Movie Review: Idhayam Murali

 Idhayam Murali is a coming-of-age breezy romance drama. At the heart of the story is Idhayan ( Atharvaa Murali) who from his young days, had a problem at expressing his emotions.

Be it when he has a crush on a girl in tuition class, Samantha ( Preity Mukundhan) as a teen,  or later to Amutha ( Kayudu Lohar) when in college. 

He has however, his cushion of  childhood and college  friends (Thaman, Niharika NM, Parithabangal Sudhakar, Angelin, Rakshan and Dravid) to tide him over heartbreak over the years.

As an adult, after many heart -wringing experiences, Idhaya is ready to settle down with his bride ( Malavika Mohan), an arranged match by his loving bachelor uncle ( Natty Natraj).

But then,  something unexpected happens that changes things.

Does Idhaya ever get married? Does he ever find  love? More importantly, does he ever get over his inhibition of being tongue-tied when declaring his love?

The film is a, refreshing, breezy romantic saga, covering different eras in the hero's life and director Aakash Baskaran pours in dollpos of nostagia of the 90s and 2000s which hits home and makes you connect with the characters instantly. These early portions of innocence , nostalgia, childish dreams and crushes are to watch out for in the movie. 

The next portion dealing with Samantha ( Preity Mukundhan) has an unexpected twist, and the portions are a blast to watch, especially the tuition classes and tennis lessons, with the comedy of Sudhakar being the highlight. 

The college portions when he meets Amutha are a mix of jolly fun and tender moments.

There is an unexpected cameo all through the film which livens the proceedings further and builds up the suspense. 

The music and songs of Thaman are a strong pillar of support and along with the glitzy, trendy locations and visuals, keep the mood upbeat. Aakash has mounted the film on a huge canvas and adeptly draws the viewer into the world of these friends, giving us a front seat view of their emotions and antics.

Another big plus is the solid cast. Atharva is charming, dashing and dapper and superbly blends into portrayal of  every s stage of his life on screen.  Kayudu and Preity have solid roles which they deliver with convincing performances. Thaman is a livewire back on screen especially with the energetic Niharika NM. Angelin debuts on the big screen,  looking gorgeous while Sudhakar hogs the limelite with his appearances on screen. Malavika Mohanlooks ravishing in a measured performance while Natty is a solid backbone to the film. 

On the flip side,  one wishes the emotional arc of Idhayan could have been more deeply explored, amomgst all the fun, games and heartbreak.

Overall, Idhayam Murali is a fun ride all through, with a vast canvas, great cast, music, locations, visuals and humor. Bound to evoke memories and connect with youth and the young at heart, the film is entertainer all the way. 

Rating 4/5

'Idhayam Murali'

Starring: 

Atharvaa

Preity Mukundhan

Kayadu Lohar

Natty

Thaman S

Niharika N M

Rakshan

Dravid

Angelin

Anju Kurian

Sudhakar

Yashashree

Jonita Gandhi

Fahad Faasil

Malavika Mohan

Technician Team: 

Director - Aakash Baskaran 

Music - Thaman S

DOP - Manoj Paramahamsa, CH Sai 

Editor - Pradeep E Ragav

Production Designer - M.R.Karthik Rajkumar 

Dialogues - Ramanagirivasan 

Additional Dialogues - Aakash Baskaran, Dravid Selvam

Lyrics - Vivek

Choreographer - Anusha Viswanathan

Co-Director - LK Senthilkumar 

Costume Designer - Pallavi Singh & Meenakshi N

Stills - Jaikumar Vairavan

VFX Supervisor - Praveen D

Sound Design - Suen G, Alagiakoothan 

Post Production Supervisor - Guna

Publicity Designer - Kabilan

PRO - Suresh Chandra, Sathish (AIM)  

Creative Producer - Dev Ramnath 

Executive Producer - Krishna Chandar Elango  

Line Producer - Vickys RA

Production Controller - K. Sridhar Raj, Sadagopan

Marketing Headed - Manoj Maddy 

Chief Makeup - Edward Kennedy 

Costumer - Moorthy