Mohiniyattam movie review: Saiju Kurup and Suraj Venjaramoodu’s lighthearted comedy thriller is a worthy sequel to Bharathanatyam

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Following the last rites of Bharathan, Rukmini and son Ajay (Jivin Rex) return to Sreekandapuram, but not alone. To help them start afresh, Saraswathi and family have also accompanied them. As they help Rukmini and Ajay settle into the new house that Saraswathi and family bought for them, a new issue arises in their lives.

If the first instalment focused on Bharathanatyam (Bharathan’s Drama), this one is about Mohiniyattam (Mohini’s Play). Nonetheless, Mohini is not a random person; she is the deity at the local temple. Although the shrine is quite renowned and attracts many devotees, there’s a twist: it’s connected to Bharathan Nair and his old friend, Govindaraja (Suraj Venjaramoodu), but not in a good way.

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Then, one day, “an unwanted guest invades Bharathan’s family’s privacy. The guest has all the strength and capability to ruin their happiness and peace. He doesn’t pay heed to their pleas. In a moment of panic, they make a mistake. They send the guest back, ensuring that he never comes back to ruin their lives.” Sounds familiar? Well, it’s not déjà vu. In fact, the crux of Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam shares a few similarities with Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam (2013). Interestingly, though, the comedy-thriller doesn’t hide this and admits it out loud in a meta-reference.

But if Georgekutty (Mohanlal) was a classic criminal, there’s no counterpart to him in Bharathan’s family. Even his eldest son Sasidharan (Saiju Kurup) — the Meledathu Raghavan Nair lite version here — is frail. John (Sidharth Bharathan) at least had a konacha (shitty) plan in Sookshmadarshini (2024), but Bharathan’s family doesn’t even have a “pla.” The remainder of Mohiniyattam focuses on their efforts to escape the quagmire.

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One of the best things about Mohiniyattam is that it’s not a mere copy of Bharathanatyam, nor a simple amplification of everything that worked in the first film’s favour. Not only does the story take a fresh trajectory this time, with novel conflicts arising along the way, but its aesthetics, visual style, and pacing are also completely different from those of Bharathanatyam, offering an absolutely fresh experience.

The similarities are few and far between, and those that do exist are by design, not accident. Much like the troublemaker Subash (Abhiram Radhakrishnan) in Bharathanatyam, there’s another Subash (Baby Jean) in Mohiniyattam, who mirrors his namesake in spirit. Although different in essence, there’s a secret that Bharathan’s family is hiding here as well, which prevents them from allowing others into their house.

However, writer-director Krishnadas Murali and co-writer Vishnu R Pradeep succeed in ensuring the audiences don’t draw parallels between the two movies, thanks to the way the narrative is developed and handled this time. Much like Bharathanatyam, Krishnadas subverts popular tropes and societal practices here, too.

While the narrative had the potential to be as intricate as Sookshmadarshini or as dramatic and suspenseful as Drishyam, the makers cleverly sidestep those possibilities and keep Mohiniyattam as a lighthearted comedy thriller, where a group of innocent, powerless souls run from pillar to post to cover up a crime they accidentally committed. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean the movie isn’t engaging; it just takes its time, and Krishnadas moves the story through all its lower gears before it hits full throttle.

While the narrative had the potential to be as intricate as Sookshmadarshini or as dramatic and suspenseful as Drishyam, the makers cleverly sidestep those possibilities and keep Mohiniyattam as a lighthearted thriller.

Alongside all that, the makers also provide subtle social commentary on how deities, their shrines, and even the myths surrounding them are sometimes manufactured by those with selfish motives, exploiting people’s blind faith in gods. At one point, the movie also slyly slips in how some fraudsters build temples for famous persons — humorously mentioned here is Hanumankind’s name — to fleece the gullible.

However, the movie never rises above being a lighthearted, engaging watch. While it’s evident that the makers aimed for that itself, it’s also evident that they walked a tightrope to reach the other end, and one of the major factors that kept the film’s journey unsafe until the end was a shortage of impactful humour. Much like Bharathanatyam, Krishnadas has gone for simple and relatable dark humour here as well, ensuring the audience feels relaxed throughout; he never tries to make them roll on the floor laughing. However, the humour doesn’t manage to hold one’s undivided attention from start to finish.

At the same time, the script is marred by convenient plot devices that make everything fall into place according to the story’s intended progression. For instance, once Saraswathi, Sasidharan, and others decide to dispose of the body of the “unwanted guest,” although they initially struggle to do so, literally every person they seek help from agrees without much effort on their part. This includes the two Subash-es and the local meat shop employee, Eapen (Jagadish). From the unwanted guest’s dysfunctional family life to the investigating officer, CI Parthan (Vinay Forrt), being dumb, almost everything works in favour of Saraswathi and her family effortlessly.

While the dialogues are polished and catchy, the superficial nature of several moments detracts from their impact. The unnecessary and unimpressive movie references — such as Eapen quoting Appukuttan Menon’s (Mammootty) widely trolled “Chakka” dialogue from Vesham (2004) — also fail to land the way the makers intended.

Regardless, one of the attractive aspects of Mohiniyattam is seeing a cast of non-stars, unburdened by preconceived images, engaging in nonsensical activities on screen. Even Baby Jean ensures that he isn’t weighed down by his rapper persona and delivers a serviceable performance. Much like Bharathanatyam, real-life identical twins Jinil Rex (as Saraswathi’s son Arun) and Jivin Rex (as Rukmini’s son Ajay) impress with their yin-yang quirkiness. Veteran actors Kalaranjini, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sreeja Ravi, and Nandu Pothuval truly inhabit their roles, while Saiju Kurup and Sruthy Suresh also deliver commendable performances.

Electronic Kili’s music and original score steal the show, keeping the movie alive even when it doesn’t quite impress narratively. Both his tracks and background music breathe a distinct life into the film from start to end, giving it an identity different from that of Bharathanatyam. Bablu Aju’s cinematography and Shafeeque VB’s editing are also impressive.

So, was a sequel to Bharathanatyam absolutely necessary? Frankly, no. It was well-rounded the way it was, despite its many shortcomings. So, was Mohiniyattam unnecessary? Frankly, no, since director Krishnadas has managed to create something entirely different with what he had and provide enough enjoyment without making it a tedious ride.

The Bharathanatyam franchise is almost like Lal’s comedy thriller 2 Harihar Nagar (2009) and the horror-comedy In Ghost House Inn (2010) — the sequels to the Siddique-Lal duo’s In Harihar Nagar (1990). While the two movies share certain elements and backstories, they feel as fresh as can be.

Mohiniyattam movie cast: Saiju Kurup, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jagadish, Vinay Forrt, Baby Jean, Kalaranjini, Sreeja Ravi
Mohiniyattam movie director: Krishnadas Murali
Mohiniyattam movie rating: 2.5 stars