Hridayam (Malayam Movie)

Cast	:	Pranav Mohanlal Kalyani Priyadarshan Darshana Rajendran
Director	:	Vineeth Sreenivasan
Cinematographer	:	Viswajith Odukkathil
Music	:	Hesham Abdul Wahab
Editor	:	Ranjan Abraham
Producer	:	Merryland Cinemas Big Bang Entertainments
OTT Release Date	:	February 18, 2022 (Disney+Hotstar)
Length	:	2 Hours & 52 Minutesaa
Language	:	Malayalam

My Thoughts

At the cost of sounding cheesy, I have to say that Hridayam has taken a piece of my hridayam and left a piece of it with me. It is breezy coming of age movie that travels through the life of Arun Neelakantan (Pranav Mohanlal) from the age of 17 to about 30. It captures the excitement of independence and adulting one experiences in college life. The first love and the ecstasy of it. The first heart break and what that could do to a person. The epiphany that changes ones life – the realization to not be a loser but an achiever that one has always imagined the self to be. The risks one take career wise. The gratefulness one feels at knowing that parents are there with us as a strong support system while letting one to navigate through life on their own. The importance of friends, good memories and ambition. And how love could transition from the hormonal excitement to the commitments and responsibilities. This movie is a piece of art to say the least. Each shot seems like a poem that resonates and takes us through those careless yet important phase of life which shapes one’s personality and character. The background music and the well-places songs only adds to the magical quality of the narrative.

Yet, my hridayam was enraptured by Dharshana (played by Dharshana Rajendran). This is also her story that hints everything above. This is one of those rare stories where the girl struggles to get over her lost love while the man has moved on. Her turmoil is encapsulated in a soulway. When Baradwaj Rangan mentioned that he is curious about Dharshana’s perspective, I didn’t understand much. But now I do. I wish coming of age movies are made from a girl’s perspective too. I mean it is not just the boy that becomes man. There is a girl who is transforming into a woman.

I particularly enjoyed the equation between Arun and Nithya (Kalyani Priyadarshan). It is matured, playful and full of trust. I loved the scene where Nithya negotiates with her dad to get him agreed to her marriage with Arun. Those dialogs are the most realistic ones I have come across in a mainstream movie. In fact, there are many such instances that is mind-blowing. The video call Arun makes to Dharshana soon after seeing his newborn baby establishes the special bond they share.

The best thing about this movie is that I didn’t see any actors there. I saw the characters they played. Most of them had an arc and that made them more believable and less sidekicks. Nostalgia rules most of the film for those who are in early thirties or beyond. And a vintage yet relatable quality may supersede for all others. Overall, this story seems to have come from the heart and hits right on the heart. It is always good to see good things, feel good things and believe good things will happen all along. This movie would surely give and leave such vibes. Highly recommend this one. At 2 hours and 52 minutes, there is no dull moment. So enjoy with your family… walk down the memory lane… or just believe that things will fall in place. I presume that director and screenplay writer Vineeth Sreenivasan wanted to hit those notes only and how spellbindingly he has done that!

 

Rating

5/5 (I mean why not? Padam muthaanu)