Ever been in a relationship that didn’t work out simply because you met this person at the wrong time? Do you still nurse any regrets about not being able to muster enough courage to steer the boat in the direction you wanted it to sail then? Or, ever come across a couple who should’ve been together, but the timing of their meeting wasn’t simply right, because they met much earlier than they were supposed to? Ah, well, that’s life, no? Sometimes you’ve got to live with the ever-present sting left by missed opportunities.
Don’t let the above passage discourage you. Prashanth Vijay’s Ithiri Neram (English: A Little While), his third feature, is his most mainstream work yet. Usually a maker of film festival-friendly material, Prasanth’s direction in Ithiri Neram (scripted by Vishak Shakti) is one that’s accessible to everyone, not just the ones who like to boast about “getting” experimental films while sipping wine at parties.
The very fact that Roshan Mathew and Zarin Shihab are the lead actors in this should be sufficient to those who believe in serious, unadulterated cinema led by serious, unadulterated performers who behave like real people with genuine feelings.
One of the advantages of Ithiri Neram — named after a talk show run by Roshan’s character, Anish, a content creator — is that it combines the sensibilities of two different generations of Malayalam cinema. It applies storytelling techniques from both old and ‘new gen’ cinema, resulting in a profoundly moving outcome.
Watching an intellectual spout unconventional views on relationships, marital bonds, societal norms, and patriarchal conditioning may be fun — but how many of us have the guts to break the shackles imposed by rigid structures and narrow-mindedness to do what we think is right? The famous guest whom Anish invites to his chat show may have led a lifestyle that most people cannot digest. Perhaps listeners wish to do the same, but lack courage. They fear their reputation getting tainted. They fear being branded outcasts. Anish, too, is about to get his beliefs tested when his ex-girlfriend visits town briefly.
Here’s the challenge that we think we are about to see. Anish is married with a kid. His ex, Anjana (Zarin Shihab), is still single. We’ll learn more about her soon. In fact, we’ll get to know more about both in such a short span that you slowly begin to feel that you’ve known them for a long time.
Perhaps it has to do with both Anjana and Anish exhibiting traits that you recognise within yourself. When a film manages to do that in two hours, it's a resounding success, at least to the person who felt a deep connection with these characters. With her astoundingly natural turn in Ithiri Neram, Zarin once again proves herself as a formidable performer, a force to be reckoned with. Note the scene where the camera slowly moves towards her when Anjana asks Anish if he missed her. More such poignant moments are found as you venture further.
The film conjures up feelings that evoke some acclaimed titles from international cinema that has explored similar terrain, but in small doses — from David Lean’s Brief Encounter to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise/Sunset to Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima Mon Amour to Clint Eastwood’s The Bridges of Madison County — in addition to two examples from Malayalam cinema: Padmarajan’s Thoovanathumbikal and Kamal’s Megamalhaar.
There are little details in the early scenes that may seem insignificant at first, but begin to make sense within the context of a later scene. Roshan plays Anish as a character embodying layers of felt meaning that register subconsciously. Anish seems more complex, and Roshan's face acts like a flickering screen, suggesting multiple fleeting possibilities and emotions. Anjana is relatively an open book. And how apt it is that these two characters chose to meet at a bar named Vandanam, the Mohanlal-Priyadarshan classic renowned for its bittersweet ending?
But Ithiri Neram knows when to take a breather — to take a brief detour to lighten the mood, to diffuse the tension in the air. For a certain stretch, it assumes the form of an early Priyadarshan comedy, courtesy of the witty, sardonic banter between Nandhu (effortless as always) and Anand Manmadhan (getting better with every film), and a bit of physical comedy involving Roshan and Zarin. One cannot help but think, for example, of those comical Mohanlal-Revathi moments in Kilukkam or the Mohanlal-Aishwarya moments in Butterflies (in which a young Nandhu was a hilarious supporting character).
Playing Thiruvananthapuram natives, Nandhu and Anand seem very much at ease. They are not mere background characters, but rather active participants, occasionally giving us bits of information about Anish to give a clearer picture of his background. It's a smart writing choice. Filmmaker Jeo Baby (The Great Indian Kitchen, Kaathal: The Core) has a cameo as a rigidly conservative autorickshaw driver, the kind of character who could get lambasted in one of his own directorials.
I knew 40 minutes into the film that I was in safe hands, that I would end up liking this film — and I wasn't wrong. Sometimes, all you need is four main characters to get the job done. It was only last week that we saw filmmaker Rahul Sadasivan doing something similar with horror in Dies Irae. It's as difficult to make romantic dramas and comedies — and romantic comedies — as it is to scare people. Roshan, Zarin, Nandhu, and Anand bring a level of authenticity that I cannot imagine other actors bringing. I sure am glad they were available.
Film: Ithiri Neram
Director: Prasanth Vijay
Cast: Roshan Mathew, Zarin Shihab, Nandhu, Anand Manmadhan, Jeo Baby
Rating: 4.5/5