Aarattu goes almost okay for the first half and for some time in the second half. But then the last 30-45 minutes is so disappointing that it completely brings the movie down where both Unnikrishnan’s making and Udayakrishna’s writing fail big time. There are so many unnecessary songs. Rahul Raj has good main theme music. But then why does he have to fill in loud BGM in almost all scenes. A.R Rahman’s thread in the story is another aspect that does the movie more damage than benefit.
Despite all its negatives, one relief in Aarattu was the comedy which came as a surprise( felt the comedy worked better than action in the movie). Some of Mohanlal’s comedy scenes work. All of Siddique’s comedy scenes work. While too many overstuffed old Mohanlal film references are at times irritating, Mohanlal taking a dig at his own movies was fun. For instance, the scene where one of his guys says that it’s Gopan’s usual habit to give buildup staying long in water(Narasimham reference) brings a smile. (This may be Mohanlal‘s most decent work in comedy in many years). Siddique meanwhile is the best thing about the movie. The scene where he describes how Gopan had emptied Dharavi in a day is hilarious.
But the last half an hour spoils all the momentum it had till then and turns Aarattu into an underwhelming experience.
Review By © Fahir Maithutty