Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil Review: A Promising Dramedy That Derails Near the End

Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval's Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil has a strong first half and compelling lead performances but struggles with an uneven third act, observes Sreeju Sudhakaran.

Fact 1: Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval (RBP) is a genuinely talented filmmaker.

Fact 2: His filmography has been a mixed bag. For acclaimed entertainers like Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 and Nna Thaan Case Kodu, there are also underwhelming efforts like Kanakam Kamini Kalaham and Sureshanteyum Sumalathayudeyum Hrudayahariyaya Pranayakadha.

Fact 3: Even his disappointments carry a certain oddity that invites retrospective appreciation; there are still those who consider Kanakam Kamini Kalaham an under-rated gem.

His latest, Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil (Under Mysterious Circumstances), embodies both his strengths and his inconsistencies. For nearly two-thirds of its runtime, the film had the making of a great entertainer. And then arrives a third act that feels like that viral meme of a Pakistani fan where he rues about how everything has suddenly changed: The mood, the tone, everything.

What's Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil About?

Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil follows two brothers living in a secluded house in Wayanad.

Sethu (Kunchacko Boban) is a meek office assistant working at a local government hospital, who cares for his bedridden elder brother Madhu (Dileesh Pothan). Madhu has been confined to bed for 15 years after a violent incident that also claimed the life of his close friend and relative, Markose.

Unable to accept Markose's death, Madhu continues to hallucinate him, often forcing Sethu to impersonate Markose to calm his emotional outbursts.

Their fragile routine is disrupted by the arrival of Rajendra Prasad (Sajin Gopu), an alleged Maoist on the run, injured in a police encounter. Close on his trail is Aramiyas (Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram), a police officer, who also happens to be the brothers' cousin (Markose's son).

A Well-Sketched Sibling Tale

The film opens strongly with a shootout sequence in a resort (that is revisited later with a different perspective) before settling into the quieter rhythms of the brothers' lives. It is in this space that Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil finds its emotional core.

The relationship between Sethu and Madhu is finely sketched: Warm, layered, and tender, and also well-depicted is their characterisations.

Sethu's timidity is such that even his thick moustache (often seen as a marker of masculinity) has a slight gap on one side. We see how genuinely he cares for his brother, who is far from easy to handle, and yet, despite everything, their bond feels organic and warm.

Sethu, meanwhile, exists in a perpetual state of denial over his friend's death, burdened by guilt for having let their enemy live.

As the narrative unfolds, we learn about a childhood episode where the brothers, along with Markose, set out to confront their estranged father, only for the journey to instead strengthen their bond. It is these details that give the film its emotional heft.

Even the introduction of Rajendra as a third presence, whom Madhu begins to perceive as Markose, is seamlessly woven into their dynamic, and the trio gradually evolving into a makeshift family is heartwarming and funny, even with the looming threat of the police outside.

Poduval's signature quirkiness surfaces in several moments, from the absurdly narrated backstory of Rajendra to satirical jabs at the State's tendency to label dissenters as 'Maoists', and even at malfunctioning electric scooters.

One sequence even features characters who bear an uncanny resemblance to real-life political figures, including the current Kerala chief minister and a certain actor-politician known for his fiery persona.

The interval block delivers a fourth-wall-breaking gag where the film is patting itself on the back. Is this just the director being whimsical, or an early sign of overconfidence? It does not take long to arrive at the answer.

A Disjointed Third Act

Post-interval, the film moves along smoothly as it continues to explore the evolving bond between the two brothers and the stranger. The now-popular Njan Alkali song arrives at just the right moment, adding to the right rhythm of this stretch.

But from there on, Oru Durooha Sahacharyathil takes a wild swing with both its screenplay and tone, so much so that it almost feels like an entirely different film. It shifts into a psychological character study that, in itself, has merit, but sits awkwardly within what had until then been a quaint but warming tale of brotherhood.

There is substance in the idea of Sethu being pushed to the brink by his boss, his cousin, and the villagers, eventually forcing him into rebellion.

I understand the film's attempt to frame this as a kind of 'Maoist' uprising but the execution disrupts the momentum so carefully built earlier.

In doing doing so, even Rajendra's arc ends up feeling shortchanged, while Aramiyas, initially an ego-driven officer with a clear purpose, gets reduced to a more conventional antagonist.

I feel there should have been a stronger build-up to Sethu's rebellious turn in the earlier portions. However, the comic chaos that makes the film entertaining and engaging in its initial acts leaves little room for that evolution to develop convincingly.

There are still flashes of RBP's touch in here, such as the use of Kamal Haasan's Kuruthipunal as a catalyst to Sethu's revolt. Yet, the film's ambitious swing ultimately overshoots, culminating in a lacklustre climax that feels underwhelming.

Performances Shine Amidst Flaws

What continues to work, even in these portions, are the performances.

Kunchacko Boban is endearing in a role that largely demands restraint, yet he reveals impressive depth when the character undergoes psychological shifts. The sequence where he slips into 'Markose' to calm his brother in the third act is particularly well performed.

Dileesh Pothan delivers a stellar turn, that is both eccentric (for his character's condition) and even heartbreaking.

Sajin Gopu does what is expected of him, and it fits the narrative well.

Chidambaram makes a confident acting debut, while Jaffer Idukki is effective as the morally ambiguous local politician.

Sharanya Ramachandran plays the female lead, though in the larger scheme, her character has little to do beyond being Sethu's love interest. That said, she performs well, especially in the scene where she confronts the doctor for shirking his duty. One only wishes her arc had been more fleshed out to meaningfully contribute to Sethu's gradual psychological transformation.

Oru Durooha Saahacharyathil Review Rediff Rating: