Munthirivallikal Thalirkumpol is a celebration of infidelity and male chauvinism that masquerades as a neat family entertainer. The portrayal of husbands as outrageous flirts and wives as ‘all-understanding-anything is okay-we are happy and satisfied with mega-serials’ type is interesting .The wilder and funnier thing about this movie is the depiction of an entire society as one encouraging promiscuity! Almost everyone in this movie encourages every-other character fancying someone else’s husband or wife. The college reunion scene where an entire batch of grown ups cheer and laud at ‘the' ex-lovers and give them space to rekindle the still burning rage of love was grotesque. One of the husbands in the movie is disinterested in his own wife and keeps searching planet mars for water, the character should be serving as an allegory.
The protagonist who is bored with his life openly announces that he needs to flirt with a ‘chick’ to reinvent the lover in him. He requires to be dumped by a sexy lady (or realise that the dream girl he fancied was promiscuous) to realise that his ‘life is his wife’. He openly admits that he wore a ‘mask like face’ fearing that he would be easily seduced by ‘Menakas’ around. Finally when he rediscovers/ reinvents the love for his wife he feels secure! Oh God! Gravity defying logics.
The movie, anyway succeeded in making a viewer like me ‘think’. Thus it’s a success. Now coming to the ‘movie-proper’, it has a few hilarious moments that’ll entertain you. After a long time, I liked the way Anoop Menon dealt with his character. Lalettan is, convincing, as usual (all pun intended). For someone who can do almost anything under the sun, there’s nothing challenging for him here. Let’s believe that Meena built up all the fat/weight to justify her role as Lalettan’s wife. Or was the director hinting that all middle aged (and older) housewives are obese? Who knows. Anyway someone has finally given a plausible explanation for why TV-soaps are rampant. Suraj Venjarammoodu finds perfect balance with comedy once again (after a forgettable and ugly stereotyped role in Pulimurugan). Kalabhavan Shajon, Sudheer Karamana, Sharafudeen, Aima, Master Sanoop and almost every actor in the movie show complete justice to their roles, all seem to be perfectly in control. Everything runs very smooth and balanced. The core problem which I felt is with the basic ideology, and the message that the movie tries to deliver. More unbearable is the Director/ Script writer trying to squeeze in ‘moral lessons’ on politics and parenting. The husband-wife chemistry is overstretched and exaggerated, scenes too repetitive.
It isn’t a must watch, but a ‘may-watch’. If the theme sounds interesting, grab a DVD of Anuraga Karikkin Vellam, a beautifully crafted work.
So finally, is Munthirivallikal an entertaining movie? Yes, indeed, after all it is the celebration of human basic instinct…polygamy! The ripples in box-office reflect our double standards. A Dark family entertainer!
