Pavi Caretaker Movie Review: Dileep's Trademark Antics Undermine Vineeth Kumar's Romantic Dramedy (LatestLY Exclusive)

Pavi Caretaker Movie Review: After the 2010 film Bodyguard, Pavi Caretaker marks Dileep's second appearance in a Malayalam film where he portrays a character who falls in love with a girl sight unseen. Directed by actor-filmmaker Vineeth Kumar, Pavi Caretaker evokes not only memories of Ritesh Batra's poignant The Lunchbox but also the charming sweetness of Ashiq Abu's Salt N Pepper. Perhaps as a homage to the latter, the unseen heroine is named Maya by the protagonist, reminiscent of Shweta Menon's character in Salt N Pepper. While Pavi Caretaker surpasses some of Dileep's recent works, it still falls short of being a commendable film despite occasional moments of promise. Once again, the responsibility for this failure falls mostly on the leading star not willing to rein in his onscreen antics. Pavi Caretaker Trailer: Dileep Stars as an Unmarried Caretaker in Vineeth Kumar’s Family Entertainer.

Pavithran (Dileep) is a middle-aged bachelor, who works as both a caretaker and a night security guard at a posh locality. He is annoying, misogynist and often intrusive, which the film blames on his loneliness. As a tenant in the upper section of retired policewoman Mariyamma's (Radhika Sarathkumar) house, Pavithran's sole companion is a dog.

Watch the Trailer of Pavi Caretaker:

When Pavithran refuses to increase his rent, Mariyamma decides to introduce another tenant, much to Pavithran's dismay. Due to his limited time spent at home, primarily during the night, Pavithran never encounters his new roommate, discovering later that she is a woman. Their sole mode of communication becomes notes exchanged on the table. Despite never laying eyes on her, Pavithran becomes enamoured with her and falls in love through those notes. However, despite his efforts, he never gets the opportunity to glimpse her appearance or uncover her identity. 

The OTT Humour of the First Act

Pavi Caretaker may not boast an original storyline, but to some extent, it's precisely this narrative that piques your interest in the film, considering how average the first act was. Pavi begins as this pretty unlikeable character who displays such rude behaviour and moral policing towards people living in the society he works in that I wonder why they haven't fired him yet. Even more annoying is the trademark Dileep comedy, which has soured with the passage of time, that nearly ruins the opening half an hour of the movie.

There is a scene where Pavi tries to tackle a CGI civet that got into a flat, and it felt like a scene straight out of Parakkum Thallika (whose director - Johny Anthony - has a role of a security guard in this film), that is crossed with the raccoon fight scene in Incredibles 2. Such a scene has no place in a film like Pavi Caretaker, and yet it goes on and on. Also, someone please remind Dileep that making contorted facial expressions has stopped being funny since 2013.

Love Trying to Win It All...

But then, there comes a scene in a movie that catches you unaware, and you start taking it seriously from thereon. In Pavi Caretaker, for me, it was the rooftop conversation that Pavi has with Johny Anthony's character, Maathan, where he opens up about his fears of a lonely future awaiting him.

Although loneliness cannot excuse all the misdeeds Pavi has been committing, it still stands out as one of the rare moments in mainstream cinema where a male protagonist exposes his anxiety about eternal solitude. It is a scene so well-performed by the actor, reminding us of the dramatic prowess that Dileep doesn't bring to the screen much these days. In fact, the best moments in the film are all dramatic, and Pavi Caretaker falters every time it resorts to humour.

The 'love story' sparkles initially with a welcome feel-good vibe it brings to the film, despite a setup that lacks complete coherence. While the differing schedules and Mariyamma's strict curfew for Pavi to avoid visiting his room at night provide an excuse for this epistolary romance, but it also needs the viewer to think too much of the arrangement. Otherwise, we would end up asping why Pavi never takes leaves, or the girl has no weekly offs? Surely, no one works this continuously.

Some of the note exchanges also felt more like WhatsApp chat sessions, despite the fact that they only pass one note daily to each other.

Still, Pavi Caretaker attempts to be a better film - a hard emphasis on 'attempts' -  as these scenes afford Vineeth the filmmaker the opportunity to showcase his directorial finesse, reminiscent of what we admired in Dear Friend. This is evident in small yet significant moments, such as Pavi's soap sliding towards the girl's soap on the bathroom shelf. Thankamani Movie Review: A Miscast Dileep Finds Himself Fumbling to Steer This Stale Revenge Drama.

An Erratic Second Half

After a promising first half, this love story, unfortunately, loses its footing in a tonally inconsistent second act. Once again, it's the infusion of comedy and Dileep's return to his exaggerated performance that dampens the mood in these segments. To the extent that, even when it introduces a conflict near the third act, it feels more like superfluous melodrama lacking the necessary dramatic weight.

The climax stands as a glaring example of the film succumbing to its inconsistent tone. Not only do certain events lack clarity (I'll refrain from elaborating for spoiler reasons), but director Vineeth (who also makes a cameo appearance) injects unnecessary comedic chaos, reminiscent of Priyadarshan comedies, which undermines what preceded it. The revelation of the roommate's identity and her reasons for anonymity also feel shallow. The only consistently engaging element in the film is Pavi's bond with the dog, who emerges as the true scene-stealer.

When it comes to performances, as mentioned earlier, Dileep's portrayal is rather inconsistent in this film. While I liked him better in the dramatic sequences, his over-the-top antics in comedy scenes detract from the overall experience. The newbie actresses are all good, particularly Shreya Rukmini and Swathi Konde, though they take a backseat once the 'love story' sets in. Moreover, given their roles as potential love interests for the protagonist, the noticeable age gap between them and the leading man cannot be overlooked.

Final Thoughts on Pavi Caretaker

I can say for sure that if the director had reined in Dileep's performance and tempered the loud humour, Pavi Caretaker would have been a much more enjoyable film despite the loopholes in the script. Instead, what we get is a tonally inconsistent film that struggles to balance genuine feel-good romantic drama and farcical comedy. The only respite here is that Pavi Caretaker can be called Dileep's most bearable film since 2019's Kodathi Samaksham Balan Vakeel.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2024 11:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).