Old Monk Movie Review : A clever and entertaining comedy, after a long time

Plot: Narada is banished to earth by Lord Krishna after he creates a fight between Krishna and Rukmini. The only way he can redeem himself is by getting married. Does he succeed?

Review: MG Srinivas has been proving himself as a director who gives quality content with every film. With Old Monk, he does not disappoint. The film marks his return to the romantic genre once again after Srinivasa Kalyana. And marriage is the essential theme of this story, which is reminiscent of some of the old-school comedies that one used to see in the 80s and 90s with actors like Anant Nag and Ramesh Aravind in the lead.

The highlight of the film is the clever dialogues that leave one constantly in splits. The film is a clean comedy that stands tall because of its content that is refreshing at a time when everyone wants to get on either the action or thriller bandwagon. This is a romantic comedy with all heart and ample laughs that is far from the usual content that is dished out these days.

The premise of the story is simple. At the home of Lord Krishna and Rukmini in heaven, there seems to be something amiss, as the latter is upset. Narada adds fuel to fire, when he wishes Rukmini for her birthday which, he realises, Krishna has forgotten. Krishna decides to banish Narada to earth as a punishment where he can redeem himself only once he has lived the marital life. Now, Narada, christened as Appanna, is born into a family that only believes in arranged marriage and he has no chance of finding love with his father playing the villain. When he does find an interest, there are many hurdles.

What works for Old Monk is its treatment, where everything is lighthearted, but the intended messages are conveyed. Srinivas leads from the front with an endearing performance, with ample support from his sidekick, Sujay Shastry, who plays Ranveer Singh and never misses his comic timing. Aditi Prabhudeva is refreshing. But the real heroes are S Narayan, Aruna Balaraj and Sihi Kahi Chandru, who show their experience through their performances. Sudev Nair is a good find and is the apt selection for the villain. Another highlight is that one gets to see late Kannada actor Rajesh in a cameo. Sunil Raoh, in his cameo, is hilarious too.

Of course, there are a few shortcomings in the second half, where the story slightly meanders into a game of one-upmanship between Srinivas and Sudev's characters. But, this does not take away too much as those scenes are packed with fun too. In all, Old Monk is definitely a good watch for the entire family.