Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil Movie Review: Prithviraj, Basil Joseph deliver an entertaining, mindless comedy

"Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil" translates to "the entrance of Guruvayoor Temple," which is one of the most preferred places for Malayalis across the world to get married. Weddings are generally considered chaotic affairs, as they involve many people. With a large number of guests come larger problems. At the Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, the nature of the chaos multiplies. The temple's premises are always filled to the brim with devotees, and there are hundreds of young couples waiting for their token number to get married. Not to mention the anxious relatives of these couples struggling to find a place to stand amid the non-stop jostling in the crowd.

And yet, it's the most preferred location for Malayali weddings. The place holds a metaphorical significance for marriages and relationships. Marriage is not easy; it's chaos. Getting married at Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil deprives one of the false sense of tranquillity that people might usually find in a more controlled atmosphere. This destination teaches couples to always be on their toes. Should they assume a lax attitude, the wedding may very well slip through their hands.

Well, that is not the theme of the movie "Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil". The temple's entrance and wedding chaos provide a very engaging backdrop for the narrative, which nurtures no bigger ambitions other than drawing a few laughs.

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"Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil" is helmed by Vipin Das, who scored a big critical and commercial success with "Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey" (2022). His previous film was celebrated for its commentary on toxic masculinity while showcasing how the institution of marriage was used to control the minds and wills of women. "Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil", which is written by Deepu Pradeep, doesn't burden itself with such ambitions. It only intends to provide some laughs to audiences who may seek distractions from their own marital problems.

This is a plotless movie, where the filmmakers try to extract the maximum out of a wafer-thin situation. The only person who seems to care about Vinu's (Basil Joseph) wedding is Anand (Prithviraj Sukumaran). Honestly, the movie offers very little reason as to why we the audience should care whether or not Vinu ties the knot with Anand's little sister Anjali (Anaswara Rajan). The narrative lacks a compelling factor to draw us into the situation and get us emotionally invested in it.

The movie, however, entertains, purely because it doesn't take itself too seriously. The self-aware nature of the narrative and generous use of references from several popular movies and songs to underline the comedic moments serve it well. Prithviraj seems to have taken up this role to take a break from doing a series of emotionally heavy and highly sobering characters. He has tried to have fun playing Anand, a short-tempered man wrapped in insecurity, and that playfulness in his performance has translated well on the screen. Basil also commits to his performance as Vinu, who adores Anand more than he adores his fiancée.

Vipin Das uses all the tricks in the book, including the repeated song interlude of the old Tamil song "Azhagiya Laila," and dialogues from Mohanlal's movies to keep us entertained. It's a light-hearted, mindless comedy that you probably will not regret watching.