Producer- Shafi, Rafi, Shaleel K A, Bava Hassainar
Director- Shafi
Cast- Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya, Biju Menon, Samvritha Sunil, Bhama, Vijayaraghavan etc.
Music- Deepak Dev
Review By : Unni R Nair (Kerala9.com )
A Shafi film always promises to be a thorough entertainer, fun all along…Shafi’s latest film ‘101 Weddings’ too begins on this note, but half way through it loses steam and gets derailed, thanks to a script that plays foil…
Krishnankutty (Kunchacko Boban), the son of an idealist father, Gandhian Munshi Shankara Pillai (Vijayaraghavan), doesn’t believe in honesty, truthfulness and righteousness the way his father does. Due to his father’s idealism he would very often get thrashed by Antappan, whose father Lawrence (Kochupreman), a small time hooch dealer, was always the victim of Munshi Shankara Pillai’s anti-liquor campaigns. Desperate to get rid of Antappan, Krishnankutty had done something drastic.
Today, Krishnankutty (Kunchacko Boban), who calls himself Krish, sometimes even betrays his father to make a quick buck. Munshi Shankara Pillai fights relentless battles against liquor barons, especially Vettanchira Bhasi (Sunil Sukhada). Bhasi’s daughter Abhirami (Samvritha Sunil) is an idealist and always leaks out information about her father’s illicit deals to Munshi Shankara Pillai. Krishnankutty, whenever he comes to know of this, informs Vettanchira Bhasi that the cops have been tipped off and thus saves him, in lieu of money.
.Impressed by Abhirami, Munshi Shankara Pillai asks her to get married to Krishnankutty at a mass wedding ceremony, to be held soon. Abhirami agrees, though she hasn’t seen Krishnankutty. When Krishnankutty comes to know that his father wants him to be wedded at a mass wedding ceremony, and that too to an idealist girl (he doesn’t know that Abhirami is Bhasi’s daughter), he and his friend Ricky (Vijeesh) finds a girlish dance master Jyothishkumar (Jayasurya) to act as Krishnankutty, so that Abhirami says a big ‘No’ to the wedding. They all- Krish (who gives out his name as Azad), Jyothish, Abhirami etc- register themselves for the mass wedding and come to stay at the Kasturba Seva Gramam to be part of the ceremony. In the meantime, Antappan (Biju Menon), who has pledged to take revenge on Krishnankutty (whom he had not seen except when they were schoolboys) by killing him, also comes to the Kasturba Seva Gramam, with his aides, eyeing the gold and money that’s offered to each couple. From here takes off the story of ‘101 Weddings’.
The premise may sound good. 101 weddings to take place at a mass wedding ceremony and all key characters being there- there is enough scope for humour to be worked out. But somehow it doesn’t work out. Till half-time it’s somewhat tolerable, but post interval things go out of hand and there is not much of fun. It’s just so so. Still, the family audience may come to watch the film due to the star cast and expectations pinned on a Shafi film.
Performance
Jayasurya is the one who scores the most on the performance side while Chackochan is good as Krishnankutty. Biju Menon is his usual self as Antappan and doesn’t have much to do. Samvritha is good as Abhirami while Bhama has nothing much to do. All others fit into their respective roles and there is no exceptionally brilliant kind of performance from anyone in the cast.
Technical aspects
Cinematography by Alagappan and art-direction by Joseph Nellickal suit the mood and tempo of the film. Editing is by V.Saajan.
Music
The songs are all just average ones, though they are pictured in a trendy manner, in true Shafi style. But the lyrics and tunes are far from impressive.
Script
Script by Kalavoor Ravikumar, based on story by Shafi, is not up to the mark. The premise at hand could have been worked out into a real good and colourful entertainer, of the sort done by Shafi in the past. But it has gone totally wrong and the film fails to entertain and impress, beyond a certain level.
Direction
Bad luck Shafi! The director is in control of things, but the script, based on story by Shafi himself, doesn’t work out well. Seems like Shafi has lost his ‘touch’. Or maybe he needs to put in some more effort in doing his films, especially since he is one director who has churned out so many colourful entertainers in the past. Better luck next time, Shafi.
Verdict- Not up to the mark, could have been better.
Rating: 2.5/5