There are no heroes or heroines in a Girish AD film. I walk into his films, and I feel I know these characters, as if I have seen them around. Such is the familiarity and ease with which the Malayalam filmmaker establishes his creations- be it Jaison in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, or Sona in Super Sharanya. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit , his fifth feature film, is no exception. It is a continuation of that world and yet a more mature and resonant look at how we are perceived and defined by the choices we make.
When the slightly older neighbour Justin ( Nivin Pauly ) is introduced, Ashley slowly develops a fondness for the unmarried man who spends his days running the catering business and helping produce his younger brother Joel’s (Sangeeth Prathap, hilarious and adorable) short film. Ajmal Sabu’s frames capture the brimming romance with a lot of heart, while editor Akash Joseph Varghese assembles the tiny details so that not a second feels stretched. It is Ashley, shy yet sure, who makes the first move, telling Justin that she likes him. As Justin is thrown off, he must come around to process his own feelings and make sure no one in the gossipy neighbourhood comes to know about them. The premise sounds simple, but Girish AD, who also co-wrote the film with Kiran Josey, creates a world full of rich supporting characters whose lives intersect within the main crisis. The mundane, quotidian lives of the neighbourhood folk are drawn out with a masterful eye for detail. The most memorable one of the lot is Glikson, played by a superb Roshan Shanavas. Girish does not rush these scenes and treats even the smallest of supporting players with dignity and grace. No character is unimportant, no drama is to be missed. It all counts in a Girish AD film, in which the tiny eccentricities might be funny, but they also reflect a patriarchal Indian society where privacy comes at a cost. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is the best and most mature work by Girish AD so far. It has this incredible balance of tone, where the most amusing moment can percolate into a case that calls for urgent reflection. When Ashley’s agency is compromised, the film makes for a crucial reminder of how unfunny it must be for her. Or women like her. The first half of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is fresh and brims with radiance, and my only complaint is the slightly overworked second half, where the central conflict takes a backseat. Most of all, it is Vishnu Vijay’s radiant music that gives the film its soul. The actors breathe life into the rest. The charming screen presence of Nivin Pauly is used to great effectiveness here. The actor brings a quiet vulnerability to Justin, and he is unmatched in the scenes that demand his comic timing- thereby creating a beautiful portrait of a man who has to take control of his own life and choices. But it is Mamitha Baiju who carries the film, her face lighting up the screen. Ashley is such a tricky part to play, given what she chooses to say and what she hides. In the scene near the church, when Ashley cautiously keeps her gaze down… she is calculating how much she can bare for this man she likes. It is a graceful, understated performance without which the film wouldn’t work.
