‘Pushpaka Vimanam’ movie review: Sometimes smart, sometimes not

The characters that inhabit the middle class universe created by debut director Damodara are people we might come across — seemingly well-intentioned folks who are nosy and judgemental. When things go well, it is easier to ignore their prying eyes. It is when things go awry, that one has to move heaven and earth to put forth a normal, happy picture. What if those steps backfire? Pushpaka Vimanam explores these facets through a dark comedy thriller that is also a social commentary on arranged marriages, societal pressures, moral policing, and finding love.

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At the centre of this universe is Chittilanka Sundar (Anand Deverakonda), a mathematics teacher at a government school. Almost always well groomed, well mannered, he is a tad naive and nurtures idealistic notions about marriage. When he is cornered later in the story, he would argue that he is a government school teacher, with the hope that it is enough to be his character certificate.

The fun begins when he puts up a charade of normalcy, after his newly-wed wife Meenakshi (Geeth Saini) deserts him. Even the smallest of things turn out to be a nightmare. The presence of a woman in the household is marked by a ‘muggu’ outside the door, tiffin box packed with home-cooked lunch that can be shared with colleagues, and so on. A colleague (Giridhar) who can identify which restaurant the food is sourced from, adds to Sundar’s misery.

A comedy of errors ensues when aspiring actor Rekha (a crackling Saanve Megghana) poses as Sundar’s wife and an assistant director friend (Kireeti Damaraju) tags along when colleagues invite themselves to Sundar’s house for lunch.

Anand is believable as the simple guy who struggles to cope with untoward happenings. In some of the crucial scenes in the latter half, his lack of experience shows. However, he makes up for it with earnestness. Saanve Meghhana dives right into the character of a small-time actor who is partly driven by greed and tries to find her way out of messy situations. She brings the hall down in a scene that unfolds in the residence of the school principal (Naresh) when the cops come knocking. Thankfully, the film sidesteps cliched possibilities in the portrayal of the rapport between Sundar and Rekha.

As Sundar tries to trace his missing wife, the film enters a darker space. The transition from comedy to a dark thriller is not seamless but sets the stage for another oddball character — police officer Rangam (Sunil) who nurtures on-screen dreams.

The narrative loses steam in the investigative portions. There is way too much focus on Rangam’s quirks than on building an engaging thriller. Kireeti’s character disappears midway and, surprisingly, the cops don’t think of looking up a victim’s social media profiles.

Also, the big reveal towards the end wouldn’t come as a surprise if one observes the supporting characters closely.

However, the film manages to hold a mirror to how women bear the brunt of moral policing and how, after initial setbacks, two strangers thrown into an arranged marriage can find true love. There is also a clever jibe at those who pride themselves in being noble professionals, normalising dowry.

These are all interesting ideas, but the narrative doesn’t bring everything together in an engrossing manner. A better screenplay might have helped make Pushpaka Vimanam a quirky black comedy it intended to be. It’s not a bad film, it isn’t great either.