Hridayam - Thirty Something

 

Hridayam

Malayalam, 2022

Director - Vineeth Sreenivasan

Stars - Pranav Mohanlal, Darshana Rajendran, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Aswath Lal, Kalesh Ramanand 

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magical.  Perhaps that is all how all of us recall our young adult years.  It seems we were better in touch with ourselves, our emotions, our values, and our hopes and dreams.  Everything seemed exciting then, from our first good grade to our first job.  If we only could have bottled those times up to partake of periodically; perhaps it would make our older years far less fleeting.

In a way that probably makes his father proud, Mr. Pranav offers us Arun Neelakandan, an ordinary young man who allows us to see what he sees, and more importantly, feel what he feels as we journey with him from the age of 17 to 30.  I really could relate to the character, shy but passionate, cynical but romantic, at times reckless and perhaps, even stupid.  But isn't that what college is all about?

It is in the first half of this film that we are introduced to the romance that isn't. Ms. Rajendran plays a complex character whose instant attraction to Arun is soon jaded, but leads to a beautiful, intimate friendship, with conversations which set the tone of the film throughout. Through tragedy and triumph, a sacred love between two people is shared, and all learn from it.

I must admit liking these moments more than the trite romance with Ms. Priyadarshan. The second half remains meaningful because of the conversation, and that magic of youth that made us know ourselves. Perhaps we all should carry a little forward with us.