Kanakam Kamini Kalaham Review : An ensemble that is a mixed bag

Story: Persuaded to save his marriage, Pavithran is forced to go on a break with wife Haripriya, but when they land in a hotel full of "madmen", it looks like Pavithran's problems with the gold earrings he gifted to his wife continue

Review: Kanakam Kamini Kalaham is a cute idea, one of those stylised films designed to get plenty of belly laughs. The trailer made you think of the earlier Priyadarshan films, with a comic ensemble cast, that made you giggle continually with their silliness. Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, who made a striking directorial debut with Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25, however, delivers a mixed bag with this movie.

Former serial actress Haripriya, played by Grace Antony, complains of being stuck in an unromantic marriage with junior artiste and acting school instructor Pavithran, essayed by Nivin Pauly. Persuaded to save his marriage, Pavithran is forced to resort to a plan B, after his first attempt to satiate Haripriya with a gift of gold earrings looks like it might get him into, rather than out of trouble.

Towards this end, the hard-up couple take a break at the Hilltop Hotel in Munnar. It is managed by a beleaguered Joey (Vinay Forrt), handling an incompetent staff and a temperamental girlfriend on the phone, and now the holidaying couple who add their share of problems. It sounds like the premise for an out-and-out fun ride, but the film falls short, despite some hilarious moments, such as when Haripriya is angry with her husband for acting like a clown, and he wonders if she might be complimenting his acting skills. At a running time of about 2 hours, while the film starts strong, with its very fun title rollout, comic play on words and good situational humour, it feels like the joke has been stretched too thin. The film offers a glimpse into a marriage and without being too tragic, shows the sacrifices and the compromises that a woman makes. These are things that are thought of as the normal duties of a wife, so it is good to witness it from the outside in a subtle comic way and see how the husband tries to get away with not doing his bit, even while the wife is trying to. The husband-wife equation is also used with a hilarious twist at the end.

Nivin Pauly is unencumbered and lovable in his comic portrayal of a flop artiste and husband, and Grace Antony is good, but they don’t quite bring that killer charm and skill that have made them memorable in previous comic and dramatic roles. Sudheesh, Vinay Forrt, Rajesh Madhavan, Jaffar Idukki, Joy Mathew and Sivadas Kannur add ably to the proceedings. The music by Yakzan Gary Periera and Neha Nair starts out pitch perfect, but feels a bit overused. Vinod Illampally captures and conveys the mood of the situation faultlessly with his cinematography.

On the whole, Kanakam Kamini Kalaham can be seen together with the family as a pleasant entertainer that provides some good insights into marriage.