Sumesh & Ramesh

Sumesh & Ramesh, the new coming-of-age comedy from Sanoop Thykoodam, becomes passable primarily due to the humor in the story that doesn’t stick out. The basic thought is to show the growth of two siblings from being lazy and unfocused to being more responsible human beings. The rooted setting and the performances elevate this film that has a scattered script.

As the title suggests, the film is about siblings Sumesh and Ramesh. Sumesh, the elder one, is going for painting works. Ramesh, the younger one, is studying. Their father is not going for any work since his disc has an issue. The only earning member of that family is their mother, Usha. What we see in Sumesh & Ramesh is the story of this family.

Sanoop Thykoodam has tried to create a comedy out of a story with relatable elements. The movie’s backdrop is filled with familiar characters to us. Their problems and their shortcuts are relatable. Sanoop basically divides the film into two. The first half is about the younger one, Ramesh, who is emotionally insecure. The part that deals with Ramesh’s life are humor-driven for the most part. The film looks more stable when it comes to the second half that focuses on Sumesh’s life. It succeeds in generating empathy towards Sumesh. His romance and rise feel more rooted.

I think they have cast actors who suited the roles in terms of performance. Balu Varghese is in that typical role where he is always a bit anxious and insecure. Sreenath Bhasi gets the better character here, in my opinion. Sumesh gets to go through a broader range of emotions. Salim Kumar occasionally will remind us of his vintage energy. Praveena as the mother, Usha was a really memorable character, and a major demerit for the script, in my opinion, was its inability to place that character. Devika Krishnan as Sreekutty was good.

The premise is pretty generic and, at the same time, relatable. In the very first shot of the movie where the working mother casually switches off the TV that was playing fashion TV, easily conveys the state of things in that home. In the second half of the film, when the film explores Sumesh, there also we feel some depth to the movie. There is a contrast in the tone of the family members. Sumesh and mother are from the Mahesh Bhavana universe, and Ramesh and father are from the Kattappanayil Rithwik Roshan world. This difference somewhere felt like a creative compromise to add comedy. The music and the background score help the film add some depth to specific sequences.

Sumesh & Ramesh is a passable comedy with sporadic moments that will connect with us. As I said, if the movie’s overall tone had the same pitch that we see in the Sumesh track, the film would have been much more engaging. With some relatable moments and characters, Sumesh & Ramesh is a boring film at no point.