‘Lalitham Sundaram’ movie review: Madhu Wariar’s directorial debut is predictable, yet heartwarming

The feel-good drama, starring Manju Warrier and Biju Menon, is underwhelming at times, but still makes for a fun comfort watch

Keep it simple and beautiful. Actor Madhu Wariar seems to have followed that to the T in his directorial debut, Lalitham Sundaram, which translates to ‘Simple, Beautiful.’ He maintains the feel-good factor throughout, employing some familiar tropes and situations in the process. However, the movie, an OTT release, is a pleasant-enough watch, thanks to the ensemble cast, picture-perfect frames and some good music. 

Prior to the release, there was much talk about a brother (Madhu) directing his sister, Manju Warrier, perhaps a first in Malayalam cinema. There was also a lot of excitement about Manju coming together with Biju Menon after two decades. But those expecting to see them as a couple would be disappointed that they play siblings, Sunny and Annie. They have a younger brother, Jerry (Anu Mohan).

The trio come home to be with their widowed father, Das (scenarist Raghunath Paleri) on their mother Mary Das’s (Zarina Wahab) death anniversary. The siblings are more like strangers, busy with their own lives in different cities. Sunny is a failed entrepreneur with a string of flop business ventures to his credit and his married life with Sophy (Ramya Nambeesan) has hit rock bottom. Annie is a successful businesswoman and has a happy family with a supportive stay-at-home husband, Sandeep (Saiju Kurup) and two kids. Jerry, the IT guy, has a live-in girlfriend, Simi (Deepti Sati), who is a divorcee. (It is refreshing to see narratives with stay-at-home dads and live-in relationships in Malayalam cinema.)

But all is not well amongst the siblings as some old wounds resurface once they decide to stay back for a week in their huge house. There are some unresolved issues, especially between Sunny and Jerry, which escalate after a point. 

However, most of these scenes are quite light-weight, which some might find underwhelming. There are no twists or turns, nor any gripping situations in the screenplay by Pramod Mohan. The narrative has its moments, but one wishes there were more with so many seasoned actors in the cast. The relationship dynamics among the siblings could have been better explored, and the reason for the fall-out between the brothers seems far-fetched. 

But the actors somehow hold the film together; Biju, last seen in Aarkkariyam, is intense as Sunny who is burdened by his emotional baggage and Manju is breezy as the high-flying businesswoman in her first direct OTT release. The banter between them, and some spontaneous reactions from the duo is worth watching. But it is Saiju as Manju’s husband who steals the show, and it is a delight to watch him on-screen with his effortless acting. 

The locations, especially Vandipperiyar, Kuttikanam and Vagamon have been beautifully captured by cinematographers P Sukumar and Gautham Sankar, despite some of the frames looking too glossy. Even as Bijibal’s music and background score try to blend in with the narrative, one might find his use of a medley of evergreen Malayalam film songs towards the end more enjoyable.