Snehaveedu review: "Lalettan's hopes for a smashing triple ton is unlikely !!!"

It's been almost a month since Onam has been done & dusted, so it was high time that the audience be treated to a couple of new releases. In such a scenario, what better than to herald the release of "Snehaveedu", the 300th film of legendary actor, Mohanlal. Lalettan has been entertaining the audience since the last 25 odd years & this milestone film was surely an occasion for celebration. With veteran director Sathyan Anthikad calling the shots & yesteryear numero uno heroine Sheela collaborating with Lalettan for the first time, the expectations are naturally going through the roof. So will the Lal-Sathyan duo conjure up yet another winner & make it a memorable triple ton for Lalettan???

Just as it has been his trend invariably on most times, Sathyan Anthikad takes us back to his usual locales teeming with greenery where he talks about the life of commoners. This time around, Lalettan dons the role of a Gulf returnee Ajayan who is in love with anything that speaks of our motherland be it the paddy fields, art forms etc. He leads a contented life with his mom, Ammukutty Amma (Sheela), until a boy lands up at his door-step claiming to be his son. What then follows is the efforts of Ajayan to prove his innocence. So will he be successful at it or was Karthik (Rahul Pillai), an unknown mistake of his brashful years???

One of the oft used statements in the film industry is "It's a different story", however in Sathyan's case he pretty much sticks onto the same path which is loved by the audience as he narrates stories to which we can relate to. Just like in his previous ventures, there are the usual set of supporting star cast in "Snehaveedu", be it Innocent, KPAC Lalitha etc, who imbibes the villagers characteristics to perfection. The first half actually breezes through with some really good light moments unlike the slap stick comedy which is so prevalent nowadays. Even the second half does have its moments & builds the suspense for the climax. But that's where the film falls flat, the climax is so lame that it pretty much spoils the whole movie. As for other aspects, Illayaraja's music is soothing while the visuals by Venu captures the beauty of the locales in a befitting manner.

Lalettan is very much in his comfort zone & delivers a commendable performance, showing that his adroitness for light moments is still very much intact.  Sheela seems at ease essaying the role of Lalettan's mom while Rahul Pillai renders a matured act considering that this is his debut. As for the remaining star cast, Innocent does manage to infuse laughs in his limited screen time while the rest does their part aptly though they dont have anything significant to impart to the story.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie will have a rousing reception at the box office owing to various factors, be it Lalettan's 300th film, Sathyan Anthikad-Lalettan duo's track record or lack of credible films since Onam. However, I have no qualms in admitting that the damp climax is going to have a disturbing impact on the collections in the long run. In short, you may give it a try as it's a decent one time watch but nothing more!!!

Rating:  2.5/5

Regards...Ben