Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal review: Sharan Venugopal’s soothing, simmering family drama is an absolute gem

4/5

Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal plot: Three brothers – Vishwan, Sethu and Bhaskaran – put aside their differences to come together at their ancestral home for the first time in over two decades, for the final days of their dying mother. But as days go by, they dig up their past and the reasons for their estranged relationship.

Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal review: In a sequence in debutant Sharan Venugopal’s Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal, two youngsters and cousins – Athira (Garggi Ananthan) and Nikhil (Thomas Mathew) - sit staring at a temple lake that their fathers loved swimming in when they were young. The conversation between the two youngsters is, however, about the two facets of love. While one opens up about the pain of heartbreak, the other, sketching the pond, talks about letting go and finding closure. That scene encapsulates the film, which dives into the complexities of relationships yet with the most soothing and warmest of touches.

Right from the start, Sharan is sure about how the movie must play out. You have three brothers, Vishwan (Alencier Ley Lopez), Sethu (Joju George) and Bhaskaran (Suraj Venjaramoodu) and their families reuniting for the first time in over two decades at a hospital, where they are set to pull out their mother from ventilator support and let her spend her final hours at their ancestral home. But there is no somberness that is usually accompanied by such a sequence. Instead, to sum up the tone of the movie, the filmmaker and its composer Rahul Raj, pave the way for a pacifying path for the characters in the film as well as the audience.

Also read: Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal director Sharan Venugopal on getting a dream cast for his debut, National Award-winning short film and more | Exclusive 

You sense the distance between Vishwan and Bhaskaran, but also an effort from them to maintain the niceties as they are home for only a few days. But through the conversations between the brothers, their wives and from people who come to visit, you get the picture, block by block, about how their relationship was built and then pulled down. There’s a visual language that Sharan has beautifully used in the movie through the dialogues, which gives the movie its nostalgic flavour and also peels the various layers of complex relationships that exist only within families.

Padmarajan’s Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam is often quoted as the benchmark in Malayalam when it comes to movies of this genre, where differences between families are explored through several aspects, including from the perspective of people from various generations. Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal does this brilliantly for the audience of today, by keeping the emotions and drama minimal while showing the two sides of each character – making them and the story relatable. Cinematographer Appu Prabhakar’s frames complete this immersive experience – which is about closure and mending broken relationships.

The casting of the movie is also perfect, with some of the best performers in Malayalam cinema aiding to bring alive these well-written characters. Alencier shines as Vishwan, the eldest brother who takes it upon himself to play the patriarchal figure in the household. The simmering tension between him and the youngest brother Bhaskaran, gives this contemplative film another dimension. Suraj once again shows his restrained side, and his interactions with his wife and son are well portrayed. Joju as Sethu, the glue that brings all of them together but is looked down by his brothers, is also the most endearing character, in a film that has several.

The younger perspective of Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal comes from Thomas and Garggi’s characters. The audience would immediately connect with them and both the actors represent today’s youth with all their conflicts, struggles and little joys. Shelly Kishore, Sarasa Balussery and Sajitha Madathil remain impactful in their limited screentime. Credit should also be given to the producers for backing such a film, which might have appeared ordinary on the surface, but turned out to be an absolute gem due to its craft. 

It’s cliche to say about feel-good movies that you would leave the theatres with a smile on your face. But in the case of this film, you could leave it as a better person – if you let yourself soak in it, like taking a dip in a temple pond during the rains like the three brothers in their youth.

Narayaneente Moonnaanmakkal verdict: Director Sharan Venugopal makes a stirring debut with a family drama that flows like a reverie while exploring the complexities of relationships between three brothers. It’s a beautiful film that can be enjoyed by audiences across age groups.