Premam

I wanted to watch Premam for a really long time, because of the reviews it had garnered. But I was busy with my own life, getting married, moving to USA, coming back to India and all.

Recently, I read an article about Sai Pallavi, since she is going to play Ma Sita in the Ranbir Kapoor starrer Ramayan. That brought back the list of movies I wanted to watch and I ended up watching Premam. So, here goes the review.

Interestingly, I watched the movie almost 7 years after its release.

Released on : May 29, 2015.

Reviewed on : May 16, 2024. (after almost 7 years!)

Directed by : Alphonse Puthren

Starring : Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameswaran, Sai Pallavi and Madonna Sebastian.

The movie starts in Aluva, Kerala, with George David (Nivin Pauly), a 16 year old teenager, busy writing a love letter for his first love, Mary George (Anupama Parameswaran), who is a regular high schooler, girl next door, with bushy hair.  George’s bestie Koya even wonders what George sees in her! Infact, she has most of the local boys wooing her. Her father is always on his toes, shooing away all the boys who crave for Mary’s attention. Even I wondered why so many boys always waited near her gate (in-spite of her strict father), trying to catch a glimpse of Mary. Its not like she is the only girl in Aluva! George’s love comes to an end as Mary loves another boy.

Years pass by and the once innocent George David now sports a full beard and a mustache. He and his friends are a tight bunch and are always ready to fight. He is a college student.

Then comes Malar (Sai Pallavi), the guest lecturer in his college. George smokes, he drinks, he appears to be a tough guy but is soft at heart.  He falls in love with Malar at first sight.  It is interesting to see that, George, has no prejudices. Once again Koya asks why George likes a lecturer, who has pimples on her face, who is from another religion and community, who speaks another language, who is also few years older to him.  George is pretty open minded and he is confident his parents will accept his love. He manages to express his love and Malar loves him too.

The brief dance sequence by Malar is beautiful. (No movie of Sai Pallavi is complete without a dance number.)

Since I already saw the movie poster, I was sure there is another heroine who is yet to enter the picture and wondered how this love story is going to end. (Either the lover has to die or cheat him because of some unknown reason. Thankfully, the director didn’t go down this route.) Turns out Malar loses her memory during an accident and that’s the end of the love for George. (He is brave enough to visit her after the accident but not brave enough to wait for her to regain her memory.) At that instance George proves why age difference is important. He is immature.

He later attends Malar’s wedding and that closes the second chapter of love for George.

Years pass and George is now the owner of a cafe. He even bakes the cakes himself.  He now ditches the beard and only has a mustache. (Simple manipulation facial hair changes his face a lot. Guys are so lucky. Women can never change their appearance so drastically!) He meets Celine (Madonna Sebastian). She flirts with him with knowing smiles and glances and he seems interested in her.  Turns out, she is the beautiful younger sister of Mary George, his first love!

Instead of wasting time to woo her, George directly asks her if she is ok with marrying him. (Almost all his friends are married and he is a 30 year old.) He has his priorities right, his goal is marriage!

After a minute set back regarding an ex-fiance, George weds Celine at the end. Even Malar comes to his wedding and wishes the couple.

What I loved:

The natural acting and progress of the story (especially of the lead pair). I liked the chemistry of George and Malar at first and later of George and Celine. The expertise of the director is also apparent from the way the film was made. I already have a high opinion of Kerala and its streets, so, watching this movie filled me with positive vibes.  It was relatable. I liked how even the heroines are not portrayed as having no flaws, but as mere humans. They charm us with their nativity.

Although I am have no knowledge of Malayalam, I found a couple of songs good. This is the second Mallu movie that I liked a lot , after Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey! ( I also liked Drushyam 1 and 2, but I hardly know the lead pair of Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey and this is my first Nivin Pauly movie.) Drushyam has Mohanlal and he is not a newbie, so liking his movies is a no-brainer!

P.S:

1. We all know some directors love to do cameos in their own movies, this is one of those. The director Alphonse Puthren appears at the end, as Roney Varghese,ex-fiance of Celine. It is a powerful cameo, because, I felt like he deserved the beatings he got from Nivin and others in Premam!
2. The other famous cameos include Rajamouli in a scene before item song in Baahubali – The Beginning and Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained! There are others too, but I am unable to recall at the moment.
3. I also like watching movies of Mammootty and Suresh Gopi. After Ala Vaikuntapuram, Ponniyin Selvan and oldie Pancha thanthiram, I also admire Jayaram, not to forget ‘Ramam‘ Dulquer Salman!
4. I wonder if Nitesh Tiwari the Ramayan movie director is going to use Sai Pallavi’s dance expertise in the movie. She could probably perform a beautiful number like the Pranavalaya song in Shyam Singha Roy and steel many hearts up North India! A graceful Ma Sita indeed!

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