What happens when the leads of Premam (2015) and Premalu
\n(2024) come together for an unconventional romance? You expect fireworks. And
\nthat\u2019s exactly what Girish AD delivers in Bethlehem Kudumba Unit.<\/p>\n
Nivin Pauly has long had a knack for making audiences root for his
\ncharacters, especially when he plays ordinary men dealing with the messiness of
\neveryday life. Girish AD puts that quality to good use, bringing him together
\nwith Mamitha Baiju, who easily passes the test for your girl-next-door.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit begins in Mundakayam, where Ashley
\n(Mamitha Baiju) lives with her family. When her parents decide to move to
\nErnakulam because of their financial circumstances, Ashley is forced to leave
\nbehind the life she knows. Her friends, music band and even the old books and
\ncassettes she has carefully collected over the years are part of what she has
\nto let go.<\/p>\n
The move leaves Ashley understandably unhappy. But her new neighbourhood
\nsoon gives her something to look forward to. It is one of those close-knit
\ncommunities where everyone knows everyone else, and every family has its own
\neccentricities. Across from Ashley\u2019s house are the lively Morelli sisters,
\nwhile next door live brothers Justin (Nivin Pauly) and Joel (Sangeeth Prathap).<\/p>\n
Ashley first properly meets Justin when her laptop stops working. He is
\nan \u2018eligible bachelor\u2019 in his early 40s (or late 30s?) who seems to have a hand
\nin almost everything \u2014 from running a catering business and repairing laptops
\nto real estate and helping his brother with short films. At first, Ashley sees
\nhim as an older, slightly serious man. That changes when they discover a shared
\ninterest in music.<\/p>\n
A conversation about old cassettes and alternative rock becomes the
\nbeginning of something neither of them quite expects. Ashley develops feelings
\nfor Justin, and their relationship slowly grows through awkward conversations
\nand everyday encounters.<\/p>\n
This is where Bethlehem Kudumba Unit approaches a potentially
\ndifficult subject without turning it into a scandal or a conventional
\nmelodrama. The age difference between Ashley, a college student, and Justin is
\nimpossible to overlook, but the film does not treat it as the only thing that
\ndefines their relationship.<\/p>\n
More importantly, Ashley is given agency. She is the one who develops
\nfeelings first, initiates meetings and makes her own choices. Justin is not
\nportrayed as pursuing a younger woman or manipulating her into a relationship.
\nThe screenplay is clearly conscious of the discomfort that such a pairing can
\ncreate and takes care to establish that the relationship is consensual and
\nemotionally reciprocal. Girish AD spends a lot of time trying to make the
\nrelationship appear cute and uncomplicated.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, the romance is only one part of what makes the film work.
\nThe film\u2019s real strength lies in creating believable characters and putting
\nthem together in situations that feel spontaneous. Like Thanneer Mathan
\nDinangal and Premalu, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit finds much of its
\nhumour in the behaviour of ordinary people.<\/p>\n
The neighbourhood becomes a character in itself. There are friends who
\nhave known one another for years, families with their own little tensions and
\nhabits, and people who can turn an otherwise insignificant incident into a
\nfull-blown conversation. The dialogues are sharp without sounding overly
\nwritten, and the humour often comes from the way characters respond to one
\nanother.<\/p>\n
The supporting cast deserves considerable credit. Suresh Krishna as
\nBaiju Chettan, Shyam Mohan as Hari, Roshan Shanavas as Glikson, Vinay Forrt as
\nAlex, Sangeeth Prathap and Bindu Panicker all add colour to the film. Even
\ncharacters with relatively little screen time get moments that stay with the
\naudience.<\/p>\n
That ensemble quality is perhaps what makes the film feel so
\ncomfortable. Girish AD does not rush to get from one major plot point to
\nanother. He allows his characters to hang around, talk, argue, joke and simply
\nexist. As a result, the audience gradually feels like part of the neighbourhood
\nrather than an outsider watching it from a distance.<\/p>\n
The screenplay, written by Girish AD and Kiran Josey, is not
\nparticularly interested in surprising the viewer. The romantic progression is
\nfairly easy to anticipate, as are the major conflicts and their eventual
\nresolutions. But the film\u2019s appeal lies in the journey, rather than the
\ndestination.<\/p>\n
Music also plays an important role in creating that atmosphere. Vishnu
\nVijay\u2019s music fits naturally into the film\u2019s world, adding to its nostalgic and
\neasygoing quality.<\/p>\n
Nivin Pauly is particularly well suited to Justin. The actor brings his
\ntrademark warmth and comic timing to the role, but there is enough
\nvulnerability underneath to prevent Justin from becoming just another charming
\nbachelor. He enjoys spending time with friends, loves his drinks and appears
\nperfectly content with his life, yet Nivin subtly hints at the loneliness
\nbehind that carefree exterior.<\/p>\n
Mamitha Baiju is equally good. Ashley is quite different from some of
\nher more familiar roles, and she brings an appealing freshness to her. She
\ncaptures Ashley\u2019s initial sadness and reluctance to leave home, while also
\nmaking her gradual adjustment to the new neighbourhood feel convincing.<\/p>\n
The chemistry between Nivin and Mamitha is central to the film\u2019s warmth.
\nTheir conversations are often awkward, understated and funny, which makes their
\nattraction feel less manufactured.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What happens when the leads of Premam (2015) and Premalu (2024) come together for an unconventional romance? You…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,113526,154,3058,3059],"class_list":["post-270438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-kudumba-unit-review","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-mamitha-baiju","tag-nivin-pauly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}