If you look for the meaning of the movie's title, you might end up on a Wikipedia page about a mythological prince who was cursed. A more familiar phrase for Malayalis is 'thrishanku swargam', used to refer to a place or situation that is neither here nor there. That is very likely what director Achyuth Vinayak had in mind for his film about a couple who land in the strangest situation as they plan to elope and end up going in the company of two uncles.

It is as funny as it sounds, well to you the viewer, not per se to the eloping couple. And there is not one, but two sets of elopers. Writers Ajith Nair and Achyuth Vinayak have a tight, just-right-for-the-laughs script, where nothing seems too much, where the actors including the most unlikely ones are so easily funny. We will come to that. First, about the elopers, who, like we said, did not have it easy.

Arjun Ashokan and Anna Ben – playing Sethu and Megha – plan it like pros, down to the minute they get out of their homes, to the delays before getting out, and even chucking phones to avoid getting caught by lurking parents. It does not help that one parent is a policeman, nor that Sethu and Megha belong to different religions. Most of all, it doesn’t help that Sethu’s sister Sumi (Zarin Shihab) decides to elope on the same day, and gets away first. With all the drama Sethu witnesses at home – a father who tries to jump into the well, the mother pulling him back, an uncle complaining about what his caste organisation will say, and a grandpa hugging his bottle of booze – he is torn between a girlfriend waiting to elope and a family asking him to find the missing sister. That is where the uncles come in.

Watch: Trailer of the film

Nandhu and Suresh Krishna, playing Sethu’s uncles, are major contributors to the mirth, and this is funnier because neither character has the faintest idea about it. Nandhu has proven his mettle for humour many times before and in Thrishanku, he simply paints the perfect portrait of the annoying ammavan (uncle). Suresh Krishna is a surprise, you don’t really expect the man to bring in humour by simply being himself. If we spoke about the uncle actors before the lead couple, it is because their characters just linger, the way some funny moment comes back to you later and makes you laugh again. Not that Anna or Arjun are not at their best. It just seems too fitting, Anna playing the woman who won’t back down and Arjun the more gullible one – both in their comfortable terrains.

More than anything, Achyuth should be patted for thinking up the story. It is not a roller coaster script and it is far from realistic. There are gaps in the plot, especially Sumi’s half-baked story. But if the makers set out to make the film entertaining, it serves its purpose. The script places every character and prop in the right place, even the music (though it has echoes of Romancham’s theme). Even Fahim Safar, who has a knack for comedy and pops up as a flirt.

If he can do so well in his debut, Achyuth Vinayak will go a long way.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.