Hridayam (2022)

Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar

Hridayam is designed in a way by Vineeth Sreenivasan that gives the impression that you are getting two feel-good movies for the price of one. While school life is enjoyable and full of memories, college life has a much greater influence on our psychology and our uncertain future. The connections shape how we think, live, and envision the next few decades of our lives since they are a combination of innocent and experienced emotions that stick with us for a very long time.

Plot

This is a romantic coming-of-age tale of Arun Neelakandan (beautifully portrayed by Pranav Mohanlal), and how events in his life—including the people he meets, the things that happen to him, and, of course, his love interest—shape him as a person. The reality is artfully expressed in the movie Hridayam, which follows the path of a quiet yet powerful Arun from his college years to getting married and having children. It demonstrates the different difficulties he encountered when coping with his affairs, break-ups, professional decisions, and other relationships.

A Slice Of Life

We’ve all had those late-twenties or early-thirties moments when we recall the folks we met at college (from batchmates to professors to canteen guys to wardens) and wonder what happened to those who affected our formative years, for better or worse. Sometimes you find out that the person you used to despise has evolved into someone you’d want to hang out with. Pranav, Darshana, and other actors’ performances in the film bring out its intriguing emotional core, which gently tugs at the spectators’ emotions.

Both the narrative and the writing of Hridayam lack anything particularly unique or unexpected. The film, largely depends on its sentimental tale, moving performances, striking visuals, and calming music to create a feel-good experience. The lead and supporting actors never seem to be staged, making it look like two movies were blended into one.

By skillfully building a close rapport with the audience and making them smile, Hridayam brings back fond memories. It gently delivers the notion that even if a relationship does not develop as intended, mature persons may still maintain contact with one another. The execution of the film makes it worth seeing even though it may not be a soul-stirring one. It causes you to experience the heavenly love in the air once more.

The film might have been cut down even more for a stronger effect, especially in the second half, since it has a 180-minute running length. Arun’s life often follows an overly comfortable path from collegiate romance to finding the perfect profession to being a family man.

If you don’t care too much about character development, this is the kind of movie that would leave a smile on your face, funny campus memories, and perhaps a song on your lips.