Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan

Reviews: Things getting chaotic at a wedding often serves for either big laughter or tears on the big screen. From rogue wedding disrupters and photographers without common sense to a disinterested bride, Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan has all things to form a 'comedy of errors' like situation. And here's how the film strings them together.

Though he was a goon in his past, Jayan (Saiju Kurup) is now a reformed family man. When his niece’s wedding function is planned despite her reluctance, Jayan is the ‘kaaranavar’ of the family, who has to ensure everything goes smooth. And on the wedding eve, relatives from far and wide arrive and curtains are raised to stage the usual drama in such a scenario. Add some troublesome caterers, light and sound technicians and lens men to the bunch and the soup is ready.

Saiju Kurup has proven even before that he can pull-off roles of men who should inspire a bit of fear and here too, he does it with ease. It was also interesting to see yet another village-wedding setting in Malayalam cinema, with the usual kinds of characters, complaints, questions and dilemmas one would encounter there. It might have triggered nostalgia for at least a few people, who either have had such weddings or even attended some of them.

But, other than that, the movie miserably fails to elicit laughter taking advantage of such a plot. At many points in the film, more people are laughing on screen rather than among the audience. There are many sequences which could have been done away with, for they hardly add anything to make the proceedings interesting in the film. After putting through it all, one might smile as the twist in the climax is finally revealed, but it feels too little too late as one leaves the cinema hall. Only those looking for a nostalgic ride into a village wedding atmosphere might want to say hello to Gunda Jayan and his family.

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