Sreebala K Menon's maiden attempt is a realistic encounter with romance which portrays different sides of love. An award winning writer, Sreebala's visual perception of a story is a meandering one with strong sub-plots and unapologetic realism. 'Love 24x7' cannot be termed as an out an out entertainer. Its pace is different when pitched against the mainstream Malayalam cinema.
'Love 24x7' is set against the backdrop of the contemporary media era, where corporate culture rules. A modern day love story unfolds, where the hero and the heroine falls for each other upon sight and has no issues revealing it and reveling in it. Their respective parents are supportive about their decision.
The issues the couple face are making compromises on their career and personality front and making their relationship work on a long term basis. Their confusion about where this relationship is going and the travails of accommodating a new person in their live is all shown. That's modern day love presented to you in a nutshell, where idealism and excessive emotions take a back seat.
Sreebala has handled love in this era competently. One becomes immersed in Roopesh Nambiar (Dileep) and Kabani's (Nikhila) life as they try to make out what life is. A parallel sub-plot is also shown where, Sarayu (Suhasini) a widow and Sateesh (Sashi Kumar) a divorcee explore love. This is quite a strong sub-plot and at times, overshadows Roopesh's and Kabani's story.
Humour is subdued in the narrative and is mostly situational. A few induced ones like the lungi dance and selfie sequences is jarring. The narrative spreads out too much at times and seems to take its own time. There are a few cliches sequences, especially with the way climax unfolds and how type characters in the media field are showcased.
The cast is brilliant. Sreenivasan as the corporate head who is well versed in the game stands out. Dileep has toned down his usual antics for this role and holds his own. Nikhila is the surprise as she handles her roles with the consummate ease of a veteran. She is a face to watch out for. Nothing needs to be said about Suhasini and Sashi Kumar. The technical side of the movie including the editing, cinematography is good. So is the music. These are very seamless and hence stays out of the limelight without any unusual gimmicks tried out, which some might label as traditional.
'Love 24x7' is not the usual run of the mill movie which is designed to entertain. Watching it with such an intent can be disappointing. Also, labeling it as a Dileep movie will dampen the expectation. Instead watch the movie for its realistic depiction and ponder over some of the questions that the movie poses and this could turn out to be a good viewing experience.
Rating - 2.5/5