Lalitham Sundaram

Madhu Wariar's directorial debut has low ambitions and doesn't try anything groundbreaking. All it intends to is to tell a formulaic story of a seemingly-happy-but-dysfunctional family. The film has its share of heartwarming moments and relatable conflicts, and it could have been a wholesome experience if only there was a better emotional core. Zarina Wahab's character makes an occasional appearance to serve this purpose. She is the doting mother, who passes away after battling cancer. However, her scenes are insufferable, especially since there is too much melodrama, and Raghunath Paleri's bland performance doesn't help either. In this story of a disjointed family, the most memorable character is that of an outsider played by Sudheesh.

Lalitham Sundaram means simplicity is beauty. Simplicity, however, shouldn’t be confused with blandness. And that’s the mistake director Madhu Warrier and his writer Pramod Mohan have made with Lalitham Sundaram, which is now streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar. The very foundation of this movie is muddled with a lack of clarity on the filmmakers’ part. From the visual style to the tone and personal and relationship conflicts that this film tackles are devoid of a deep understanding or strong emotional core. The movie just puts up a shallow show of how the modern-day rat race is drawing a wedge between relationships and keeping loved ones apart.