Madhuram Review: As sweet as it can get

Malayalam cinema is known for telling stories of everyday men. People we see around us in daily lives have complex, emotional stories to tell and the makers of ‘Madhuram’ have tried the explored the same from the perspective of a few hospital bystanders. The film is set in a government hospital where a bunch of people from different class and age groups bond.

The film is primarily focused on two stories — one involving Joju George and Shruthi Ramachandran and the other featuring Nikhila Vimal and Arjun Ashokan. Among the two, it is the former that works the best. Joju plays Sabu, a do-gooder who leads a desperately hopeful life of his wife recovering from a serious spinal injury. She gets paralyzed after a minor accident but he lives in denial about her condition. We also get glimpses of their wonderful love story and those are easily the film’s best moments. Shruthi Ramachandran as the North Indian, biryani-loving young woman looks gorgeous and performs the role with so much elegance. Her chemistry with Joju works wonders which helps the audience feel for the couple as their story gets a heartbreakingly beautiful ending.

Director Ahammed Khabeer has a thing for feel-goodness. It was evident from his debut feature ‘June’. When it comes to ‘Madhuram’, he amps up the feel-good factor a few notches higher, so much so that at times it feels like an overdose of saccharine. Hesham Abdul Wahab’s heartwarming music also helps a great deal.

Performance wise, Joju George excels, both as the lover boy and as a torn husband carrying an emotional baggage with him. Arjun Ashokan, Nikhila Vimal, Jagadeesh, Indrans and Jaffer Idukki also make the best of their roles.

Despite all the sweetness, ‘Madhuram’ has a tearjerker of an ending but it’s not deliberately forced for the sake of it. Even with the extremely emotional farewell, it gives an overall satisfying feel that’s sure to warm one’s hearts.