Idhayam Murali Review: A Breezy Rom-Com That Entertains In Parts

It was in 1991 that Tamil actor Murali's film Idhayam (heart) was released to commercial success. 

Centred around a young man named Raja (Murali) who's unable to express his love to Geetha (Heera Rajagopal), won over hearts and became a cult romantic film of sorts in Tamil cinema. 

Cut to 35 years later, Murali's son, Atharvaa, plays the hero in a movie that's a tribute to his father and embodies the spirit of the iconic one-sided lover from his dad's Idhayam. 

Director Aakash Bhaskaran's film is aptly titled Idhayam Murali (Murali's heart), given that Murali experiences a deep one-sided love that he's unable to express at various stages in his life.

The story of Idhayam Murali follows Murali (Atharvaa), who recounts his experiences of unrequited love right from the time he was a young kid growing up in Trichy with his uncle (Natty). 

When he was at school, he had a major crush on a teacher (Jonita Gandhi), and thanks to his foolish friend Sachin (music director Thaman) believes he had made her pregnant when she kissed him. 

She moves away, and he feels a strong emotional loss, but when he gets to college, he falls for a pretty young girl (Preity Mukundhan) in his tuition class. It's only when he's invited to her birthday party that Murali discovers a twist, and this love too dies a slow death. 

A few years later, thanks to an incident, he ends up meeting Dr Amudha (Kayadu Lohar) at a hospital and love blossoms. This time, it seems like Murali has finally gained the courage to declare his undying love, and life was set to change for him. But does Murali express his love to Amudha? What happens to both of them? Does Murali end up with only heartbreaks in his life?

The fact that director Aakash Bhaskaran has chosen to reinvent Idhayam as Idhayam Murali is symbolic, as the film pays tribute to the original while telling a story that belongs to this new generation. Right from the get-go, the film is visually appealing thanks to its bright colour palette, well-composed frames and attractive settings that take you into Murali's world. 

Actually, the movie is quite reminiscent of director Karan Johar's films of the 90s in this aspect. In the first half, Murali's story unfolds at a leisurely pace, taking the audience through the different stages of his life and the experiences that shape his understanding of love. From nostalgia in the first half, the second half shifts gears to heartfelt drama and a nice twist in the climax portions.

There's plenty of comedy (thanks to Sudhakar, Dravid Selvam, Rakshan and Thaman) peppered into the drama half, from Murali's childhood to his college days, to keep the narrative light and engaging. The major drawback in the movie, though, is the inclusion of several needless scenes that add little to the narrative and affect the film's pacing. The movie gets stretched as a result, and this tests one's patience. 

For instance, the entire bit about the ward councillor gate-crashing and the whole graduation party scenario could have been avoided. The crux of the story is Murali's tales of love, and these sorts of elements dilute this significant premise. 

In the end, Idhayam Murali is a breezy rom-com that entertains in parts but doesn't quite leave the emotional impact it sets out to achieve.

As one watches this film, one is inadvertently reminded of director Alphonse Puthren's Premam, another coming-of-age romance, where Nivin Pauly's character, George, falls in love with different women at different stages of his life. 

Premam connected with audiences because its emotions felt deeply authentic, allowing viewers to see their own first loves, heartbreaks and friendships reflected in George's journey. 

While one could empathise with Murali's heartbreaks in Idhayam Murali, one couldn't find the same emotional resonance. Audiences became invested in George's life since every romance became an emotional milestone, while in Murali's case, the loves he experiences are more like episodes in his life.

Atharvaa delivers one of his best performances in recent years, thanks to his understanding that Murali is a character driven by vulnerability. His performance is measured and sincere, and it makes Murali very likeable. The female leads, Preity Mukhundhan and Kayadu Lohar, lend freshness to the narrative. Fahadh Faasil makes an impactful cameo in the film and his role adds emotional heft to the movie.

Kayadu Lohar, who's the emotional anchor in this film, has the uncanny ability to light up the screen with her effortless charm, making every scene she appears in instantly engaging. There are a host of social media celebs, like Sudhakar and Dravid Selvam from Parithabangal, VJ Rakshan, and Niharika NM from Instagram, who have been added to the mix to make the narrative comical and lighter. 

Music director Thaman, who has scored music for this film, also essays the role of Sachin, and he is a delight as Murali's quirky childhood friend. Thaman's music score for the film is mixed, but the addition of Ilaiyaraaja's original song from Idhayam was a welcome move.

Idhayam Murali is a somewhat satisfying romance that thrives on nostalgia, delivering a breezy, feel-good watch even if it doesn't always strike a deep emotional chord.