Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, a Malayalam comedy film directed by Vipin Das and written by Deepu Pradeep is scheduled to be released on May 16, 2024. A star cast consisting of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal and Anaswara Rajan leads the film. The plot revolves around the happenings surrounding a wedding in a popular temple, the Guruvayoor Temple, and two men falling into a string of misadventures by circumstances because they are both tied to the same woman, without realizing it.

Plot Overview

The narrative revolves around that of Vinu Ramachandran (Basil Joseph), a young executive based in Dubai, who is all set to marry Anjali (Anaswara Rajan). Vinu develops a strong relationship with Anandan Sudevan (Prithviraj Sukumaran) brother of the love of her life Anjali, working as a plant manager in Jamshedpur. Vinu, who is still recovering after a broken heart five years earlier, gets solace through the advising of Anandan. But Anandan is also contending with his personal problems, such as a temporary separation of his wife, Parvathy (Nikhila Vimal), because of an anonymous letter that slanders her. Vinu, who regards Anandan as the brother that he always wanted to have, goes out of his way to bring the couple back together.

Vinu and Anandan later find out that the Parvathy in the two lives is one and the same person and this brings a comic twist to the story. This comes as a surprise and is followed by a spate of comedic and disastrous uncertainties as the two men experience their complicated relationships and set out to solve the disasters that occur as a result.
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Characters and acting

Prithviraj Sukumaran as Anandan Sudevan Prithviraj, who is known to have versatile acting skills, shows excellent performance and understands the variations in his portrayal as he is caught between his own emotions and his comic timing.

Basil Joseph as Vinu Ramachandran: Basil Joseph is known to add his own brand of humor and charisma and this creates a character who one can empathize with and who one is swayed by.

Nikhila Vimal as Parvathy: Nikhila Vimal brings out the emotional layer of Parvathy with grace and depth maintaining the emotional style of this character, balancing depth without taking the film into a serious direction.

Anaswara Rajan as Anjali: Anaswara Rajan also forms a new Bolton to the group, positively bringing her comedic and emotional angles within the film.

Directions and Writing

The director Vipin Das who has done his entertainment compositions in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, uses his skillset in managing large groups of characters and humorous storylet to the Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil film. The screenplay by Deepu Pradeep is crisp and interesting, packed full with situational humour and sharp dialogues that do not allow a dull moment anywhere. The tempo of the film makes the humor appropriate and equally manages the proportion between humor and the existing underlying emotional ideas.

The music and the cinematography

The sounds in the film, which are carried out by Ankit Menon and Dabzee, reflects the comic mood. The soundtrack consists of good catchy songs such as K For Krishna, K For Kabaradakkam which have been well received by audiences. The camera work by Neeraj Revi is well done and enhances the visual appeal of the film that is full of colorful locations.

Critical Reception

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil has received favorable review by reviewers. There have been raves in the cross-cultural humor, acting and the directing of the film. Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express opined that the most impressive aspect of the Vipin Das directorial was the on screen chemistry of Prithviraj Sukumaran and Basil Joseph who set the screen ablaze whenever they come on screen together with their remarkable handling of humor. The movie has been rated 3.5/5 by Rediff.com, which said that it provided a good watch on the comedy side. It has been noted by some critics, however, that it runs out of steam in the second half, with Baradwaj Rangan saying that a stronger premise could have brought more laughs.

Baradwaj Rangan

Box OfficeSuccess

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil had a successful run at the box office and emerged as the 9th highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time and the 6h highest grossing film of 2024.
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Streaming Availability

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil plays out on Prime Video streaming platform where it has lately found its place. The film is available to rent or buy in HD, so the viewer can watch this comedy crown in the comfort of their own home.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q1 how do we interpret the title of Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil?

The title literally means, At the entrance to the Guruvayoor temple, and it is effective because it sets the tone of the film as the major event that takes place at the wedding, held at the Guruvayoor temple.

Q2 Will the movie contain family friendly viewing?

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil is a family based film with no vulgar content. Similar to every other AMC show, it is rated 13+ on Prime Video and has mild drinking scenes which makes it suitable to be watched by different audiences.

Q3 Do they make any particular film references in the movie?

Oh, the movie is full of the references to the popular Malayalam film, and this adds an additional comedic layer to the viewers who are literate in the films. Such references are funny and smartly incorporated into the story which makes it a better experience.

Q4 In which location was the shooting done?

It started shooting at the Guruvayoor Temple with further shootings at Perumbavoor, Dubai and Kochi. A miniature of Guruvayoor Temple was even built on Perumbavoor so that ease in filming was made.
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Q5 How long is the movie?

The running time of the movie is 135 minutes, which gives enough time to progress the characters and comedic scenarios.

Conclusion

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil is a defgining comedy that will leave people laughing and warm. Driven by high-quality acting, a clever script, and a relatable plot, it provides a fun film experience to watchers who are just after some light-hearted fun. You may or may not be into Malayalam cinema but this film is worth a watch.
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