Hrudhayam Murali, starring Atharvaa, Preity Mukhundhan, and Kayadu Lohar in the lead roles, has hit the big screens today (Telugu version). Thaman played a key role. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
Hrudhay (Atharvaa) is a shy person since his childhood, and because of his reserved nature, he misses out on many relationships as he fails to express his feelings. During his teenage years, he falls deeply in love with Samantha (Preity Mukhundhan) but never confesses his love to her. Later, Aamudha (Kayadu Lohar) enters his life. Although Hrudhay falls for her, he repeats the same mistake. Every woman who enters Hrudhay’s life eventually becomes a part of his memories. How does a person like Hrudhay navigate life? Whom does he finally marry? This forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
Atharvaa delivered an impressive performance in Hrudhayam Murali. He nailed both the comedy and emotional moments with ease. Especially, the way he portrayed his character with variations according to different situations is pretty good. His body language is also spot on. Atharvaa’s comic timing during the love track with Preity Mukhundhan is solid.
Kayadu Lohar performed her role to the tee. The actress did a superlative job in the heavy emotional scenes. Natti shines in a crucial role, while Fahadh Faasil’s cameo has turned out to be another asset. His scene with the protagonist came out very well. Thaman is effective as the hero’s friend.
Niharika NM, Rakshana, Dravid Selvan, Angelin, Anju Kurian, Sudhakar, Yashashree, Jonita Gandhi, and the remaining cast did very well in their respective roles. Akash Baskaran’s music, especially the theme, and some of the emotional and romantic moments are adorable. The film also nicely handles aspects like what happens when a reserved person falls in love and how his bonding with the girl evolves.
Minus Points:
The hero’s characterization and the emotional scenes are nicely written, but some aspects aren’t presented strongly. Especially, the screenplay in the second half could have been tighter and more interesting.
The establishment of the love track between Atharvaa and the main female lead could have been much stronger. Some scenes are slow, and the editing could have been better. The colorful visuals are sometimes undermined by a few ineffective moments.
Technical Aspects:
Direction by Akash Baskaran is decent. Though some scenes aren’t highly impressive, the film remains watchable for the most part. The emotions hold the key. Thaman’s background score is good, and so is the cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and CH Sai. Many scenes in the film look beautiful on screen. The editing leaves room for improvement. The production values are too good.
Verdict:
On the whole, Hrudhayam Murali is a decent romantic drama that benefits from Atharvaa’s performance, its main theme, and the emotional moments. The climax also clicks, but the narrative is stretched in the second half, and some routine scenes undermine the overall impact to an extent. Having said that, the film can be given a try by those who like rom-coms.