What Is the Story About?
Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is a coming of age teen drama set in the late nineties. It is primarily about Vinoth and Rekha who are friends since childhood. How does it grow into love? What are the troubles they face and did they overcome them forms the basic plot of the movie.
Performances?
Kishen Das playing Vinoth is one of the many newcomers, part of the movie. He is not a ‘hero’ in the typical sense regarding looks and all but has the charm and intensity playing a boy next door. There are two get-ups for him (and everyone else) and pulls it off with ease. It is in the latter portions that Kishen Das gets to show his dramatic side and he delivers.
Analysis
Darbuka Siva, a musician, debuts as a director with Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee. He picks a simple coming of age drama and it works out for the most part.
The story is wafer-thin as is with most coming of age dramas. What makes them work is the connection with the protagonist and their obstacle and the eventual growth. The whole thing needs to come with a package of excellent cast, writing and music in that order. Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee gets some of it right.
The casting is spot on along with the characterisation. They are instantly relatable, but therein also lies a problem. It also means they could be oft-repeated cliches. It is a fine balance to make characters relatable and at the same time look fresh. In Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee, it is somewhere in between.
The nineties background automatically adds huge nostalgic value. Director milks the maximum out of it via the music and small details. It is what works out initially. However, the many identifiable characters getting used for cliched scenes is a downer.
There is no story to say in the entire first hour. What we have is a collection of moments featuring a bunch of youngsters. There simple joys and inhibitions are captured. The intermission points naturally bring us to a situation where we see the clash. It is about Vinoth and Rekha and the expected happens.
An Oh My Kadavule kind of twist later, Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee progresses into ’96’ terrain. We meet all the characters years later all grown up and matured.
The change in appearances, attitude and progress in life is ultimately what the movie is all about. How time and fate plays a key role in shaping up individuals and their happiness is shown through the reunion.
Besides the visible physical growth, everything else feels flat and on somewhat expected lines. Again, it is Vinoth and Rekha who hog the limelight. The placement of the title track at the reunion is superb. It is a musical and emotional delight at that particular point.
The emotional ending seems so perfect after all that has happened. However, there is a twist in the tale and we get the real message. Without the person whom you love the most, all your achievements are wasted. On the contrary, when the love of your life is beside you, it’s all fine and happy even if you don’t achieve your goal. It might evoke mixed reactions, but the ‘message’ is conveyed properly towards the end.
Overall, Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is a typical coming of age drama with a superb soundtrack and a neat message at the end. If you like the genre and have a bout of nostalgia give it a try. But, have the expectations under check.
Other Artists?
As said earlier, the casting is well done keeping the different characters in mind. For most, it is their characterisation’s that stay with us, but some like Harish Kumar rise above it to register as an actor. He is good throughout, despite an irritating start. Amritha Mandarine, Gautham Raj CSV (a Suman Shetty-lite), Varun Rajan, Rahul Kannan, Purva Raghunath are all fine in their respective parts.
Music and Other Departments?
The music and background score by Darbuka Siva is excellent. It breathes life into the proceedings and lifts it whenever used properly. Sujith Sarang’s cinematography could have been better. More than the old times, there is a low budget feel. The editing by Sreejith Sarang is alright, barring a few parts. The writing is decent as it essentially feels like a free-flowing conversation (in the first half) instead of dialogues in cinematic style.
Highlights?
Music And BGM
Casting
Ending
Drawbacks?
Thin Storyline
Few Cliched Characters
Length
Editing, In Parts
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Little Reservations
Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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