Hridayapoorvam: Mohanlal’s return to ‘common man’ has a familiar touch, misses the magic
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.Hridayapoorvam (Malayalam)For some time now, filmmakers have been trying to recreate for Mohanlal the image of the common man that the audiences loved in an earlier time. More often than not, these come off as forced, overdone, or unconvincing. Sathyan Anthikad, a filmmaker who helped create many of those unforgettable characters of the past, manages to make you forget Lal’s avatar extraordinaire and puts him in the garb of a humble businessman in Hridayapoorvam. But the film tries too hard to reclaim the lost warmth of such characters and their stories, lessening the magic it tries to weave. Sandeep Balakrishnan (Mohanlal) has just had a heart replacement surgery, and by the time you see his face in a mirror, you already know quite a lot about him. His greedy brother-in-law (Siddique) and the staff at his restaurant have provided the backstory. Sandeep runs a tight ship. He is unmarried because his bride ran away just as he turned to get the thaali (the thread knotted behind a woman’s neck to seal a Hindu marriage). In person, Sandeep comes across as a regular businessman, running his eye over every nook and corner of the restaurant (literally on the CCTV), friendly with his staff and the three lousy filmmakers who sponge off him. Most of these exchanges are intended as humour, but only a few work. The jokes aren’t in bad taste, but what is missing is the spontaneity of wit that Sathyan’s earlier films were famous for. Siddique’s caricature of a sneaky relative and the breezy appearances of the runaway bride become feeble attempts at humour. Another problem is the tendency to harp on about an idea, a loss, or an emotion, revisiting a point made over and over again and reducing its effect. The daughter of Sandeep’s donor, trying to feel her father’s presence through Sandeep, alludes so often to events of the past that it begins to come off as forced and unreal. Even the poised Sandeep loses it at one point, when he is down with an injured spine and she appears to talk about her father again. “Achan vannennu thonni kaanum!” (You must have sensed your father’s presence again). Women fill the frames, with Mohanlal often taking a backseat and watching the show. Malavika Mohanan as the bereaved daughter, and Sangeetha as the widow of the donor, make a curious pair. Malavika, with her imperfect Malayalam, fits neatly into her role as the Pune-raised girl and entrepreneur, all practical and no-nonsense in pretty kurtas and funky jewellery. Sangeetha looks too young to play the mother, even with her thick pair of glasses, and her character is belittled to suit the storyline. The writing is also weak in developing the antagonist. Yet it makes a point, as films of stars do these days, to include at least one scene to advocate gender equality – in this case, Mohanlal telling a domineering man how much smarter his female partner is. The storyline that connects the women to the man is sketchy, but to the credit of Sathyan Anthikad and his writer Akhil Sathyan, it does not falter and fall into undesirable areas. Subdued performances help, Mohanlal is almost too low-key at times, reminding you of his off-screen discomfort in interviews. Still, it is deeply refreshing to see him at ease with playing the grounded man, who erupts only when pushed too far. Sangeeth Prathap, as the sidekick, is perfect with his comic timing, his sharp punchlines all dipped in thick Kochi slang. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Hridayapoorvam (Malayalam)
FOR some time now, filmmakers have been trying to recreate for Mohanlal the image of the common man that the audiences loved in an earlier time.
More often than not, these come off as forced, overdone, or unconvincing. Sathyan Anthikad, a filmmaker who helped create many of those unforgettable characters of the past, manages to make you forget Lal’s avatar extraordinaire and puts him in the garb of a humble businessman in Hridayapoorvam. But the film tries too hard to reclaim the lost warmth of such characters and their stories, lessening the magic it tries to weave.
Sandeep Balakrishnan (Mohanlal) has just had a heart replacement surgery, and by the time you see his face in a mirror, you already know quite a lot about him. His greedy brother-in-law (Siddique) and the staff at his restaurant have provided the backstory. Sandeep runs a tight ship. He is unmarried because his bride ran away just as he turned to get the thaali (the thread knotted behind a woman’s neck to seal a Hindu marriage).
In person, Sandeep comes across as a regular businessman, running his eye over every nook and corner of the restaurant (literally on the CCTV), friendly with his staff and the three lousy filmmakers who sponge off him.
Most of these exchanges are intended as humour, but only a few work. The jokes aren’t in bad taste, but what is missing is the spontaneity of wit that Sathyan’s earlier films were famous for. Siddique’s caricature of a sneaky relative and the breezy appearances of the runaway bride become feeble attempts at humour.
Another problem is the tendency to harp on about an idea, a loss, or an emotion, revisiting a point made over and over again and reducing its effect.
The daughter of Sandeep’s donor, trying to feel her father’s presence through Sandeep, alludes so often to events of the past that it begins to come off as forced and unreal. Even the poised Sandeep loses it at one point, when he is down with an injured spine and she appears to talk about her father again. “Achan vannennu thonni kaanum!” (You must have sensed your father’s presence again).
Women fill the frames, with Mohanlal often taking a backseat and watching the show. Malavika Mohanan as the bereaved daughter and Sangeetha as the widow of the donor, make a curious pair.
Malavika, with her imperfect Malayalam, fits neatly into her role as the Pune-raised girl and entrepreneur, all practical and no-nonsense in pretty kurtas and funky jewellery. Sangeetha looks too young to play the mother, even with her thick pair of glasses, and her character is belittled to suit the storyline.
The writing is also weak in developing the antagonist. Yet it makes a point, as films of stars do these days, to include at least one scene to advocate gender equality – in this case, Mohanlal telling a domineering man how much smarter his female partner is.
The storyline that connects the women to the man is sketchy, but to the credit of Sathyan Anthikad and his writer Akhil Sathyan, it does not falter and fall into undesirable areas.
Subdued performances help, Mohanlal is almost too low-key at times, reminding you of his off-screen discomfort in interviews. Still, it is deeply refreshing to see him at ease with playing the grounded man, who erupts only when pushed too far. Sangeeth Prathap, as the sidekick, is perfect with his comic timing, his sharp punchlines all dipped in thick Kochi slang.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
