Hridayapoorvam movie review: Sathyan Anthikad loses gold in search of a (fake) diamond in Mohanlal’s comedy drama

As the days pass, Sandeep develops an unusual bond with both Haritha and her mother, Devika (Sangita Madhavan Nair), individually. While his presence reminds Haritha of being around her father once again, for Devika, Sandeep’s goodwill and validation of her feelings make her feel truly seen, something she never experienced in her marriage to Raveendranath. Struck by compassion from both sides, which he hadn’t felt in years, Sandeep slowly starts to be swayed, but is unsure of his own emotions. The remainder of the movie progresses as they realise what they mean to each other.

Although the crux of the movie is fresh and interesting, what has affected Hridayapoorvam is Sathyan Anthikad and screenwriter Sonu TP’s lack of clarity on how to flesh out Akhil Sathyan’s story. From the outset, this confusion is very evident as we are presented with random instances, gag scenes, and one-liners that don’t contribute to the narrative, character arcs or viewing experience in any meaningful way. For instance, in the initial scenes, we are introduced to a trio of aspiring filmmakers who rely on Sandeep’s lunch box for food. After being discharged from the hospital, we see him visiting their house one night when a minor clash is going on between the trio and a bakery owner. It is revealed that the fight is over a botched ad they did for him. Though laced with some humour, what makes this moment very pointless is that once the jokes are over, Sathyan wraps up the scene abruptly, leaving one to wonder what its point was to begin with.

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Going forward, we also see Sandeep’s once-fiancée, who ditched him on the day of their wedding years ago to elope with her lover, starting to frequently video call him after her lover-turned-husband left her for another woman. But what’s the point of this character or these conversations in the movie or Sandeep’s arc? Literally nothing. Hridayapoorvam is, unfortunately, crammed with quite a few such scenes, just like the ones featuring actor Siddique as OK Panicker, Sandeep’s brother-in-law. What makes it worse is that most of the supposed “jokes” in these moments don’t land at all. The result is a dearth of overall rhythm in the storytelling.

Despite things getting slightly better and more interesting once Sandeep becomes “romantically torn” between Haritha and Devika — complicated further by his doubts about whether their compassion towards him is truly romantic or merely affection for the person in whose body the heart of their dear one lives now — Hridayapoorvam soon starts buffeting due to a lack of substantial moments and the lack of substance in the existing ones. What keeps everything afloat, nonetheless, is the spectacular on-screen chemistry between Mohanlal and Sangeeth Prathap, which does wonders even in extremely dull scenes. But just when you think the movie is finally getting back on track, it derails again, never maintaining momentum for a long time.

But beyond all that, what annoys the most about Sathyan Anthikad here is his inability to recognise the true potential of Hridayapoorvam and how the story could have been crafted into a far better film. For Devika, who had spent much of her life under the shadow of her colonel husband, Sandeep’s arrival — carrying Raveendranath’s heart, quite literally — and his warmth towards her is like poetic justice, life coming full circle. As they begin to bond, she confides that no one had ever taken her side or cared to listen to her. When he apologises to her in one scene — “sorry” being a word she hadn’t heard in decades — she feels not just seen, but acknowledged as well.

From the constant clashes between Haritha and Devika, to Haritha’s conviction that her parents should never have married because of their incompatibility, and her obsessive love for Raveendranath even after his passing, Hridayapoorvam had all the elements to become an exceptional drama exploring a potential romance between Sandeep and Devika. Or at least the confusing emotions that might have developed between them.

What keeps everything afloat, nonetheless, is the spectacular on-screen chemistry between Mohanlal and Sangeeth Prathap. (Credit: Facebook/@ActorMohanlal)

Instead, what do Sathyan and Sonu choose to do? They force a fleeting, far-fetched and one-sided crush between Sandeep and Haritha. Sure, age doesn’t matter in love. Yes, there’s no reason Sandeep must automatically feel fatherly towards her. And true, he never initiates anything inappropriate. However, throughout the film, Raveendranath is essentially the only subject Haritha discusses with him, aside from a few exceptions. To suddenly push them into a romantic direction, merely to justify a song sequence showing a “romantic” Sandeep walking behind Haritha — while ignoring the much stronger narrative thread at hand — felt painfully forced. What makes matters worse is the complete lack of chemistry between Mohanlal and Malavika.

At the same time, though Devika is mostly relegated to a namesake supporting character, even in the rare moments that Mohanlal and Sangita appear on screen together, sharing a conversation or a laugh, a spark is more than evident between them, further highlighting the opportunity that the makers lost. The only thing detracting from these moments, however, was Bhagyalakshmi’s dubbing for Sangita, which felt somewhat out of place. Nevertheless, Sangita manages to leave an impact with her strong portrayal. Had Sathyan Anthikad not attempted to play a weird cupid, trying to set up Sandeep and Haritha in a May-December relationship, we could have had a far better romantic drama.

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Despite being one of the few directors who has never fallen into the trap of being enchanted by Mohanlal’s superstardom, Sathyan Anthikad un/knowingly falls victim to it towards the end of Hridayapoorvam, and that too, for no good reason. Although Sandeep is portrayed as a modest and plain man from the start, the director includes a pointless, uncharacteristic action sequence towards the end of the film. Had this been replaced with another scene that’s in tune with the overall tone of the movie, at least the final act of Hridayapoorvam would have turned out slightly better. What hurts even more is seeing the same director and actor, who gave us one of the most effortlessly massy moments in Pingami (1994) — when Captain Vijay Menon looks a cop dead in the eye and says, “Mr Inspector, had I come here in my uniform, you would have stood up in front of me immediately” — settling for a very mediocre stunt scene. Nevertheless, none of this is as troubling as seeing in Hridayapoorvam two actors, Siddique and Baburaj, accused of sexual assaults by different survivors, going ahead with their lives as if nothing happened. Some things never change, it seems.

Hridayapoorvam movie cast: Mohanlal, Malavika Mohanan, Sangeeth Prathap, Sangita, Siddique, Nishan, Baburaj, Lalu Alex, Janardhanan
Hridayapoorvam movie director: Sathyan Anthikad
Hridayapoorvam movie rating: 2 stars

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