Irugatru Review - A breezy hyperlink relationship drama
Relationship dramas have their own loyal audiences especially those who are in the prime of their lives. Yuvaraj Dhayalan's 'Irugapatru' is one such film that deals with compatibility issues of three different couples linked by a common thread. Whether this film will reach beyond its regulars (which is essential to attain memorable status) remains to be seen.
Mitra (Shraddha Srinath) is a psychologist whose expertise is in counselling couples heading for divorce. Her own life seems to be the ideal one considering she has a very understanding husband Mano (Vikram Prabhu) who is a pillar of support for her. One of her clients is Pavithra (Abarnathi) a housewife whose husband Rangesh (Vidharth) wants a divorce citing that he cannot stand her plumpish body. The other one is Arjun (Sri) who finds his lover turned wife Divya (Saniya Iyappan) pretty dumb and useless and wants to cure her. How Mitra plays a part in helping these couples deal with their problems and what is the unexpected impact that has in her own life is what 'Irugapatru' is all about.
As far as the performances are concerned in spite of their comparatively weak characterizations Vikram Prabhu has done a neat job in a subtle role while Shraddha Srinath in the central character has tried hard to deliver the goods. She gets the applause in the lighter scenes as opposed to the ones she is required to emote. Vidharth in a grey shaded character once again shows what a class actor he is especially in a long drawn monologue where he explains his plight to the psychologist. Abarnathi is the perfect foil to him as the rather innocent wife who goes to great lengths to transform into the woman her husband desires. She has beautifully portrayed her character with nuanced expressions, body language and physical transformation. Sri is a revelation as the hot headed Arjun who degrades his wife no end and has delivered an award worthy performance in the scene where the moment of realization kicks in. Saniya Iyappan representing the youngest gen amongst the couple is excellent as the humiliated wife who battles her issues in silence. Among the rest of the cast the late Manobala provides some genuine laughs in one of his last roles.
What works best in 'Irugapatru' is the breezy manner in which the screenplay unfolds showcasing the world of the three couples. Humour is sprinkled here and there, even in serious situations which is a major plus. If you dont look too deep the core message to couples to hold tighter and try harder to make the marriage work is a cute one any day. The twists regarding Shraddha and Saniya's true characters work well.
On the downside the twist regarding Shraddha should have blown up like dynamite and caused much greater issues in her relationship. The way that is handled is quite disappointing but not as much as the weak characterizations of the lead pair compared to the secondary ones. The relationship advices seem too out of the book or rather WhatsApp with a phony ring to them. All three couples belong to similar backgrounds and lack variety.
Justin Prabhakaran has tuned some similar sounding songs and his background score is also on the face. The cinematography, art direction and the smooth editing are perfect in rendering the rom-com look to the film. Dream Warrior Pictures and Potential Studios have joined hands once more for a run off the mill project providing high values in the production. Yuvaraj Dhayalan whose previous films are the Vadivelu debacles 'Thenaliraman' and 'Eli'. It is safe to say that 'Irugapatru' is a true blue comeback from him and he has emerged as a class writer and filmmaker. If he had kept the messages under control and added more life to his lead characters and depth overall this film could have become a memorable one.
Verdict : Go for this breezy rom-com that is engaging for most parts with a few messages to take home for the millennials.
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