Ennu Swantham Punyalan review: Anaswara Rajan, Arjun Ashokan, and second half’s burst of energy save the film from predictability

3/5

Ennu Swantham Punyalan plot

Priest Thomas, who entered the divine path as per his mother’s wishes, finds himself in a spot after a young woman seeks refuge at his church residence. His troubles are doubled when a thief too enters the picture, threatening to 'expose' him if the priest doesn’t do his bidding. The movie follows the priest's predicament as it weaves a tale around these three characters at the church mansion, which is integral to the story.

Ennu Swantham Punyalan review

During the last decade or so, we have seen many movies (especially made by directors who would fit into the 90s' kids group) that inevitably feature the childhood of the lead hero. Almost all of these movies start off with the kids in white-maroon school uniforms, crushing over their classmates, and hanging around with good-for-nothing brats like them. Ennu Swantham Punyalan also walks down the same predictable path, offering some light-hearted moments but seldom adding much to the movie’s narrative.

The movie then shifts to the present day as Fr Thomas heads to a church in a remote location that doesn’t even have a CCTV despite having some prized possessions. The movie actually begins once Anaswara Rajan’s Meera seeks refuge at his church residence, but does not really find new ways to showcase the impending nearly-caught-but-escaped scenarios.

But Ennu Swantham Punyalan finds a sudden burst of energy after a wide-eyed Arjun Ashokan makes an appearance with his goofy smiles and fluid movements. This combined with a twist that brilliantly subverts the whimpering heroine role gives some much-needed energy to the movie that seemed to be weighed down by predictability up until this point.

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Mahesh Madhu, who is making his directorial debut, and writer Samji Antony prove that they have some tricks up their sleeves with the twist, which is sadly missing in the first half. Or was the simplistic first half a ploy to ensure that audiences are taken by surprise when the big reveal is made? Even then the legendary tale and the 90s nostalgia add little to the plot’s narrative or needed more connections or payoffs in the later portions.

Further, the nostalgia portion too didn't need an actor like Baiju, who plays the father of the priest. Renji Panicker too seems to be caught in a role that needs better writing or at least more quirks and dialogues to make it the oddball comic character. Among the supporting cast, Althaf Salim provides some humour with his dialogues.

Among the trio of lead actors, Anaswara Rajan gets a couple of scenes to shine. The young actress, who delivered a terrific performance in Mohanlal’s Neru, grabs the opportunity with both hands and makes a run for it. Arjun Ashokan too leaves an impression with his performance despite only showing up in the second half. Balu Varghese makes the most of what is given to him, but portions about him being a reluctant priest and coming from a family of sisters do not find much relevance.

The church and the priest's residence, where much of the action takes place, provide the perfect setting for the film. Sam CS’s BGM score elevates the scenes in key moments but the songs don’t leave much of an impression.

Ennu Swantham Punyalan verdict

Ennu Swantham Punyalan shines in moments when both its clever writing and actors join forces to pull it back from the path of predictability. If only the makers had incorporated more of this smart storytelling, we would have gotten a cracker of a film and not left with a film that comes alive in short bursts of energy. That said, those looking for a light-hearted and fun movie, Ennu Swantham Punyalan may not come across as a disappointment.