'Bro Daddy' review: Prithviraj, Mohanlal starrer is light-hearted comedy drama
What's the story
As you may have anticipated, Bro Daddy revolves around an unconventional father-son duo. The central plot—if we were to narrate as a one-liner—might fail to evoke interest. We have seen many stories similar to this. But how it is narrated and what we see onscreen make all the difference. And, this Prithviraj Sukumaran-directorial, which premiered on Disney+ Hotstar, is a winner. Here's our review.
Cast
Story revolves around a happy-go-lucky family
John Kattadi (Mohanlal) is a dotting husband whose world revolves around his wife Annamma (Meena). Their son, Eesho (Prithviraj), is pretty much a laid-back chap and Kalyani Priyadarshan (as Anna) plays his romantic interest. Firstly, it is an absolute delight to watch Lalettan play Sukumaran's father. His witty comebacks and comical reactions have made this hilarious film all the more enjoyable.
Observation
Eesho and Anna go through rough patch
The plot takes off when Eesho and Anna face a challenge and struggle (in a hilarious way) to overcome it. When Eesho tries to take the matter to his father, he gets tangled in an even more complex situation. How he manages to reveal his "secret" to his father, and how his family backs him up to overcome the struggle is the story.
Pluses
Hilarious first half let down by draggy second half
The hilarious attempts by John and Annamma to make Anna's parents accept Eesho's marriage with her and the subplot involving Annamma's previous relationship with Anna's father will tickle your funny bone and make you ROFL quite literally. Also, the conversations between Eesho and John are a total laughter riot. While the first half is breezy, the second half does not impress you as much.
Minuses
Soubin Shahir's role seems to be forced into the script
What has failed miserably in Bro Daddy is the slapstick humor. Soubin Shahir is one of Mollywood's acclaimed actors. But his role as Happy Pinto in the film is a huge letdown. His comedy tracks are hardly funny, and mostly, tiresome. We do not know why the makers even tried adding an over-the-top comical representation when the situational humor has largely worked out.
Conclusion
Verdict: 'Bro Daddy' is a must-watch despite some flaws
While much of the film focuses on Sukumaran and Mohanlal, the other actors like Meena, Priyadarshan, Kaniha, and Lalu Alex have meaty roles, too. Mohanlal and Meena's chemistry is a huge positive. The absence of a strong conflict, however, disappoints us. With Bro Daddy, Sukumaran proves that no story is stale if you have creative ways to narrate it. Verdict: Film bags 3.5 stars.