Prince and Family Movie Review: Dileep starrer is a mismanaged exploration of finding love but fails miserably

Pink Villa

6 days ago

Prince and Family is a Malayalam-language comedy drama starring Dileep in the lead role, which was released in theaters on May 9, 2025. Following the theatrical release, the film is available for streaming on ZEE5.
The Binto Stephen directorial is penned by Sharis Mohammed, and if you're planning to watch it, here's the Pinkvilla review.
The Plot
Prince and Family features the story of Prince Chakkalakkal, the eldest in his family, who is an introverted boutique owner. Raised in a small rural town in Kerala, he is considered the most eligible bachelor, but he cannot find 'The One' meant for him.
As the man tries to balance his happiness and family expectations, the film focuses on him exploring love.
The Good
Prince and Family is a seemingly better film among recent duds featuring Dileep in the lead. The movie offers a stereotypical template of a slice-of-life drama coupled with humor and drama.
As the film manages to uphold the integrity in terms of balancing humor and chaos, the movie keeps hold of its path for most of the time.
While in terms of acting, performers like Dileep, Siddique, Bindu Panicker, and even Dhyan Sreenivasan manage to keep their charm, while it may be let down by the subpar writing.
From a technical standpoint, the film does not manage to click with a refreshing tone, but the music by Sanal Dev is commendable, with some melodious compositions.
The Bad
Prince and Family is best labelled as a cinematic venture aimed at creating an 'average' cash grab for its own sake. The movie, which marks Dileep's 150th cinematic venture since his debut, heavily relies on the actor's emotional value amongst the audience.
From the title card, the film seeks to remind the audience who the actor is and how relevant he is to the pop culture of Malayalam cinema. While it is undeniable that the actor is an irreplaceable part of cinema amongst Malayalis, it reaches a saturation point where one must feel, enough is enough.
Apart from the spoonfeeding of nostalgia and the amateur attempt to trigger the connection the audience has towards the actor, the film fails to become a comedy drama from its writing.
While including Jana Gana Mana fame Sharis Mohammed as the writer was expected to create some awe, many would forget that the characters are not being played by Prithviraj Sukumaran or Suraj Venjaramoodu.
The inability of the characters to pull off the dialogue can suffocate the audience to a point where it is difficult to sit through without letting out a deep sigh.
What makes the narrative of Prince and Family sheepish is the unnecessary whitewashing of the main lead's image in real life. The interaction between Prince and one of his friends during a particular scene feels like an unofficial PR strategy for the actor.
Often claimed as the victim of the 'media trial' by his fans, the character and the movie as a whole seem to be a crash course for the audience to remember who Dileep was over the past years.
The Performances
Talking about the performances depicted by actors, Dileep manages to play a solid role. However, there are points where one feels like the actor has lost his natural charm, which he was once famous for.
On the other hand, Dhyan and Siddique manage to hold up well, with Bindu Panicker being the saving grace with her humor.
Watch trailer of Prince and Family
The Verdict
Prince and Family is, at best, an average comedy drama, which does have its moments. If you're someone who enjoys such ventures, then surely tune into ZEE5 to give it a watch.