There is a scene in Godha where Tovino and his friend has landed in the wrong class on the first day of their college. You would have predicted this to happen few minutes back. But Tovino’s friend is confident that they are in the right class. With a serious face, he asks the professor whether his maid or kid has misplaced his text book that is he taking the wrong class. And that makes you laugh out loud.
Director Basil Joseph’s biggest strength is that he can make you laugh out and still gain the maximum out of scenes that you already predicted how to happen. Godha tells the story of Aditi Singh (Wamiqa Gabbi), a Punjabi wrestler who runs off to her friend’s (Tovino Thomas) village when she is forced into a marriage by her brother. At its heart, Godha tells a story about how a girl pursue and fulfill her dreams. But what really works for it amid a tale that we have seen or heard before is its great humor.
What comes as great aid for Basil Joseph is also a cast which is so perfect in what he wants to accomplish. It helps Basil that both Tovino and Sreejith Ravi are at ease in comedy when they fight over Ranji Panicker’s land and when Tovino tells him what he feels is what word ‘suggestion’ after all means. It helps him that he has the face of immensely hilarious Aju Varghese to focus on when Wamiqa lifts him, spins him and crashes him on ground. It helps him that he has Hareesh Perumanna at his service when he finds himself in front of Ranji Panicker watching cricket when the latter is making others demolish their own cricket club. It helps him that Mala Parvathi is a revelation here in comedy when she sits with Wamiqa and asks -“Nee Adithi aanennu manassilaayi, pakshe aarude athithi aanu ?”
Tovino Thomas has really come a long way since ABCD in 2013. He can flex his muscles and has really fine comic timing – a combination which would have made it difficult for Basil Joseph to think of any other actor in his place Wamiqa Gabbi is a complete natural and lights up the screen every single moment she is around. Still the best thing about this movie are not these two actors. It is Shaan Rahman’s music.
The gifted music director has throughout his career made a lot of movies look lot better with his works and he does it once again here. If “Oh Rabba” and “Aaro Nenjil” are two riveting songs , he has just the right background scores for the comedy and serious scenes that you easily connect with them. The one he uses when Ranji Panicker comes out of the stadium , stands against the sun that is setting down and clenches his fists celebrating his success is just too good.
If Godha has any flaws, it is its last 20 minutes where the narrative gets little too convenient to finish it out without major surprises. Still it is forgivable as Basil has by then done enough to give us a comedy that is reminiscent of old Mukesh-Innocent-Jagadeesh movies from 90s and which should have great repeat value when it comes later in the small screens.
Though comedy is Godha’s USP , there is one other scene that stays with you as you leave the cinema halls. When Wamiqa hears the news that her marriage is fixed, Basil zooms the camera on her face as she asks Tovino – “Really how far do you think a girl’s dream can go”. Its something you have heard in many other recent movies .Yet there is a subtlety and maturity in how Basil has handled that sequence. It re-affirms that he has taken leaps forward from his first movie – Kunjiramayanam.
