Ntikkakkokkoru Premondarnn review: Bhavana, Sharafudheen’s film is a simple love story as advertised; nothing more, nothing less

3/5

Story:

Jimmy, who aspires to open a vintage car dealership one day, is pestered by his family for marriage, and they pick a young woman named Fida as the apt woman for the former. After being forced to strike up a conversation with the young woman by the insistence of his family, Jimmy starts to fall for her, and his adorable little sister stands by his side. When he has a chance meeting with Nitya, his first love, he starts to have second thoughts about his equation with Fida.

Review:

Speaking about Ntikkakkokkoru Premondarnn, which marks her comeback to Malayalam cinema after a gap of almost five years, Bhavana had referred to it as a ‘simple love story’, something the film’s director, debutante Adhil Maimoonath Asharaf, had called it as well. The description certainly fits Ntikkakkokkoru Premondarnn to a tee, although a little too well, and the film fails to move past to becoming anything more than that.

The film follows the story of Sharafudheen’s Jimmy, a Gulf returnee who aspires to start a vintage car showroom. As he struggles to get his business up and running, he finds solace in spending time with his little sister Mariyam, and the two share a huge age gap between them. Nudged by nosy family members, Jimmy strikes up a conversation with a young woman named Fida, who he meets at his cousin’s wedding, and the two hit it off and start seeing each other. But when Nitya, Jimmy’s first love, who he had a hard time moving on from, enters his life yet again by chance, he has a hard time putting her out of his mind.

Adhil and Vivek Bharathan, who have written the film, seemed to have tried their best to make sure that the entire story stays within the prompt of a ‘simple,love story’, and the film stays true to the description from start to finish, even at the risk of falling under the radar of mediocrity. Right from the start, viewers with a fair knowledge of romantic dramas can guess where the film’s going, and predictability is something Ntikkakkokkoru Premondarnn cannot seem to get the better of. The characters too are a mixed bag of familiar tropes and cliches.

There’s the cheerful, good to the core Jimmy, a hardworking young man with big dreams, but who has a bit of trouble turning them into reality. Bhavana’s Nitya is equally sweet, and both the protagonists seem to have no real fleshed identity beyond these bullet point characteristics. Similarly, the supporting characters too are not really fleshed out and end up being either one dimensional or black and white, including the saintly Fida, and Jimmy’s brash father played by Ashokan.

But although the writing and story is definitely nothing to write home about, the performances, especially those of the leads, turn out to be the saving grace of the film. Although Bhavana and Sharafudheen’s dynamic is all sweet and saccharine, the actors manage to salvage it into a performance viewers will not get tired of in the least. The duo seem to try and best each other when it comes to performances, and their ‘forlorn beloveds brought back to each other by chance’ act and chemistry is truly a delightful watch.

Sharafudheen’s Jimmy’s dynamic with Saniya Rafi’s Mariyam is also another memorable highlight of the film. Mariyam, who understands her big brother better than anyone else, is his number one supporter and cheerleader, even helping him break the ice between the women he fancies. Saniya is all charm and delight as the witty little Mariyam, and the child star’s chemistry with Sharafudheen is as wholesome as ever.

Verdict:

If viewers are searching for a simple, beautiful love story, then Ntikkakkokkoru Premondarnn is the perfect choice. The film veers into predictability when it comes to story, but the charming performances of its lead cast becomes its saving grace.