The template of a dysfunctional family coming together to resolve and celebrate their differences has now become an oft-repeated one in Malayalam cinema. While there have been spectacular successes like "Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela" (2017) and "#Home" (2021), the genre is also susceptible to abject failures like "Bro Daddy" (2022) when the core story lacks sincerity and depth. "Lalitham Sundaram", while being an honest attempt with good intentions, reduces to only a passable watch due to the same lack in depth of characterization and any real freshness in the plotline.
We are introduced to a squabbling family consisting of three siblings-played by Biju Menon, Manju Warrier and Anu Mohan who get together at their hillside ancestral home to commemorate the death anniversary of their beloved mother. With issues of abandonment, rivalry and problems in their respective marriages to comprehend with, how the three of them come to terms with spending time with each other and repairing their broken relationships form the rest of this run-of-the-mill story.
It was definitely a delight to watch Biju Menon and Manju Warrier combine on-screen again, with the superstar pair having last appeared together in the iconic "Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu" way back in 1998. The gifted actors in them find the same chemistry that delighted us in classics like "Pranayavarnangal" (1998) and "Innalekalillathae" (1997) and their back-and-forth sibling rivalry offer up some of the most genuine and organically funny sequences in the film.
The direction by Manju Warrier's brother, Madhu Warrier shows all the inexperience of a debut director, with the narrative often diverging into irrelevant sub-plots on the one hand while not building enough layering and background to the core familial conflicts that should have formed the backbone of the storytelling. The sympathy and relatability the director planned on bringing to the on-screen family never materializes fully due to the disjointed nature of the plot progression and the artificiality in many of the characters' interactions with each other.
Bijibal's heartwarming music offers some solace as the bungling narrative moves forward, offering up more narrative impact than any of the inane dialogues written by screenwriter Pramod Mohan. Because of the same, the feelings and conflicts of the characters remain at surface-level, rarely giving the impression to the viewer that they have any real depth or realism to be taken seriously. While films like "#Home" thrived on authenticity and relatable elements, "Lalitham Sundaram" works more like a soap opera where you just see characters enact on-screen, without ever resonating with any of their struggles or motivations.
Except for Sudheesh and Saiju Kurup, the supporting cast was pretty disappointing with Anu Mohan, Deepti Sati and Reghunath Paleri's performances coming across as forced and wooden. Despite very little screen time, Sudheesh again illustrates how under-utilized his acting prowess is within the industry and hopefully, this is another wake-up call to Kerala's film-makers to offer up longer roles to the 2020 Kerala State Award winner for Best Character Acting (For "Bhoomiyile Manohara Swakaryam" and "Ennivar").
The politics of the film is also dubious with the career-oriented lady CEO character played by Manju Warrier guilt-tripped for that most ridiculous of reasons -"not finding enough time for family" while the same reasoning is deemed as a wife being unreasonable when directed towards Biju Menon's character. Double standards much?
Ultimately, "Lalitham Sundaram" has several high points, especially with Biju Menon and Sudheesh's rousing performances and soulful monologues but doesn't gel well together to make a cohesive whole. Manju Warrier's role was criminally and inexplicably under-written, giving minimal room for the performer in her to shine. I also wish there were more combination sequences between her and Biju Menon because that was what the audiences had turned up to watch the film for.
Set your expectations right and this might be a watchable timepass family drama, that entertains in parts.
