Pariwar Movie Review
Pariwar: A Darkly Comic Take on Greed and Family Feuds
Ulsav Rajeev and Fahad Nandu's family comic drama cleverly satirizes human greed, weaving humor and satire into a familiar yet engaging narrative.Helmed by Ulsav Rajeev and Fahad Nandu, Pariwar delivers a satirical take on familial greed wrapped in a lighthearted comic drama. While its storyline treads familiar ground, the directors inject freshness through quirky character names and amusingly trivial situations that expose the selfish nature of the protagonists. Beneath its humor lies a thought-provoking exploration of human avarice, making the film impactful despite its resemblance to 90s family comedies.
The director duo, who also penned the script, skillfully transform a simple premise into an engaging conflict laced with humor. The narrative remains focused within the confines of a single household, avoiding unnecessary complexity. Even when slapstick elements emerge, the film maintains its stability, ensuring that the humor remains sharp rather than chaotic. The greed-driven actions of the sons, who shirk their familial responsibilities, are presented satirically, often turning them into exaggerated caricatures. The film flirts with dark comedy as the impatient children and their wives eagerly await their father's demise.
At its core, Pariwar is a classic tale of a 'family war'-with the sons vying for an invaluable ring on their ailing father's hand. The story unfolds in Hasthanapuri, where Bhaskara Pillai (Unni Nair), a once-influential man, is now bedridden due to old age. His neighbor's daughter, Minimol (Bhagya Jayesh), arrives with her parents to check on him, just as his long-estranged sons gather, anticipating his funeral.
Pillai's children are aptly named after characters from the Mahabharata-Dharman (deceased), Bheeman (Indrans), Sahadevan (Jagadeesh), Nakulan (Prasanth Alexander), and Arjunan (Rishikesh). The film draws humor from this parallel, with their ancestral home, Hasthanapuri, serving as the battleground for their petty disputes. When Sahadevan and Nakulan discover that their father possesses a rare, valuable ring-an artifact from his ties to the royal family-they immediately lay claim to it. Sahadevan, in fact, has already taken an advance payment from a Tamil antique dealer, setting the stage for a chaotic family tussle.
As greed takes hold, the brothers impatiently wait for their father's passing. Sahadevan's wife, Geetha (Shyni Vijayan), and Nakulan's wife, Nisha (Unnimaya Nalappadam), fuel the desire to sell the ring, pushing their husbands to hatch a plan. Meanwhile, their uncle (Meenaraj Raghavan) subtly manipulates the situation, adding to the absurdity of their scheming. Arjunan's secret love affair with Minimol further complicates the proceedings, adding another layer to the film's satire on selfishness and the fragile bonds of family.
Despite its occasional sluggish moments in the latter half, Pariwar benefits from impeccable comic timing, particularly from Jagadeesh and Prasanth Alexander, whose natural performances enhance the humor. The film's setting, restricted largely to the courtyard of the house, occasionally limits the narrative's scope, making some scenes feel repetitive. However, the directors' skillful execution prevents the film from descending into chaos, maintaining a balance between humor and introspection.
Bijibal's rustic soundtrack complements the film's tone, enhancing its satirical essence. While Pariwar may not break new ground, it successfully delivers a blend of humor and social commentary, leaving viewers with a subtle smile and a few lingering thoughts on human nature and familial harmony.
