‘Sarvam Maya’ movie review: Nivin Pauly rediscovers his mojo, lifts a middling ghost story

One of the cardinal characters successful Sarvam Maya is simply a ghost. The shade quality could person been replaced by a human, arsenic it is the benignant of quality we are utilized to seeing successful the Anthikad cinematic universe. Even the intent of the shade follows a acquainted playbook - to alteration the beingness of the protagonist for the better. It is simply a palmy template that has undergone respective variations, astir precocious successful Akhil Sathyan’s debut movie Pachuvum Athbhutha Vilakkum.

Although Sarvam Maya, his sophomore effort, is expected to beryllium a shade story, the shade successful the communicative is possibly 1 of the astir affable and adjuvant ones to ever look connected screen. It is astir similar a shade tailor-made for this benignant of feel-good cinema. The 1 absorbing aspect, though, is that the shade is besides arsenic clueless arsenic the humans moving frightened of her, and is inactive figuring retired however to usage her newfound powers.

Prabhendu (Nivin Pauly), who is struggling to marque a vocation arsenic a guitarist, decides to instrumentality a interruption and instrumentality the way of his household of priests who transportation retired peculiar pujas astatine homes, conscionable to marque immoderate money. Things are going good until his puja astatine 1 of the households leads to an brushwood with a ghost, who is simply a changeless beingness astir him. It helps that the shade has a preachy streak and is adept astatine addressing immoderate contented that a quality tin face, beryllium it helping to onshore the close occupation oregon navigating relationships.

Initially, Sarvam Maya adjacent has the quality of a progressive film, mildly lampooning the large wealth progressive successful rituals and the irrationality that lies down it all, but past it morphs into a broadside task to crook an atheist into a believer, with the preachy shade besides pitching successful with immoderate proposal to this effect.

Akhil has the enactment of a acceptable of actors who are capable to assistance this thin, and sometimes shallow material, to heights it could not person touched without them. When Nivin Pauly is successful his elements, successful roles that helium is comfy in, the sheer easiness with which helium pulls disconnected humour is thing to behold. Lines that look passable abruptly elicit laughter, with his trademark gestures and impeccable consciousness of timing.

Considering Nivin’s on-screen chemistry with Aju Varghese, it comes arsenic nary astonishment that they deed it disconnected successful the archetypal sequences. But later, Riya Shibu, who made her acting debut past twelvemonth successful the forgettable movie Cup, takes implicit from Aju, delivering a show afloat of caller energy. If the movie remains engaging adjacent successful its weakest portions, recognition has to spell to Nivin and Riya.

Towards the end, Akhil brings successful immoderate affectional elements arsenic if connected cue, immoderate of which works, portion immoderate of it feels rushed and forced, particularly since helium fails to physique immoderate large struggle successful the narrative. Even considering the flaws, Sarvam Maya volition beryllium remembered for giving Nivin the abstraction to rediscover his mojo aft truthful long.

Sarvam Maya is presently moving successful theatres