Pranaya Vilasam attempts to blend tragic romances with a humorous narrative without necessarily mocking it. And to be frank, that approach makes this movie interesting. With performances of Manoj KU, Arjun Ashokan, and Anaswara Rajan creating a positive impression on the audience, Pranaya Vilasam is an enjoyable drama with scope for refinement.
Suraj, an aspiring singer who studies at Payyannur college; Rajeevan, his father, a village officer; and Anusree, his mother, are the central characters of this movie. Suraj is in love with his friend from college. Rajeevan, on the other hand, had a relationship back in college that never proceeded. Things took an exciting turn when both Rajeevan and Suraj got to know that Anusree, in her past, was in a relationship. The curiosity inside the father and son to discover Anu’s love drives Pranaya Vilasam forward.
The making style of Nikhil Muraly opts for a very traditional approach. But the writing in the initial portions knows how to keep it light and interesting. The script structure that establishes Suraj first and then goes to Rajeevan and eventually explores Anusree through the lenses of both of them gives Pranaya Vilasam that solid shape. Two of the love stories in the film are about lost love, and writers Sunu AV and Jothish M explore those tracks with a pinch of nostalgia. While the idea and humor were in favor of the movie, I felt the drama somewhere lacked intensity.
Arjun Ashokan is in his usual Romeo avatar, and it’s a safe zone character for him. I loved the chemistry between him and Manoj KU in the movie’s second half. For me, the best performance from the film came from Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam fame Manoj KU. Even though the primary layer of that character is driven by humor, Manoj manages to perform those emotional moments beautifully in the most subtle way. Anaswara Rajan looked beautiful and was super comfortable delivering lines in her native slang. Mamitha Baiju’s character is somewhere a bit insignificant to the movie as Suraj’s love story isn’t getting enough space to get registered. Miya’s slang was a bit of a mismatch for a film set in the Kannur heartland. Hakkim Shah and Sreedhanya were also good in their respective roles.
In the lighter areas of the film, Pranaya Vilasam feels like that comfortable popcorn entertainer. The second half humor that unfolds when the father and son investigate the ex-lover of the lady of the house has some genuinely funny moments. Because of the softer nature of the movie, when the film shifts to those moments of high drama, there is a bit of an imbalance. If one could deeply empathize with the character played by Hakkim Shah, I think the movie could have created a better impact as the driving emotion is pain. The film’s production design has done a pretty good job of recreating the old days. Shaan Rahman’s music felt slightly different from his usual style until he used his own voice.
Pranaya Vilasam is never a tough movie to sit through. It has story elements that will hook you for sure. As I said, just like how the humor worked for the film, if the emotional angle of the story also had the same impact, the climax might have given you the same high Suraj also experienced in the story.
With performances of Manoj KU, Arjun Ashokan, and Anaswara Rajan creating a positive impression on the audience, Pranaya Vilasam is an enjoyable drama with scope for refinement.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
