But isn’t it too dated an idea in today’s times? You also can’t help but wonder why Thomas is so scared, despite not wanting to be a priest in the first place. Or is it his honour that he’s trying to save here? He could have just shared his terrible situation with the head priest. Since that would have stopped the narrative from progressing, the makers have used the age-old technique of avoiding proper communication between characters to cook up drama.
Despite weak characterisation, Balu Varghese is still the film’s only saving grace. With his earnest performance, the actor underlines the character’s empathy, vulnerability, and helplessness effectively. Anaswara Rajan is an excellent actor as she has proven often, but she is a major miscast in the film. Not because it’s too heavy a character for her to pull off. With the actor playing prominent roles alongside A-listers lately, it kind of gives away that she won’t settle for a regular damsel-in-distress role. So when the transition happens, it’s more like “Hmm, well..” than “Oh, wow.”
Anaswara’s performance is also way off the mark, especially the expressions and body language after the big reveal. It’s unintentionally hilarious. The fact that the same actor is winning unanimous praise for her charming performance in this week’s other release, Rekhachithram, highlights the importance of well-defined characterisation, a performer’s consistency, and a director’s ability to extract the best from an actor.
Arjun Ashokan also falters, with his performance akin to what he did with his wide-open eyes in Romancham. Among the others, Renji Panicker puts on a silly over-the-top act, while Althaf Salim’s trademark deadpan humour just doesn’t click anymore. Among his other missteps, debutant director Mahesh Madhu has clearly floundered with handling his actors.
With nothing much going its way, Ennu Swantham Punyalan ends up as a largely forgettable affair.
Film: Ennu Swantham Punyalan
Director: Mahesh Madhu
Cast: Balu Varghese, Anaswara Rajan, Arjun Ashokan, Althaf Salim, Renji Panicker
Rating : 1.5/5
