Mangalyam Thanthunanena movie review: Bid to decode marital bliss

Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Nimisha Sajayan, Hareesh Kanaram Shanthi Krishna
Director: Soumya Sadanandan

Soumya Sadanandan’s directorial debut Mangalyam Thanthunanena is about a year in the life of the newlywed Roy and Clara (Kunchacko Bobban and Clara (Nimisha Sajayan), from their wedding day to their first anniversary day.
Roy’s life takes a turn as he loses his job and ends up broke. With no other go, he decides to sell Clara’s ornaments which would eventually land him in more troubles, thanks mainly to his ego. Neck deep in debt and unemployed, he believes neither his mom nor his wife understand him. As he struggles to find solutions for his financial crisis, his friends come to his rescue.

The film asks a question: will a man’s life becomes miserable after marriage? It then gives the answer at the end. Though Roy and Clara could not get away in life for some time, Kunchacko Boban and Nimisha Sajayan created a special chemistry between them with wonderful performances. These were not their best and most challenging roles but they did have their moments indeed. Shanthi Krishna and Hareesh Kanaran played two important characters in the film and Shanthi Krishna’s effortless acting is a pleasure to watch. The other cast including Leona Lishoy, Vijaya Raghavan, Alencier Ley Lopez and Salim Kumar did justice to their roles.

The story does have some social relevance and can be related to what we see around in today’s world. But the movie becomes drab at times as the script lacks depth. Cinematography by Aravind Krishna is not exceptional but the background score and songs by Bijipal are catchy. Mangalyam Thanthunanena is a one time-watch family film, at best.