'Sufiyum Sujatayum' review: A poignant love story undermined by its unambitious premise

During one of the promotional interviews of Sufiyum Sujatayum, producer Vijay Babu said that Sujata is a beautiful Kathak dancer. His words found face in Aditi Rao Hydari, who is like poetry in her debut Malayalam film. Set in the northern part of Kerala, Sufiyum Sujatayum narrates the heart-wrenching love story of a Namboodiri girl and a Sufi saint. 

The film starts with Sufi returning to his Master, Aboob's village. Sufi, who is a Sufi saint is a religious and god-fearing saint. During the early prayer, Sufi dies of cardiac arrest, and villagers decide to cremate his body in the same graveyard as his Masters. However, his body can only be cremated after his ex-lover Sujata comes and visits him. 

Meanwhile, Sujata, who is now married to Rajeev and resides in Dubai, is still meddling with her past. Her undying love for Sufi has led to an unhappy marriage for both Sujata and Rajeev. So, when Shafeek informs Rajeev of Sufi's demise, he decides to accompany Sujata to see him for one last time, expecting that this would help Sujata move on in life. 

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Sufiyum Sujatayum, written by Naranipuzha Shanavas, explores the tender love of Sujata and Sufi through the course of the film. While Aditi Rao Hydari essays the role of Sujata in the movie, debutant Dev Mohan plays Sufi. Although the movie focuses more on the love story of Sufi and Sujata, however, there are underlining notions of religion and how theories of love jihad lure the minds of people.

For instance, when the men dig the grave for Sufi, Balan Parakkal's character mentions that Sufi's love for Sujata was for love jihad. Although he is silenced in a minute, however, there are many such references where Sufi's religious practices are put under scrutiny. Incidentally, Sufi and Sujata's relationship ends because their faith and beliefs are different. 

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Sufiyum Sujatayum's cast

Aditi Rao Hydari as Sujata is poignant and powerful, especially when she emotes with her dance. Sufiyum Sujatayum is her film. Aditi is like poetry in every scene. With no dialogues to back her performance, Aditi puts out a great show in the movie. 

Although Aditi Rao Hydari excels in the acting department, however, she is unconvincing as a Nambodiri girl, who resides in a small village, where archaic thoughts prevail. She is bold and unhesitant. Aditi Rao Hydari's character seems misfit in the movie's milieu. 

Dev Mohan, who makes his Mollywood debut is reduced to a mystic character, who grins off looking at Sujata. His scenes with Aditi Rao Hydari are enduring. However, the love story between Aditi and Dev's characters is never explored to its full potential. 

Jayasurya as Rajeev, Sujata's husband, puts together a great performance. Although a small role, Jayasurya's acting finesse adds depth and voice to a one-tone character. Meanwhile, actors like Siddiquie,  Hareesh Kanaran, Mammukoya, Valsala Menon, Kalaranjini, and Manikandan Pattambi exist to convey various tropes the director wants to explore through the film. 

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Sufiyum Sujatayum's crew 

Naranipuzha Shanavas has written and directed the Aditi Rao Hydari and Jayasurya starrer. Naranipuzha Shanavas, who reportedly had written the script a few years ago has managed to give Malayalam cinema another memorable female character. However, Shanavas' script is so in love with its central character-Sujata that it forgets to explore prominent characters like Sufi, Rajeev, or Sujata's parents. The story of Sufiyum Sujatayum would have been fascinating if the director had invested more time in developing the love story and other characters. 

However, the flaws in the script are uplifted by M. Jayachandran's background score. His music is melodious and evokes the strongest of emotions. The music of Sufiyum Sujatayum vicariously acts as the dialogues of the film. Same does Anu Moothedath's camera. Jayachandran's music and Anu Moothedath's camera make Sufiyum Sujatayum a cherishable experience.  

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Sufiyum Sujatayum is produced by Vijay Babu under his banner Friday Film House. With 122 minutes of runtime, Sufiyum Sujatayum is a poignant love story undermined by its half-baked script. Sufiyum Sujatayum premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 3, 2020.