MUDHALUM NEE MUDIVUM NEE (2022)
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| Critic No. 257 |
Written by: Darbuka Siva
Produced by: Sameer Bharat Ram
Casts: Kishen Das, Meetha Raghunath, Harish Kumar, Amritha Mandarine, Varun Rajan, Darbuka Siva
Language: Tamil
Genre: Drama, Romance
Music: Darbuka Siva
SYNOPSIS:
‘Mudhalum Nee Mudivum Nee’ is a tale about a bunch of high school students, their dreams, first love, music, guitar, football, video cassettes, and more that dwells into the sweet moments of the 90s.
REVIEW:
High school love stories have been tried and tested in various forms in Indian cinema and only a few manage to get the essence of the moments without sounding too convoluted or melodramatic. Personally, I resonate with such campus stories and one such film was Gautham Menon’s ‘Neethane Pon Vasantham’. Even this film feels like an inspiration of that film but MNMN widens its perspective by touching on various characters around the main lead pair. There have been also disasters we see every year who take on this high school concept and present them in the most generic, lifeless way. There is no doubt that Darbuka Siva is a great music composer but does he really have the chops to pull out a good film as a director?
Vinoth (Kishen Das), Chinese (Harish), Durai (Sharan Kumar), and Su (Gautham Raj) wait outside their classrooms to check the list of new admissions for the +2 section (JC 2 in Singapore context). All they want to know is the names of the girls and who would be their perfect match, even without seeing them. Bam! The film hooks us with a relatable scenario and within a few minutes, we are introduced to Rekha (Meetha Raghunath), whom Vinoth falls head over heels in love with for the past 3 years. Their love in high school is innocent, relatable yet mature though the scenes presented are quite a cliche.
From listening to Rahman songs together on the walkman to VCRs to dancing on stage during farewell, Darbuka Siva packs the film with moments that rekindle memories of one's first love and high school days. The film’s conflict kicks in when Victoria (Harini Ramesh) enters their lives which causes a major misunderstanding between them. While the first half of the film makes you feel good, with some hearty laugh-out-loud moments, the second half leaves you with a heavy heart with a nostalgic reunion. The way he develops each character is noteworthy and there is an interesting contrast we see with each of them from the high school days to the present (the late twenties). Darbuka Siva doesn't stop with the love story but explores the beautiful aspects and complications involved in the lives of every individual we come across in our lives.
Except for Kishen Das and Amritha, I think all of them are newcomers and they have done a splendid job. Harish as Chinese provides a natural comic relief in the first half and a mature show in the second. His love sequences with Anu (Amritha Mandarin) are a delight to watch. Amritha, who is well-known in the short-film circuit, has done really well and has perfectly put herself in the shoes of Anu. Catherine (Purva Raghunath), one of their batchmates, comes across as a girl with attitude and arrogance in the first half only to have her backstory, which we get to learn later, melts our hearts. Not to forget, actor Rahul Kannan's characterization, from that of a loser to an LGBTQ activist, is something to watch out for. Other actors like Varun Rajan, Naren, and Sharan Kumar shine in their roles as well.
Of course, Kishan Das and Meetha as the lead pair are the best for me with such great contrast they show not only in performance but also with their looks, dialogue delivery, and postures between the two halves of the film. I really wish that all of these young actors will get a good opportunity to nurture their talents with good films in the future.
Despite capturing the nostalgic portion well and creating a whirlwind of emotions through a simple but strong love story, I felt that the subplots were quite underdeveloped and sometimes quite predictable, especially Catherine’s one. The second half suffers due to this as the length of the film gets extended with the director trying to close each of the character’s plots. Due to the nature of the reunion, the film spends most of the time in talkie portions for the second half that feels draggy especially when the film runs for 2 and a half hours.
The cupid track and the element of fantasy that comes during the midpoint feel a little forced. Though the ideas and scenarios are nostalgic, the film doesn’t have a strong conflict to keep the graph of emotions accelerating. Besides the title track portion and the final conversation scene between the lead pair, no other subplots seem to have any urgency or rising tension to keep us invested fully.
Darbuka’s music is stunning as usual and the way he has visualized the title track will definitely bring tears to your eyes, especially those who were in that situation before. Sujith Sarang and Sreejith Sarang, who has handled the cinematography and editing respectively, have worked hard to provide us with lovely, heartwarming visuals that match the warmth of the film. Special mention to the production designers, make-up team, and wardrobe department for bringing us the 90s lifestyle so accurately.
Darbuka Siva definitely proves that he is here to stay as not only a composer but also a filmmaker through a memorable film like MNMN. Despite the minor shortcomings, the earnest attempt should be commended.
With a simple story thread and conflict, ‘Mudhalum Nee Mudivum Nee’ is a warm, nostalgic throwback to your high school memories with some good music and fine, energetic performances from the fresh new faces.
CELLULOID METER- 3.25/5:
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