Skip to main content

Nadanna Sambhavam Movie Review

Is Nadanna Sambhavam a family movie? Directed by Vishnu Narayan, this Biju Menon-Suraj Venjaramoodu starrer is a good family entertainer centered on an affluent, unconventional couple who stay in an elitist conservative colony where insecure husbands and unhappy wives project their biases onto the new couple.

Nadanna Sambhavam movie: Story

Wondering if Nadanna Sambhavam is a comedy? Scene by scene, through comedy, one realises only the clothes and houses look "modern"; people's mindsets date back to centuries-old, patriarchal biases.

As a loving husband and a caring neighbour, Biju Menon's natural acting skills are in full throttle. The tonality of his voice when he speaks to women is a noteworthy template for men who lack the same empathy and finesse in their social skills while interacting with women in public spaces.

In sharp contrast, Suraj Venjaramoodu strikes a slightly menacing persona. He portrays an arrogant man who is a reactive, confrontational and short-tempered. In his daily routine, he hardly respects his wife's opinions and lacks the courage to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her. When he approaches her, the fear in her eyes is evident.

What happens in Nadanna Sambhavam movie?

The story revolves around life in an affluent housing colony which has a solid patriarchal framework and modernity is confined to clothes, not mindsets. A glimpse of a suave, well-mannered husband who takes care of the home while his wife drives off to work in an SUV is not easy for most people to accept as 'normal'. While wives look at the 'gentleman' with curiosity and awe, their husbands detest him for being unconventional and more importantly, hugely popular with women.

I like how each character in the film interprets the body language of men and women who hold conversations with each other in a light-hearted way - it is always misunderstood! And this is exactly what the protagonist's wife cautions him despite her confidence in her husband, she tells him, "Be careful. Everyone will not understand your ways."

Notably, the issue of conventional biases are hinted at, similar to how biases related to religious identities are probed in Prithviraj starrer, 'Anarkali'.

The way jealousy and insecurity paves the way for a battle of wits forms the crux of 'Nadanna Sambhavam.'

Throughout every scene, including the explosive police station questioning scene, Lijimol Jose showcases artistic brilliance, perfect timing and a deeply touching performance. Her expressions embody an unhappy wife's helplessness, anger and sadness. She speaks very little but her expressions speak volumes about her predicament.

In her own words, "I am invisible" is the best way to sum up her presence.

In a masterful stroke, the narrative swivels between comic dialogues to ease the tension and the gravity of the real issue that no one is addressing directly - a woman's right to privacy! More importantly, the story puts out a bold message to the audience - a woman has every right to share details of her problems with a man she trusts, even if it is not her husband, as long as the respect and platonic friendship is mutual.

This movie is a thought-provoking family entertainer. I find it bold too, like the Parvathy-Kunjacko starrer Take Off and Manju Warrier-starrer Rani Padmini.

In your view, do you agree/disagree with this? What are your thoughts?

And if you enjoyed reading this review, check out these Malayalam movie reviews:

Comments

Most LOVED Posts

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks!   [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya  and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter  Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj,   the more fascinated I am.   I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to...

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are auspicious for lighting at home. On Fridays, it is considered auspicious to use ghee in a silver lamp. When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. What is the purpose of lighting a diya? Light dispels darkness. When we light a diya, we bring light into our hopes and positive energy in our personal spaces. Nothing is more beautiful than Light. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In ...

Scientific reason behind lighting diyas

Lighting diyas at home is a part of my childhood. What is the science behind lighting diya? For decades, Hindu households light the diya or deepam every morning and evening. However, increasingly, there are many questions regarding why this practice is integral to the well-being of a Hindu home.                                                         [Source: Pexels.com]                                       Significance of Lighting Deepam Let's do a practice session. At sunset, switch off all the lights in your home - feel the energy inside your home. After all, everything is the same - your home is the same, the furniture is the same, your personality is the same. Sit in the darkness and decode the energy in your home - is it the same as during sunl...

Khatta Meetha: Life's Games of Wins and Losses

Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha is a movie that I didn’t want to miss. I was determined to see the movie that was a remake of one of my favorite Mohanlal-Srini movies. Tired of candy floss romance and terrorist-turns-good romance in Bollywood movies, I wanted to watch something that is about ordinary people like me. The song sequences in foreign locations, the mindless hero-heroine plots and unbelievable romantic encounters were chipping away at my interest in watching movies altogether because every movie seemed to be a rehash of a commercial formula that has doses of love, violence and glamour. Khatta Meetha: Romance is out, Social Satire and Mass Appeal is in Critics have come up with detailed interpretations of this film. However, an ordinary viewer like me didn’t go to nit-pick on the gaps in the movie. I went there to just watch and enjoy. I assume many viewers do the same when they go to watch a movie. When most people watch a Bollywood movie, if the hero-heroine chemistry isn’t...