Romancham Movie Review: Soubin Shahir’s Spooky Buddy-Comedy is an Absolute Laugh-Riot! (LatestLY Exclusive)
Romancham Movie Review: Jithu Madhavan’s Romancham is hilarious. If you are the one who enjoyed films like Adi Kapyare Kootamani, then you are surely going to laugh your guts out with Romancham. If you remember your bachelor days and had a bunch of wastrel friends (like I did), then Romancham also serves dollops of crazy, drunken nostalgia. And yeah, it is spooky too, and towards the end, promises a sequel as well. But then so did Adi Kapyare Kootamani and that never happened. Soubin Shahir Birthday: 5 Interesting Facts About the Malayalam Actor You Should Know!
The movie is reportedly inspired by certain events that happened in the director’s own life. Set in 2007 in Bengaluru (which Mallus still love to call Bangalore), the film is narrated through a flashback by Jibi (Soubin Shahir) in a situation that I don’t want to reveal here. Jibi stays in a rented house in the city along with six other mates. There is Nirup (Sajin Gopu), the de facto leader of the group who dictates terms in the house and is particularly bossy around Mukesh (Siju Sunny), the hans-loving, perpetually jacket-wearing wastrel. I want to believe that latter is even named so as a ‘tribute’ to the man in the anti-smoking ad.
Then there is Rivin (‘Appuppan and the Boys‘ fame Anantharaman Ajay), the ‘decent’ guy in the group because he has a proper job, a girlfriend and a room of his own. Soman (Jagadeesh Kumar) is a wannabe business magnet whose last failed endeavour means the house is filled with unsold European closets. Others in the gang are Shijappan (Abin Bino) and Karikuttan (Afzal PH). The first act of the film takes us through their haphazard but fun lives, as the group navigate their lives through volleyballs games, ragging, house budgets and minor squabbles as well as their outsider friends. Things take an interesting turn when Jibi, who hates playing volleyball, introduces them to Ouija board.
Watch the Trailer of Romancham:
The first half of Romancham is an absolute rollercoaster of a ride immediately boosted by the performances. The chemistry between the cast makes most of the scenes more hilarious than they ever should be, and the ‘bachelor pad’ setting feels so familiar and well-done. Thankfully, the director doesn’t depict the gang resort to ‘leery’ antics, that used to rule in such comedies of ’80s and ’90s. Yes, Soman is shown being infatuated with a neighbouring girl and acts smart with her on one occasion, but that’s not explored much and is abandoned soon.
Romancham gets more engrossing once the Ouija Board is brought in. The spooky angle given adds a whole new layer of laughs blended with intrigue, and I was totally hooked on to see the bottom of the whole mystery. If an inverted glass can leave you amused, you know the film has done the humour right! Jan.E.Man Movie Review: Basil Joseph and Arjun Ashokan’s Malayalam Film on Sun NXT is A Joyful Concoction of Humour and Emotions.
The second half adds more intrigue with the introduction of Arjun Ashokan’s character, Sinu, whose expressions and peculiar behaviour are quite funny and also mysterious. However, Romancham also suffers from pacing issues in these scenes, and some of the other main characters like Mukesh, who was quite the scene-stealer in the first half, takes more of a back seat. But the sparkling and often smart writing manages to balance out the flaws.
A particular example where the writing shines is a scene where Jibi brings a relative of his to talk to Sinu, and that relative is intrigued by the crosses in the neighbouring ground (graves for the rats they killed). While he makes this observation, Soman makes a joke on it. As Jibi introduces Soman to that relative by his full name, Soman interrupts him and asks him to call him by ‘Soman’. Why? Because his real name is ‘Hindu’-sounding, and he just made a joke about Christian beliefs, and that would have made things more awkward. Christopher Movie Review: Mammootty’s Cop Saga Does an ‘Encounter Killing’ to Progressiveness of Malayalam Cinema.
The climax of the film is comparatively more arresting and keeps you hooked, and the conclusion leaves things open for a sequel. While that ain’t a bad idea, I wish the film could have tied up some of the mystery in the first film itself instead of leaving things so open-ended. Or make sure that Romancham 2 is greenlit and fast-tracked soon enough.
The performances are a huge asset because most of the comedy in the film would have fallen like a pack of cards if the right actors weren’t cast. While Soubin is an experienced hand at the game and is too good here, it is the younger cast who walks away with your attention, with each actor giving top-notch performances. Sajin Gopu, Siju Sunny, Jagadeesh Kumar, Abin Bino, Afzal PH (his shocked and frightened expressions are a gag of their own), Anantharam (though he is kept away from some of the action) are all fantastic. Special mention to Sajin Gopu, who was super as the valiyettan of the gang; particularly loved his acting in the scene on the terrace where he is talking to his mother on phone and shows his vulnerable side before ‘toughening’ himself back when his friend arrived.
Chemban Vinod only appears in one scene but what a hilarious cameo it turns out to be! Arjun Ashokan does complete justice to his role, though the mystery around his character remains unanswered.
Special mention also has to be given Sushin Shyam’s songs, and also the hilarious lyrics that the composer has wrote along with Vinayak Sasikumar.
Final Thoughts
Romancham is a blast alright, with most of its humour and performances hitting the right sweet spot. Yes, the second half could have been tighter and some of the mystery setup shouldn’t be left for the supposed incoming sequel. but otherwise the film has no dull moments. Go watch it!
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Feb 10, 2023 09:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
