Unni Mukundan, in the lead role, puts in an earnest effort as a whole, but his performance wobbles when the emotional stakes rise. The actor’s dialogue delivery also leaves a lot to be desired, further diluting the impact of the pivotal scenes. Nikhila Vimal, as his wife Swathy, remains functional at best, delivering a performance that occasionally drifts into over-the-top territory.
Thankfully, the supporting cast provides some much-needed gravitas. Surabhi Lakshmi and Sudheesh, playing a middle-aged couple seeking Arjun’s help, deliver moving performances. Ganga Meera, as a well-intentioned nurse, adds depth, though her character’s abrupt exit feels like a lazy script choice to further the protagonist’s coming of age rather than a meaningful development.
Comedy comes in fleeting doses, with a standout scene where Arjun and Swathy visit a temple known for its rituals surrounding conceiving babies. Moments like these provide a satirical edge, but they’re too sporadic to elevate the film beyond its predictable proceedings. Thankfully, the dose of distasteful double-meaning jokes or innuendoes is dialled down as much as possible.
Once Get-Set Baby reaches its real crux – an ironic, deeply personal struggle for Arjun that hurts his male ego – the film, instead of embracing its potential for nuanced drama, stumbles into melodrama. His journey into desperation, arrogance and self-destruction is treated with broad strokes, making it hard to sympathise with his plight. Instead of an introspective character study, we get a rushed redemption arc that feels more like a checklist item than a deeply earned moment.