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.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit review: Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju might be the year's best on-screen couple by a mile.
The premise
Ashley (Mamitha Baiju) has little say in her house, where her constantly bickering parents and a younger brother leave no space for her to have a life of her own. Her grief grows when she leaves her small village home to move with her family to a closely-knit neighbourhood near Ernakulam. She starts college there, and slowly forms a bond with the women in the community, who call themselves the Moreli sisters.
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. 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.
Movie Review
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit
4.5/5
Ashley's homecoming from abroad takes an emotional turn when a wedding next door stirs memories of her first love, Justin.
Led by wonderful performances from Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, the age-gap romance might be one of the year's best films so far.
What works
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.
What starts off as a sweet, harmless romance unspools a chain of reactions that ultimately reflect a society so guided by its parochial rules that physical gestures of affection become untoward. What is so shocking about a hug? A kiss on the cheek? It all stems from that sweet innocence, that desire to be seen and understood. The age gap between Justin and Ashley became their biggest impediment within an orthodox religious community. The ones who suffer the most, as always, are the women.
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. 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. Most of all, it is Vishnu Vijay's radiant music that gives the film its soul.
Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju shine
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.
Something precious occurs as Justin and Ashley fall in love and try to figure it out for themselves. We spend time with them, see them more clearly from the outside, and by the time it all surrenders, we see ourselves. This sudden burst of longing to call up that person with whom we want to talk a little more, might just need a call. They must be thinking of calling us, too. The little cues will find a way to reach us. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit wants to say that there are still second chances, and all that is loved must be cared for.
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’.
A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own.
Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience.
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