Irugapatru - Difficult to ‘hold tight’

We all have grown up listening to how marriages are ‘made in heaven’. The new generation might want to debate that notion as many marriages are ending in divorce or separation either within 2-3 years or in 50-60s. And the new film ‘Irugapatru’ deals with something that lies somewhere between the old and the new reality. The title means 'hold tight' in Tamil. However, be it the script or the BGM, nothing helps us to hold on to the film. But I finished it, and trust me, it was a hard watch. 

The film opens with Shraddha Srinath’s character, who is a psychologist, promoting couple counselling, even for someone who is newly married. As a viewer, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea because isn’t it normal for two people, who have never lived together, have differences? And for those who’d ask - What about love marriages? - Well, they too, for most part, live separately. Even for people who have lived with each other before marriage, settling with the family members is also a process. So, post-marriage, for several years, I believe the struggle to fit in, in one way or the other, is inevitable. For some, the transition is smooth, and for some, it is difficult than what they would’ve imagined.

(Image courtesy: Netflix)

But coming back to the story, the film starts well. It introduces us to three couples - one where the husband emphasises on how he is uncomfortable with his wife gaining weight after childbirth, second where husband thinks wife is drifting away from him due to independency, and their is a story around Shraddha’s character as well where she implements all her psychology knowledge on her husband. 

The film's first 30-40 minutes is relatable and fun. When Shraddha’s character teaches her husband about affirmations, small gestures, how to be equal in a relationship, you (especially as a woman) agree with her. However, the agreement doesn’t continue for long. The film’s mood shifts to serious and it continues to be so for the next 1.5 hours ( it felt longer). Each couple has their own set of issues -- you empathise with them, hate them but the run time, and the never ending sobbing prove to be a huge hurdle in your wish to reach the film's climax.

The intention to make couple counselling normal and introduce it to the audience via a film is a commendable move. I will also appreciate the director for successfully bringing forth the common issues among the couples today. But it could have been said/shown in a better manner, and making the film crisper would've helped a lot in that mission. The weak script and super weak music brought this film down. Actors were pretty good for the parts they played.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

‘Ambajipeta Marriage Band’ is refreshing change in storytelling, shows supporting female character stronger than lead

Image
Supporting characters have become integral part of a film’s storytelling in the past decade. Several times, supporting characters have become saving grace of a film or have successfully made their presence felt even in a hero-centric films — ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ is one such example. ‘Ambajipeta Marriage Band’ does the same but has taken the norm a notch up.  While the film’s hero is Suhas, it is his sister Padma, played by Sharanya Pradeep, who takes away the show with her brilliant performance. She is wronged in the film but that doesn’t let the role’s spirit die. She doesn’t shed a tear for ‘why did this happen to me’ but fights back instead. She has some fantastic, whistle-worthy moments and dialogues in the film. You cannot help but celebrate her courage - even as a man. After her, there are certain scenes of actor Jagadeesh Pratap Bandar of ‘Pushpa’ fame that make you realise his talent, his worth and caliber as an actor. He just eats up those scenes.   Suhas also proves ...
Read more

Failed to impress: Mahesh Babu’s ‘Guntur Kaaram’, Teja Sajja’s ‘Hanuman’ & Nagarjuna’s ‘Naa Saami Ranga’

Image
Yes yes yes, before you comment or come at me, I know I am late to write about these films, which released probably some 20 days ago. However, I thought I’d address all these festive releases together. Now, you must be wondering why ’Saindhav’ or ‘Fighter’ isn’t here - Couldn’t sum up interest to watch these two — so, writing about them may or may not happen. Anyway, as per the headline, I’d first like to establish that I am not saying that none of these films could make a mark for me but I am going to highlight that while majorly none of them impressed me, some bits and pieces were pure celebratory. Mahesh Babu’s ‘Guntur Kaaram’ was apparently the most-anticipated film that his fans were patiently waiting for. It served in several aspects but not in terms of the story. The story takes a lot of time to build. Many of the characters are underutilised. Some characters were placed only to increase head count on the screen. Sreeleela felt like a misfit until she started dancing, which by ...
Read more

Do Patti - Same old story but fantastic performance by Kriti Sanon

Image
Kriti Sanon is sure on the way to create stories that actresses aren't usually offered. The otherwise demure Kriti takes on a challenging role in 'Do Patti', which was also supposed to be her maiden production venture if I am not wrong, and has passed with flying colours. Double role isn't new to Hindi cinema. We have had iconic films such as Seeta Geeta and Chaalbaaz - where sisters come together to fight the evil one, and have had films like Alone too where one of the twin sisters is evil herself. Kriti's film falls in the second category for the most part. As Saumya, she's pretty saumya, and as Shailee, she's a firecracker and trouble maker, but oh man, too hot to handle for sure!  You spend most of your time loving Shailee's style but hating her personality, and the story successfully builds a soft corner in your heart for Saumya. And of course, there is a handsome man who they fight for - Shaheer Sheikh, TV's heartthrob who has done an incredibl...
Read more