This modern-day Mithunam-Varavelpu cocktail leaves a sweet aftertaste

With its heart in the right place, the series is a pleasant take on contemporary relationships and life goals

In Malayalam, it's often said, "Kashta kaalathayirikkum oraal veedu vekkunnathum kalyanam kazhikkunnathum", which means, "It's during tough times that people decide to build a house or get married." But how about taking up both these strenuous tasks together? That's what's explored in this six-episode-long series, which could be considered a contemporary retelling of films like Mithunam (1993) and Varavelpu (1989). The makers of Love Under Construction have astutely tweaked some problematic tropes from those films, ensuring it's progressive and in tune with new-age sensibilities.

Director: Vishnu G Raghav

Cast: Neeraj Madhav, Gouri G Kishan, Aju Varghese, Anand Manmadhan, Ann Jameela Saleem

Vinod (Neeraj Madhav) initially comes across as a typical Gulf Malayali trying to build a new house for his family. But it's soon learnt that owning a house has been his long-standing dream, ever since the family lost theirs over a legal dispute. For him, the new home is a means to overcome the past traumas. This detail is crucial to ensure the lengths to which Vinod goes to complete the construction are convincing enough. Vinod also has a girlfriend Gouri (Gouri G Kishan), with whom he leads a comfortable life in Dubai. Their romantic portions, though brief, are captured tastefully, showing the sparkling dating period of two well-paid youngsters working abroad. But this smooth-sailing ride is rocked when an unexpected turn of events forces the two to return home, primarily for two reasons—finishing up the construction and getting married. That's the 'kashta kaalam' we were talking about.

Writer-director Vishnu G Raghav follows a simplistic approach to his storytelling. This being a six-part series, he also has enough time to develop well-rounded supporting characters, establish dynamics, and devise logical conflicts in the narrative. Aju Varghese plays Padmarajan aka Pappan, Vinod's cousin and go-to person. He's full of what today's youth call 'Thantha Vibe'. It's an interestingly flawed character who goes through a convincing arc. Pappan is first introduced as a regressive jerk who supports moral policing, judges women for their clothes, and even calls them 'pokku case' in public. He could have been a caricaturish, laughing stock character in another film, but here, he is also an honest, straightforward, and practical person. Despite his mother's stiff opposition, Pappan stands by his brother during all the tough times. Aju and Neeraj have acted together several times before, but there's a refreshingly strong brotherly bond between them in this film. Vinod or even Gouri for that matter, despite knowing Pappan's old-school ways, doesn't put him down. The character evolves organically to realise his flaws and redeem himself. Aju also brings subtle variations in his performance to underline the transformation.

Love Under Construction is a breezy watch, even when the stakes soar up gradually with each new episode. Vinod and Gouri get a taste of harsh realities once they reach Kerala to be with their parents. "Strict is an understatement," says Gouri while talking about her father. It is to escape from the suffocation at home that she moved to Dubai. Vinod's parents are also flawed and can be hard to deal with. His father is short-tempered and whiny, while his mother is a spendthrift keen on building a flashy 'Gulfkaarante veedu'. The first time these two families meet is a cracker, with the fathers having subtle jabs at each other. The dialogues have an everyday ring to them, and with capable actors at them, there's an effortless flow to the exchanges. Kiran Peethambaran as Gouri's father and Manjusree Nair as Vinod's mother leave a lasting impression. The show also offers ample space for a couple of other interesting characters like contractor Jiji (Anand Manmadhan) and Lissy (Ann Jameela Saleem). A major share of the show is set within an apartment complex, where the womenfolk are often shown as gossipmongers. For all the conventions the series breaks, it's a needless stereotype reiteration that could have been done away with as it doesn't contribute anything major.

Though the narrative delicately tries to balance Vinod's financial struggles and the troubles in his relationship with Gouri, she gets sidelined after a point, which is rightfully addressed in the end. This is where Love Under Construction reminds heavily of Priyadarshan's Mithunam. While the 1993 film tries to portray Urvashi's character in a poor light, as a cribbing woman who doesn't pay heed to her husband's struggles, Gouri here is assertive and no pushover. Since we have been seeing Vinod's struggles throughout, it is easy to empathise with him, but at the same time, we know Gouri is asking the right questions about his priorities. Gouri Kishan is also superb in the scene where she finally stands up against her father.

Neeraj Madhav is excellent as the protagonist experiencing a multitude of emotions. While he is at ease as a charming young man, the actor is also commendable for how maturely he handles the tougher emotions. Sure, the writing also helps, but it's wonderful to see Neeraj internalising all the despair, frustration, and agony of a man whose plans crumble one after another. Except for a couple of scenes towards the end, there are hardly any moments where he loses his cool. If only the ending wasn't stretched so much. Perhaps to indicate a potential second season.

In short, this bunch of well-written characters and the commendable performances elevate Love Under Construction as a genuinely engaging show. It's a fitting example of right intentions meeting the right execution.