Directors: Hakkim Shah
Writer: Jineesh K Joy
Producer: Renjith Nair, Siby Chavara
Cast: Arjun Ashokan, Anaswara Rajan, Mamitha Baiju, Miya George, Hakkim Shah,
Crew: Hakkim Shah, Renjith Nair, Siby Chavara, Shaan Rahman
How is it not ironic that a middle-aged married man keeps a low-key connection with his ex-girlfriend while reconnecting with his previous flame but becomes outraged when he learns that his current wife had a relationship with another man before they got married? I thought Pranaya Vilasam would be another typical story about a group of twenty-somethings hanging out, making jokes, talking about unimportant topics, and engaging in a corny romance before I even started reading it.
Initial love has long been romanticized as the kind of love that endures forever in a person's heart. In Pranaya Vilasam, Nikhil Murali and his colleagues joyfully celebrate the innocence, youth, and romance of first love.
Graduate student Suraj is a talented vocalist who has a sizable fan base. He enjoys flirting and is romantic. His village officer father Rajeevan, who hasn't seen his college sweetheart in 23 years, is also feeling sentimental. According to her husband, Suraj's mother Anu is a regular woman who doesn't stand out for anything other than the fact that she is a "wife." When they began to recognize Anu's significance, their view on life changed drastically.
To my great relief, it does some of those things, although briefly. In addition, I imagined there would be a love triangle involving Arjun Ashokan, Anaswara Rajan, and Mamitha Baiju because these three actors were prominently featured in the posters and advertisements. But just before the break, it disproves that idea by taking a strange turn and providing an unexpected emotional payout.
A wonderful story by authors Jyothish M and Sunu AV examines various viewpoints on love, sorrow, nostalgia, departure, and acceptance. It has been masterfully brought to life by Nikhil and his talented technical crew, which includes a composer of music, a cameraman, an editor, and a colorist. In contrast to modern movies, which focus only on the lives of the protagonist, this one digs deep into each character and gives them all weight. All of the actors in the movie were talented actors who faithfully portrayed the roles they played. It is necessary to notice the performances of Manoj KU, Arjun Ashokan, Sarath Sabha, Hakkim Sha, Mamitha Baiju, and Anawara Rajan.
The delicate presentation of the idea of how someone may react if they learned that their spouse has an enduring love that they hold dear to their hearts is the most fascinating aspect of the movie. We have seen "male versions" of it, though. Here, we may observe how males respond when it occurs to a lady in their lives.
In Super Sharanya, Arjun Ashokan, Anaswara Rajan, and Mamitha Baiju last appeared together. Nonetheless, Arjun is partnered with Mamitha this time. They were classmates in college and make a relaxed, drama-free marriage with no small insecurities.
His reputation as a ladies' guy is well-deserved. She is aware of this and his previous relationships. She enjoys a drink now and then. You see, that's one quality a handful of the women in this movie have in common.
They enjoy a little adventure. On the other side, Manoj KU, a senior village office clerk, plays the role of the middle-aged man who smokes with Meera, a college professor played by Miya. His wife is content to do the housework while he tries to get younger. We detect a separation between them.
Also, we detect a certain amount of distance between them and their son (Arjun Ashokan). The boy and father would not have developed a close bond like they do later on if it weren't for the "interval twist." So even though Arjun and his feelings aren't the main focus of the narrative, he remains a crucial character. It is more like Anuraga Karikkin Vellam in that it centres on the elderly. Let's say Pranaya Vilasam would be the perfect addition to that movie.
At Pranaya Vilasam, people want resolution, and people work to make that happen. The movie doesn't spend a lot of time on the subsequent mourning after a catastrophic occurrence. The information in a woman's hidden diary bothers her spouse. He wonders out loud how she managed to keep a former romance from him that everyone else knew about. Nevertheless, his junior, who is played by the fresh breakthrough, Sarath Sabha, promptly calls him out.
The young man questions him about why he has no issues conversing with another lady while his wife isn't around, but he is annoyed to learn of his wife's background. With knowledge of his mother's diary, Arjun's character slowly transforms Pranaya Vilasam into a road movie as he embarks on a journey with his father to find that enigmatic lover, Vinod (Hakkim Shah).
Flashbacks are about to begin, but the movie is clever enough to keep both the past and the present on at once. The 1990s are the past; throughout that decade, youngsters grew up watching Kunchacko Boban films and creating romantic scenarios involving themselves and their high school crushes. So, it is only fitting that these scenes feature Hakkim and Anaswara, who plays the younger version of Arjun's mother.
Despite the little sadness that permeates the entire narrative, Pranaya Vilasam takes care to avoid going too "black" so as to lower our spirits. After a sombre sequence, it immediately transitions to the amusing bonding scenes between Arjun and Manoj, striking a nice balance between the light and gloomy moments. Manoj's hilarious retorts to Arjun's antics curiously made me think of Tamil actor Manivannan, who shared Manoj's great talent for deftly switching between vulnerable and comical such that the lighthearted moments eclipse the depressing. The relationship between Mamitha's character and her father also provides some lighthearted humor.
Even if they don't provide anything new, I thought the other actors in the cast did a respectable job of supporting the narrative, but I found that I was more moved by Hakkim Shah's portrayal. While I would have liked to write more about him, I am constrained by the anxiety that I could omit some significant reveal. So it's probably safe to conclude that he delivers a skillfully nuanced portrayal that effectively captures the complexity of his character's emotional state.
Pranaya Vilasam is a slice-of-life movie with a lot of depth that is suitable for viewers of all ages. You can smell the scent of love in the theatres!
Note
Suraj has his father Rajeevan's romantic tendencies. But, none of them have given the women at home any thought during their hectic lives. Is she more than simply a "wife" or does she have a life?
0 Comments