'2 Harihar Nagar' is simple and entertaining (Malayalam Review)

Film: '2 Harihar Nagar'; Cast: Ashokan, Siddique, Jagadeesh, Mukesh, Lakshmi Rai

Director: Lal; Music Director: Alex Paul; Cinematography: Venu; Rating: **1/2

'2 Hariharnagar' is a sequel to the super hit Malayalam comedy 'In Harihar Nagar'.

The same actors play the same roles in the original with tongue-in-cheek humour and naughtiness generally associated with young bachelors.

It is all about four men Mahadevan (Mukesh), Govindan Kutty (Siddique), Appukkuttan (Jagadeesh) - all married and Thomas Kutty (about to tie the knot) trying to woo an attractive female neighbour Maya (Lakshmi Rai) during a 10-day run up to the marriage.

Lal informs his audience in detached, measured tones the facts about his main characters:

Mahadevan, a kind of know-all expert who usually peps up adolescents on management techniques, actually yearns for female company having been separated from his wife during life in the Middle-East.

Govindan (nicknamed 'Goku') is a successful builder - yet to start a family simply because he and his wife want more fun in life before being saddled with children.

Appukkuttan is happily married and blessed with twin-boys alright, but is looking for fun on the side.

And finally, Thomas is at the verge of surrendering his bachelorhood.

In a nutshell, the main four characters are normal men encountered in every middle-class home the world over - seeking short term pleasures thinking that no one (especially their family members) is watching.

So, in several humorous scenes they gallivant with a winsome, vivacious, female neighbour Maya.

But, in the bargain circumstances go beyond their control and the foursome land from individual frying pans into multiple fires - all narrated in a light-hearted method succeeding in its endeavours to trigger laughter.

The movie, however, degenerates into a somewhat hackneyed plot towards the climax, despite the non-reduction of the entertainment quotient.

All the members of the cast have put in adequately underplayed performances and their on-screen body language is clear evidence of their having enjoyed doing it.

The title is the imaginary address in Kerala.

Part nostalgic, part contemporary, the movie entertains - pure and simple.

In his first outing as an independent writer-director, Lal keeps to the basics with decent support from cinematographer Venu and music from Paul.