Mamitha Baiju as Ashley continues her golden run with another sparkling performance. BKU’s core has a strong hangover of Vishwanath &Sons, another movie featuring the same heroine and a large age gap. But Mamitha imbibes the character with a different flavor showcasing her versatility. A couple of binding traits are an absolute clarity on wanting to be with an older man and a strong inner strength
Starcast: Nivin Pauly, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Pratap, Suresh Krishna, Manjushree, Vinay Forrt and others
Genre: Romance
Director and writer: Girish AD
Additional writer: Kiran Josey
Music: Vishnu Vijay
Cinematography: Ajmal Sabu
Producer: Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Fassil and Syam Pushkaran
Production Companies: Fahadh Fassil and Friends, Bhavana Studios and Working Class Hero
Running time: 2 hours and 37 minutes
There is something so enjoyable about a well-made rom com, it leaves the viewers with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Girish AD’s Bethlehem Kudamba Unit is a perfect example of this. After the blockbuster Premalu Girish AD takes another simple plot but the presentation coupled with the actors makes BKU largely entertaining. A major usp of BKU is the chemistry between Nivin and Mamitha, the two actors share a warm chemistry making the viewers root for Justin and Ashley to unite.
In simple terms the story of BKU focuses on Nivin Pauly’s Justin and Mamitha Baiju’s Ashley. Justin is a middle-aged bachelor nursing a heartbreak, Ashley on the other hand is going through the trauma of leaving her home place. Certain things have happened forcing the family to relocate. Ashley’s initial impression of Justin starts on a wrong note but the two end up bonding over a rock band. By the end of first half Ashley confesses her feelings to Justin and he also reciprocates. However, the path towards happy ending is filled with certain obstacles especially Ashley’s mother and uncle. How Justin and Ashley overcome these hurdles forms an important part of Bethlehem Kudamba Unit. Running parallel to this is the subplot of Justin’s younger brother Sangeeth Prathap’s Joel Davis. He is a short movie filmmaker. Joel’s love interest is Sayoojya (Parvathy Ayyapadas). This interfaith relationship forms a key subplot of BKU.
The strong aspect of Bethlehem Kudamba Unit is the building of Justin and Ashley’s love story. As already mentioned Ashley’s first impression of Justin starts on a wrong note, she thinks he is an absolute ruffian however this gradually gives way to love. This entire process has been wonderfully handled by Girish AD and Kiran Josey. As a result, when the happy ending happens the viewers feel happy. A special mention must be made of Justin’s reaction when he first comes to know about Ashley’s feelings through a third person. There is a palpable tension in his demeanor given the past heartbreak.
The cute meet moments between the two are filled with small but adorable moments. Whether its Ashley bearing her feelings in the car or a kiss on his cheek. Even the scene of Justin saying I will miss you with a sheepish face makes for a wonderful watch. Both Nivin and Mamitha feed off each other wonderfully making the relationship feel organic.
The age gap factor is also treated in a sensitive manner without making it creepy. As Justin Nivin balances the brittleness and vulnerability in a solid manner. Mamitha portrayal of Ashley perfectly complements Nivin. The role could have easily slipped into a xerox copy of Maddy from VS but the actress coupled with the writing give it a different flavor. The contrast between Maddy and Ashley can be particularly seen in the scenes with Manjushree playing the on-screen mother. The scenes of conflict between the two has been solidly written with Manjushree not reduced to a caricature.
Yes, the mother does come across as cold hearted with a certain rigidity, however her reason for opposing Justin comes from a certain place and the actress does a fantastic job. Vinay Forrt as the uncle makes for a good opposition too.
Sangeeth Pratap as Justin’s younger brother also makes his presence amply felt. Through his track there is subtle social commentary on how interfaith relationships are perceived by some. Shyam Mohan as Sayoojya’s elder brother makes for an intimidating figure especially his body language. But a Kantara spoof featuring the actor feels laborious making the viewers restlessness. It would have been much better if Girish AD and Kiran Josey scrapped this and gone straight to Justin and Ashley’s happy ending.
BKU also benefits from a wonderful soundtrack. “Illeya Illa and “Indrajalam stand out among the songs. Ajmal Sabu’s cinematography is of a good standard capturing the bustling neighborhood well through his lens.
