Must Read | The Vvaan movie review: Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah film is pure torture

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

Groundhog Day in Kerala

Although there are numerous time-loop movies across various genres and sub-genres, it’s not surprising that director Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day (1993) tops nearly all the lists discussing the best movies featuring this plot device. Groundhog Day doesn’t shock us at every turn like Triangle (2009) or keep us at the edge of our seats like Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

Yet, what makes it stunning is that it feels very personal and relatable. It doesn’t transport us into an unfamiliar environment. Instead, it makes us feel trapped in a time loop in our own world, in our own chair. By the time the movie ends, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) and Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) are our friends, and we are glad that the former broke the loop to lead a happy life with her.

“Ever since I was a kid, the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word ‘marriage’ is the nuptial night,” Kuttan tells Sharmila right before his first death. Hence, one can imagine how frustrated he must be to be caught in a predicament where he knows nothing will happen between them, despite both wanting it.

Relatable environment

Much like Groundhog Day, Dhoomakethu is also set in a very relatable environment. Whether it’s Kuttan’s house or the people around him — or even him — we have seen versions of them in our day-to-day lives. His annoying uncle (Niyas Backer), his stern mother (Manju Pillai), and his ride-or-die friend (Ganapathi) — we have all seen them somewhere, in some form, before.

Story continues below this ad

Writers Sonny and Manu not only create the world well but also slip the story into the time-loop zone quite effortlessly. They don’t make elaborate arrangements or inflate the narrative unnecessarily to achieve this. The movie opens with a song reminiscent of those usually found in films featuring yesteryear actor Raveendran, evoking the vibe of shady Kerala disco bars of the 1980s.

Then it takes us straight into Kuttan’s world, showing in detail what happens on his wedding day — which he, along with us, has to relive again and again.

Dhoomakethu goes around in circles

However, the script falters in its lack of clarity on how to develop its high concept further. Even after it’s clear that Kuttan is caught in a time loop, the movie doesn’t use judicious jump cuts to tighten the fantasy comedy; instead, it repeatedly shows the same situations to emphasise a point we understood long ago.

Although the scenes are fun and filled with ample humour, Dhoomakethu struggles to build the tension that highlights the labyrinth Kuttan is trapped in, both physically and mentally. While it tries to use the moments following Kuttan waking up in bed after each reset for this purpose — much like Happy Death Day (2017) and SJ Suryah’s story in Maanaadu (2021) did — it doesn’t land the way the makers intend.

Story continues below this ad

When Kuttan says, “Who knows if it’s just me,” we might think there’s someone else out there facing the same issue. But there isn’t, which makes the dialogue pointless.

Another major issue is that the movie focuses squarely on Kuttan and little else. Despite having enough space for the Kuttan-Sharmila love story to develop amid the chaos, much like how director Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs (2020) did, or to provide proper arcs for other characters, the fantasy comedy remains centred solely on the male lead and the events that keep repeating. As a result, even Sharmila’s character feels underdeveloped, with her actions and reactions often seeming unfounded.

For instance, the movie portrays Kuttan and Sharmila’s wedding far too many times, despite a lack of material in director Sudhi Maddison and the writers’ hands to make it lively and engaging, leaving us weary of experiencing it over and over again.

If Dhoomakethu had more impactful humour, these flaws might not have been so obvious. Instead, the makers add too many uninspired jokes, such as Kuttan catching a man lurking behind their home to record his consummation, followed by him revealing that the pervert belongs to a channel notorious in real life for capturing and selling celebrity wardrobe malfunctions — all this simply to take a swipe at paparazzi.

Story continues below this ad

Even though writers Sonny and Manu could have avoided explanations for the time loop, they throw in a comet for no reason that adds nothing to the narrative.

Dhoomakethu is also marred by misogyny, with those around Sharmila attempting character assassination. Since the movie wouldn’t have turned out any different if these scenes had been removed, this unnecessary slandering only diminishes its quality. At one point, we see Kuttan regret his decision to marry Sharmila without checking her past, even though he and his family hid his own criminal past from the bride. The movie unnecessarily adds humour to stalking and romantic coercion, along with its tasteless jokes about Kuttan’s appearance, are also problematic.

Besides, the villain (Shine Tom Chacko) and his connection to everything happening in Kuttan’s life feel overly convenient and hastily written, and they fail to impress. While the climactic fight, which shares a similar spirit with Bachelor Party (2012) and Kaithi (2019), appears exciting, the abrupt way the story reaches that point diminishes its potential.

Nonetheless, Sudhi Maddison tries his best to keep the movie engaging throughout, especially in the humorous moments, and succeeds to an extent. Although Ankit Menon’s music is good, it doesn’t quite elevate the scenes beyond a certain point. Vivek Harshan’s editing is solid.

Story continues below this ad

While Sajin Gopu and Nikhila Vimal shine, Ganapathi steals the show with his appearance and body language, commanding attention whenever he is on screen. Sajin Gopu manages here what he couldn’t achieve in Painkili (2025), handling the humour well in a way that suits him, almost making Kuttan appear like the pookie version of Ponman’s (2025) Mariyano.

Dhoomakethu movie cast: Sajin Gopu, Nikhila Vimal, Ganapathi, Shine Tom Chacko, Sidharth Bharathan


Dhoomakethu movie director: Sudhi Maddison


Dhoomakethu movie rating: 2.5 stars