Sarvam Maya

For Prabha, Delulu functions much like Anupama for Vinod in Vinodayathra or Irene for Aymanam Sidharthan in Oru Indian Pranayakadha. She nudges him towards fulfilling his musical aspirations, helps him confront his trauma, mend broken ties with his father, and rediscover a lost connection with God. Along the way, Delulu, too, begins to understand herself. However, after patiently building these characters and their dynamic, the narrative briefly wobbles with the introduction of Saadhya (Preity Mukhundhan). The conflict that emerges here feels hurried, and the answers the film has been carefully leading up to are delivered rather abruptly, diluting their emotional credibility. The restraint Akhil maintains until this point momentarily slips, but the strong groundwork ensures a reasonably smooth landing, aided by an emotional payoff and Justin Prabhakaran’s soulful score, which adds considerable gravitas.

Most of the discussion around Sarvam Maya was about whether it would be the much-anticipated comeback of Nivin Pauly. Well, when you approach the movie strictly from that perspective of wanting to see the Nivin Pauly who made us all laugh out loud with his comical timing, then there is enough there for you to feel happy. However, when you look at the story in totality and evaluate the movie, there are many predictable patches where the screenplay depends on Nivin Pauly’s charm to make the viewer overlook those flaws. There is a version of self-love philosophy that we hear from one character, and there is another dialogue that talks about the importance of peaceful sleep. I think the sporadic addition of these minute yet memorable lines about being content is what helps Akhil Sathyan make his movies, these comfort-watch films.

If you are a fan of a simple movie that offers a momentary escape from reality and a few laughs in a stress-free setup, Sarvam Maya is definitely for you. However, for anyone expecting even a bit more than that, I highly doubt the Akhil Sathyan directorial would come across as even satisfactory. While the writer-director sets Sarvam Maya’s tone straight at the start itself, clearly communicating that it’s not going to aim high at any point, there are moments when this feels more like stubbornness on Akhil’s part, as if he is not ready to explore the potential of his narrative and is adamant about sticking to a particular scale and mood. While attempts to keep things light and breezy work at certain points, they can also feel contrived at times, particularly in the comedy.

Nivin Pauly is a delight to watch, doing what he does best. From his little expressions to comic timing, he nails his role with effortless ease. Riya Shibu impresses as the innocent, kind-hearted ghost, while Aju Varghese takes the cake whenever he appears on screen with his expressions and sharp one-liners.

Sarvam Maya is loaded with feel-good vibes. It's not for someone seeking a dark and gritty movie where the protagonist grapples with the effects of a major traumatic event or conflict. No. There are other directors who are experts at that sort of cinema. Akhil Sathyan is not making that kind of movie. Yes, the protagonist has experienced a painful past event, but it’s not the extremely heavy sort. If you go in expecting the kind of cinema made by the same man who made Paachuvum Athbudha Vilakkum (starring Fahadh Faasil), you are most likely to come away feeling pleased. The writing is not exactly "masterpiece" material, but it's undoubtedly one designed to make the viewer feel completely at ease