Nunakuzhi

While Jeethu Joseph cannot be labelled as a filmmaker who consistently delivers, whenever he does, it exceeds all expectations — as seen in films like My Boss (2012), Memories (2013), Drishyam (2013), Life of Josutty (2015), Drishyam 2 (2021) and Kooman (2022, except for its problematic climax). Here, he ventures into a territory he previously never explored and emerges with flying colours, delivering a well-crafted comedy of errors that offers equal parts laughter and edge-of-the-seat moments, all neatly tied together by a good script penned by KR Krishna Kumar. Unlike his family dramas like Mummy & Me (2010) and Life of Josutty or the romantic slapstick comedy My Boss, in Nunakuzhi, Jeethu, with Krishna Kumar’s help, blends realistic situations with humour while adding his signature thriller elements, keeping the audience engaged throughout without giving them a moment to reflect or even catch their breath.

What is impressive is how the makers effectively and convincingly interconnect each situation, without leaving any room for loopholes. This is probably why the film felt lengthy in the second half. The film’s strength also lies in the performances of all the actors. Basil Joseph is pure gold in this film. His mannerisms will remind you of his character Rajesh in ‘Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey’, but he also manages to pull off a Jagathy Sreekumar in the road-to-hospital scene. Nikhila Vimal joins Basil Joseph again after Vipin Das’s ‘Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil’, but this time, she plays his wife. Though her role is limited, she performs her part well. However, it is Grace Antony, whose performance will blow your mind. Siddique, Manoj K Jayan and Baiju Santhosh also do a good job in the movie.