This Modern-Day Mithunam-Varavelpu Cocktail Leaves a Sweet Aftertaste

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?

- VIGNESH MADHU

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.

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.