Bangalore days is full of life. The movie talks about the tale of three cousins who travel to Bangalore in the pursuit of chasing their dreams.

The story revolves around the journeys of these three twenty- somethings and how each one of them cops up in accordance to the twists and turns in their individual lives. Because it consists of a prestigious star cast, the expectation bar among the viewers regarding the flick was too high. And let me tell you, it is unmitigatedly worth the hype! The film is incorporated with appreciable transitions, commendable drollery, a congenial run time of 170 minutes and one of the most pleasurable story lines. All these factors bolstered by exquisite performances add to the film's charm fashioning it into a complete package.

Kudos to the person who took the task of assembling such an effulgent movie troupe. Nivin Pauly, as one of the three main leads, was as natural as he could have been. Also, the way he narrates their journey diversifies the script making it even more delectable. Nazriya, as the main female lead is creditable. She is much blessed with the skill of exhibiting emotional scenes and is bound to get better with age. Out of the three leads, Dulquer Salman's portrayal was paramount. Enacting the character of a rowdy biker driven by complex emotions is not a piece of cake, but Salman has hit the spot effortlessly. Fahadh Fasil has been the cream of the crop while enacting his part that of an angry young husband, his performance was just simply flawless! Parvathy Menon as RJ Sarah was like a cherry on the top, she definitely managed to make an impression. Other minor roles played by Isha Talwar and Kalpana were mediocre as well.

Anjali Menon has unambiguously managed to make a hit with her 2nd major directorial venture. Also, a distinguished and wondrous screenplay leaves you mesmerized. Editing and Cinematography departments have definitely aced at their respective jobs. All the locations from Kerala and Bangalore have been impeccably put on the big screen. Music and other background scores by Gopi Sunder too were very much above average.

Summarizing everything, Bangalore days is a perfect blend of meritorious drama, affable romance and rollicking comicality. Lovely is the word for it! People who take pleasure in watching jolly youth dramas and love stories will surely fall in love with this one.

Yes, that's right. Since the first poster broke out in March disclosing the brilliant ensemble cast, it had started gathering moss. Anjali Menon fabulously handled her casting and struck the right chord with people who are now looking more for abstract, youth-driven films than boring dramas or idiotic slapstick. Her Manjadikuru failed to impress, but her Ustad Hotel was one hell of a film made right. With Bangalore Days, she not only explores the niceties of film-making but also throws out a vivid picture of how charming movies can be.

I have hardly seen brilliant introductions like this in Malayalam films; Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Ellipathayam says everything it wants to with its starting & ending scenes. The three main characters, played wonderfully by Pauly, Nazria & Salman give a head-start to the plot that revolves around their lives' roller-coaster ride. Partly set in Kerala & Bangalore, the story moves forward as they face life's everyday difficulties. Their friendship is cute.

Then Fahadh Faasil enters the plot and introduces drama. His portrayal is, as always, fantastic. Individual stories pop in as Nivin Pauly effortlessly tries & succeeds in making the audience roar with laughter. His nuanced, slightly effeminate air is brilliant and I loved him the most. Dulquer Salman is raw as a dirt-biker who plays a nomad with no aim in life. As the three tackle their issues of love, marriage, family & the whole game of life, few twists and minor turns enter the scene and enthrall the audience.

Rocky BG score and good songs steer our attention. Cinematography by Thahir is good but not his best while I am still charmed with the overall art department. Supporting cast is very good and the cameos by Nithya Menon & Isha Talwar is laudable. The newcomer is sweet.

The second half is where we realize the ploy: that drama has been converted to comedy without slipping into melodrama. The gap between drama & comedy should always be maintained and that is where Menon fails with Bangalore Days. She tries too smart to induce humor into everything which leaves the brainy part of the audience go numb with gimmicky overture. Then the minor flaws start to stumble out of the cupboard. I am not mentioning those tiny anachronistic goofs, but I wonder why no one noticed that ironically the only Kannada language the film has is mere 2 words that Pauly exchanges with a shopkeeper. About the story: three cousins who happen to be great friends but haven't met in years; their lives are affected by each other's; few ups and downs; they help each other to find the right path; happy ending. Haven't you seen this setup before? Ironically, the characters themselves say that there is nothing like "Happily Ever After" which now makes me wanna question the makers' intentions. "Let us mint some high moolah with the hackneyed story I have, shall we?"

No, we are not that dumb to believe that Bangalorians only speak English or Hindi is a staple language; not to mention how people don't mind locking their lips mid-street. It wonderfully succeeds in tarnishing the reputation of Bangalore, in a way. Then we start to observe the story itself which has fabrications everywhere written on it in the last 30 minutes. All it shows can never happen in real life and people who think can are being fooled. Maybe the imagination got too much out of the box.

The main twist is credible but the ending could've been more polished in order to not make it look like a fairy tale unfolding in a merry ending. This confirms that Menon has her limitations and can only construct a script made out of clichés, stereotype-busters & surrealistic contrivance. But I gotta strain that she does it well. Anyway, the huge amount of humor and for the charismatic visual extravaganza it is, Bangalore Days is one of the very, very, very few films that are both worth watchable & enjoyable.

BOTTOM LINE: Except with the creatively propagandist story, Bangalore Days is a must watch this weekend with friends, family & relatives alike for there is not a single factor that prevents you from being entertained. Recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Banglore Days (2014) : Brief Review -

Another bewitching human drama from Anjali Menon & Anwar Rasheed's combo. Banglore Days is directed by Anajali Menon who wrote a Classic like 'Ustad Hotel' which was directed by Anwar Rasheed and he is the producer of this film. This combo certainly matches the expectations you've had even after their jobs are changed this time. The film is a coming age of drama with very fine touch of rom-com and this genre does not produce highly content oriented classics. If you know this then you know what to expect from the film and if you don't then please don't expect any sort of remarkable stuff like Ustad Hotel. It doesn't reach those heights for sure but is certainly a tall tower for itself. The film is a fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover and explore. It could have been an intricate film looking at the entanglement of the characters and their backdrops but Menon's simplification makes it much more audience friendly. That naturally brings typicality in the screenplay so many scenes look like a simple rip-off from old Bollywood movies. Rest assured, it has enjoyable moments, little bit of philosophy involved within characters, couple of flaws in the set-up but not big ones so it makes a very good watchable product overall. I liked the cast, especially Nazriya Nazim, Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil and Parvathy Thiruvothu. Banglore Days lacks impressive climax and pacy screenplay but that's not a big issue as far as the happy-go-lucky nature of the narrative is concerned. Sometimes, it's good to have fun with regular life-theories than going for a ride of a thoughtful film, hence, Banglore Days stands on its ground. It's just the matter of your taste, your expectations, if you can control it a bit and don't mind watching a timepass flick then Banglore Days shouldn't be missed.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.