaos. Despite that, it’s still a commendable effort as the makers flawlessly recreate the ambience of the Guruvayoor temple.

Writer Deepu Pradeep, who seems to have a fondness for wedding-related subjects, has some quirky ideas. However, visually communicating his verbal humor seems to be a challenge for filmmakers. It’s evident in Guruvayoorambala Nadayil, as some scenes fail to convey the intended humor, but the comical lines are still memorable. Thankfully, the jokes that do land outweigh the misfires. After Varshangalkku Shesham, this film also has several meta references, like when Basil and Prithviraj hilariously…