LOVE TODAY (2022)
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| Critic No. 293 |
Director: Pradeep Ranganathan
Written by: Pradeep Ranganathan
Produced by: AGS Entertainment
Casts: Pradeep Ranganathan, Ivana, Yogi Babu, Raveena Ravi, Sathyaraj, Radhika Sarathkumar
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Language: Tamil
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
SYNOPSIS:
Before they get married, a couple (Pradeep & Ivana) must swap phones for 24 hours at the behest of the bride-to-be's suspicious father (Sathyaraj).
REVIEW:
Developed from the short film, ‘App(a) Lock’ by the director, ‘Love Today’ is stamped with so much of real issues that the current generations of couples face in the social media era. From start to end, the film is filled with back-to-back scenes which not only pushes us from the chair to love but also touches upon some relevant topic of trust and privacy that one might struggle to grapple with in any romantic relationship. With social media in play, the struggle gets even harder and of course, with conflicts, the film keeps the situational comedy coming.
Similar to Comali (2017), the director’s previous film, the film does hit the preachy note at the end where the lead character talks about trust explicitly even though the director has brilliantly weaved a parallel flashback that scattered in the film about a boy trying to grow a Mango tree which symbolically, already addressed that. Though not so direct, the film does forgive the flaws of men in the film more than the woman and this is where the patriarchal touch of Indian cinema creeps in, playing a spoilsport in the terrifically written rom-com. But still, other factors keep us distracted from this point.
What I liked about the film is its attempt to keep each of the characters flawed in a certain way. This not only makes them relatable but also makes their actions less predictable when conflicts hit them. Special mention to Yuvan Shankar Raja’s electrifying music that elevates each beat in the film. Be it the ‘Mamakutty’ track or ‘Pachai Ella’ track, Yuvan proves again that he is one of the very few music composers we have in Tamil cinema who have a great, wide range of flavor that can hit any age range of music lovers. Personally, as the 90s kid, I loved the ‘Ennai Vittu’ track that comes in the climax, rendered by Yuvan himself that struck your soul, quite literally.
All the actors fit their roles perfectly and Yogi Babu, for me was the best with the most layered character in the film. Revealing more could spoil the fun/mystery behind the role. Pradeep and Ivana carry the film well on their shoulders with much conviction. As all eyes are on Pradeep now, there is no doubt a talent to look out for and I really hope that he continues to take time and build his next film.
VERDICT:
Pradeep comes up with a knockout laughathon that not only intends to make us smile but also to project the tons of insecurities, secrecies, and trust issues that the current Millennials/Gen Z couples face in the age of social media.
CELLULOID METER- 4/5:
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