CAST: SANYA MALHOTRA, ABHIMANYU DASSANI
DIRECTOR: VIVEK SONI
BLUF
There has been a constant attempt by the Hindi film industry to do the bare minimum with respect to research in capturing the peculiarities of various communities. This is not a black and white argument but requires a sense of understanding of why people have been debating about it just like we debate about white people playing roles for people of color.
This Netflix production focuses on an arranged marriage between Meenakshi played by Sanya Malhotra and Sundereshwar featured by Abhimanyu Dassani (Bhagyashree, the actor’s son)
THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES
A decision by the patriarch of the family leads to the wedding of two individuals while they are still getting acquainted with each other’s personalities. Sundereshwar lands a substantial job with a company in Bangalore forcing the couple to slum it out through a long-distance relationship. The complexities that follow in the couple’s life that range from being forced to follow the status quo to the toxic nature of the new workforce forms the basis of this story.
Miscommunication and suffocation that one feels within a joint family and the fight or flight decisions in a relationship form the basic storyline of the script.
IN THE KNOW
Meenakshi Sundareshwar is another addition to beautiful music being produced in 2021. The soundtrack that has been composed by Justin Prabhakaran and the lyrics written by Raj Shekhar is the soul of this film. The music has been beautifully captured almost guiding the storyline more than its dialogues. For Tamil viewers, the level of detailing of both the house, the attire, and the customs being followed seemed like the creator’s made an effort to come very close to how it may happen in reality.
The couple’s relationship over FaceTime soon after their wedding, amorous, naughty, and full of realism, to make a long-distance relationship work is quite authentic. The production design and cinematography is A plus. This film is visually one of the most beautiful films produced in recent times. The frames, the color palette that each sequence represents, and the production design really is something to marvel at. The cinematography by Debojit Ray captures the beauty of Madurai and the skyscrapers in Bangalore with great detail. We cannot rave more about the beauty of the frames and the impeccable detail that exists.
At times the film comes across as a painting as if each scene was hand-drawn to how the director envisioned it to be. The movie is esthetically beautiful.
Sanya Malhotra shines in her portrayal and has a strong grip on her character. There is a sincerity in Abhimanyu’s demeanor and delivery that really is infectious. I think we all became privy to his talent with Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota but he lends a restraint and sensitivity to his role here which plays well in the setting of a patriarch-controlled family.
Sundereshwar’s analytical processing of everything in his life and his socially inept nature almost zapped of his surroundings is communicated very well. It is, however, Sanya Malhotra who is the show-stealer in this film. She has a range that can convincingly swing from shy and demure to opinionated and fierce with fluid ease. She has killed it when it comes to at least tapping into the emotional aspect of the character.
The film has everything from an eccentric silicon valleyish, toxic boss in the workplace to crazy roomies. But it is in the silences in the moments shared between Sundar and Meenakshi that the movie speaks volumes.
WHAT WE LOVED
Sanya
Cinematography
WHAT WE MISSED
More content to the story.
