Director Raj Babu's latest Malayalam film Colours has been promoted as a Dileep starrer. But it's in fact, not a Dileep film, as the actor makes his appearance on the screen only seconds before the interval. Colours really belongs to actress Roma.

The story has a widowed military doctor Rajalakshmi (Saranya) living in a military base in Coonoor with her daughters Pooja (Bhama) and Pinky (Roma) and father-in-law (Innocent). Pooja is docile and obedient while Pinky is arrogant and tomboyish.

Pinky leaves her education midway and makes a television programme called Colours, where she plays pranks with people on the streets and records their reactions with a hidden camera.

The film has a couple of subplots like the pilferage of costly drugs from the hospital's store, and an unbearable comedy track with Cochin Haneefa and Harisree Asokan. There's another subplot of Dileep, playing a navy officer Sanjay Nath, who is the girls' childhood friend. To complicate matters, he falls in love with one sister when the elders want him to get married to the other.

Roma has enough fire to carry her character through. Bhama is subdued, as required. Dileep and Innocent do not put much effort into their performances. Vinu Mohan, playing Pinky's colleague, seems to be sidelined.

Screenplay by V C Ashok is intriguing at first but then up a predictable route.

Colours seems to be colour saturated and not a pleasant watch.

Rediff Rating: