Ee Parakkum Thalika

Thaha's 2001 Malayalam film follows Unnikrishnan, who receives an old bus as compensation for his father's accident. The bus is nearly scrap; every trip produces a new problem and finding passengers is another matter. Then a woman who settles into the bus complicates everything further. The humour turns around the vehicle. The bus works not as a setting but as one of the characters; its breakdowns, its noises and its constant repair set the rhythm. Dileep leads and works with the typical ensemble of Malayalam comedy of the period. The cast is wide, the joke density high and the emotional passages in keeping with the template. The film succeeded at the box office at home. Who it's for: those who like 2000s Malayalam comedy. Who it's not for: viewers looking for subtle humour; the jokes are broad and repetitive.