Humour so potent and natural has been missing in cinema for a while. Prithviraj starrer 'Paavada' has so many shades of humour that it can make you laugh out loud, do a belly laugh, smile in empathy, smirk and smile on the sly. And what an acting from Prithviraj! He has so very emphatically nailed the character that only Pambu Joy is in front of you. 'Paavada' is one movie which will keep you engrossed and entertained from the first frame till the end.

 

Though the movie subtly deals with two very important themes - drinking and sexuality, 'Paavada' doesn't for one moment impose the themes on you. It flows with the story and hence the denouement feels natural. Right from the first, the lives of two drunkards are brought into focus. The bleary bloodshot eyes, the shaky hands, the innocent banter and that goofy smile all put the two lead characters, Babu sir and Joy in place. What makes magic is the dialogues they mouth. They are so very fresh, real and funny.

 

Dialogues are replete with some sharp wit and counters that work well in combinations. There is the Sharafudin - Prithviraj combo, the Nedumudi - Anoop Menon combo, and of course the Prithviraj-Anoop Menon combination working in tandem. Every utterance is laced with humour that the movie keep you entertained. That unique slang, the drunken rants, the foul words lifting off in songs, al have come out well. What is notable is that even the minor characters like the ones done by Sudheer Karamana, Mala Parvathy, Chemban Vinod et al have added to the humour inadvertently. 

 

Certain elements in the movie like the pulley mechanism that Anoop Menon uses to get his daily fix, impromtu strike in front of the beverage, blood donation, wedding night scene, Joy doubting his wife  and myriad other scenes and dialogues revolving around drinks are  delightful. All this happens in the first half of the movie and as the interval rolls, there is this film box and intense anger on Joy's face. The reason for this anger and how the two stranger turned friends becomes part of a long chain of events unknowingly forms the dramatic part of the narrative.

 

The dramatic part is intense and forms the plot of the narrative. Though as usual there are those cliched divine interventions like finding Joy's mother or the signing of the document, they are not too jarring. The climax caught back the jovial mood of the first half. But the cameo by a popular actress was highly artificial and could have been given a miss. As the credits roll, all loose ends are tied up and 'Paavada' ends up being one big happy movie. 

 

The story, screenplay and dialogues by Bipin Chandran deserves credit. Director Marthandan could capture the essence of the story and deliver a good narration. Background score was conventional. Editing and cinematography were good with the editing being sharp and camera angles very effective, especially the dramatic part involving Prithviraj and the fight sequences. Performances from Prithviraj, Anoop Menon and Nedumudi were outstanding. Prithviraj has proved his range with this cinema as he lives as Joy onscreen. Anoop Menon holds his own in a demanding character. Miya was adorable as Joy's wife. 'Paavada' is sure to stay around for a long time for its one-liners and humour.