‘Vyasana Sametham Bandhu Mithradhikal’ review: A well-executed satire on the chaos surrounding a funeral

‘Vyasana Sametham Bandhu Mithradhikal’ is a dark comedy exploring death and societal norms, with a hilarious take on funeral chaos.

Can death be funny? While there is a predisposition to say no, events transpiring at a funeral are known to shed light on the hysterical subtleties among people. Vyasana Sametham Bandhu Mithradhikal (VSBM) by S Vipin is a humorous exploration of this take, while questioning the perverse agendas of those around the deceased. The film glances at the prevalence of labels such as gender, blood relation, and others.

The movie, set in a village in Thiruvananthapuram, begins with discussions about the wedding of Anjali (Anaswara Rajan). However, her prospective groom, Akhil, exhibits toxic qualities as a partner — a lack of trust, short-tempered nature, and an air of superiority. Simultaneously, Anjali is pursued by her college senior Suhail (Siju Sunny), who cannot take no for an answer. Anjali’s parents are determined to get her married despite her resistance. Anjali’s grandmother, Sumithra (Mallika Sukumaran), is her only support in the family. However, all plans go for a toss as Sumithra passes away due to cardiac arrest.

During its 116-minute runtime, the film does not drag. Instead, you witness this hilarious chaos, with each character contributing with humour. From a grim situation, the film turns into a hilarious tussle among characters. One of the characters in the movie, Shakthi (a terrific Joemon Jyothir), says, “When I see people crying at a funeral, I cannot control my laughter.” This is a disturbing dilemma you face watching VSBM, appealing to the morally corrupt parts of your psyche.

While death is considered an unexpected guest, the debut director glances at the unexpected (and unwanted) guests that come with it. Be it Karayogam President Venu, played by Baiju Santhosh, who is determined to outshine and overpower everyone at the funeral, or Siju’s character Suhail attempting to woo Anjali during the final rites of her grandmother. Relatives of Sumithra do not make things easy either, as they are annoyed by the fact that they were not “informed” about the death. Humans circling a home waiting for “the news” evokes images of vultures waiting for their prey to die.

Produced by Vipin Das and Sahu Garapati, VSBM is a well-executed satire and a worthy addition to the list of dark comedy movies in Malayalam dealing with death. Like Ee Ma Yau and Jan. E. Man, VSBM plays on contrasts in moods associated with death — oscillating between celebrating a life and mourning a loss. Simultaneously, gender, class, and other factors play into whether the person deserves dignity in death.

Azeez Nedumangad plays Murali, Sumithra’s son-in-law, a serious character, with restraint. The character’s helplessness in shuttling between parties to organise a funeral is evident in his performance. Anaswara Rajan as Anjali displays her acting chops towards the latter half of the movie, nailing the emotional scenes.

Noby Marcose and Siju Sunny also play their parts well. Ashwathy Chand Kishor, playing Sumithra’s daughter Sudha, handles funny and emotional scenes well. Mallika Sukumaran showcases her worth of experience as a grandmother. Another standout performance is by Saji Sabana, playing Prasanna, the vengeful neighbour of the bereaved family. He is also the creative director of the movie.