Pyaar Prema Kalyanam film review: Good intentions but uneven execution

CHENNAI: Elan's Pyaar Prema Kalyanam revolves around a familiar premise what happens when a man moves into a woman’s house after marriage.

By placing the male protagonist in a woman’s household after marriage, the film uses gender-role reversal to throw light on the struggles women often face at their in-laws’ homes from household responsibilities and expectations to interference from family members and the challenges faced by women who want to continue working after marriage.

While it is an interesting attempt to present these issues from a man’s perspective, it remains to be seen how the film’s treatment of the subject resonates with women.

The film, however, does not spend enough time developing its characters. Character transformations, which sometimes happen within just a handful of scenes, make some of the character arcs feel rushed. A case in point is Yogi Babu’s character regretting his poor treatment of his wife within a single scene, leading to a 'change' in his attitude.

The film does have some redeeming aspects. The first meeting between the leads is beautifully shot, with Yuvan’s music complementing the scene perfectly. Though the film's central idea is not entirely new, the film gives it a fresh visual treatment, particularly through Dinesh K Babu’s cinematography.

Elan plays a boy-next-door in Pyaar Prema Kalyanam, his third directorial venture and acting debut. The character and his performance bear similarities to the roles played by Pradeep Ranganathan, who himself has often been compared to Dhanush in terms of screen persona. Saanve Megghana has portrayed the role of a modern-day influencer and feminist convincingly, while her chemistry with Elan also works well on screen.

However, despite featuring an impressive ensemble cast, including veteran actors Senthil, Radikaa Sarathkumar, MS Bhaskar, Elango Kumaravel and Geetha Kailasam, along with Yogi Babu, the film does not give most of them enough scope to perform. Yogi Babu’s character, in particular, relies heavily on misogynistic humour, which feels out of place and becomes one of the film’s biggest drawbacks.

Overall, Pyaar Prema Kalyanam is a decent attempt at using a rom-com to address familiar issues surrounding marriage and gender roles. The film has some charming moments, memorable music and appealing visuals, but its eagerness to deliver an honest message and pack in comedy comes at the expense of logic and nuanced writing. In trying to do too much, the film loses out on depth.