Ithiri Neram movie review: Roshan Mathew, Zarin Shihab shine in Malayalam cinema’s ’96

Anish, a television journalist who hosts a chat show titled Ithiri Neram (A Little While), decides to spend the eve of his daughter’s baptism with his friends Rajan and Chanchal (Anand Manmadhan), drinking. However, en route to the hotel, he receives a call from Anjana, his college sweetheart, who is in the city for a night. Having not seen each other in years after their relationship ended bitterly, they decide to meet and catch up for a little while. As the conversation deepens, amplified by the liquor they’re having, the masks of politeness fall away, and fingers begin to point when the past comes up. Whose fault was it that they parted ways? Both Anish and Anjana have their own versions. Amid the laughs, playful banter, resentment for one another’s past actions, and the sorrows that they share, the two slowly realise they still have feelings for each other. The physical distance, initially there between them, also fade as their bodies un/knowingly start brushing against each other. However, an unexpected incident changes the course of the night, leaving both of them in the soup.

One thing that director C Prem Kumar makes extremely, albeit indirectly, clear early on in his romantic drama ’96 (2018) is that Ram (Vijay Sethupathi) and Jaanu (Trisha Krishnan) won’t cross the line. Regardless of being each other’s “love of my life,” they won’t even share a kiss, let alone get physical, which may make their innocent relationship a mere extramarital affair where she cheats on her husband. They are both very noble souls, almost to ethereal levels. But Anish and Anjana aren’t like that, nor do director Prasanth Vijay or writer Vishak Shakti portray them in that manner anywhere. They are flawed, imperfect, and fueled by libido.

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Although Ithiri Neram, for almost the entirety of the first half, follows the narrative stylistics of ’96, what differentiates the two movies is the way the former manages to instil a sense of tension in the audience, as it doesn’t offer the convenience of predictability. “What are Anish and Anjana going to do next? Will they hook up? Will someone see them together and create an issue? What if the police stop them? What if they fall prey to a chilling situation like the one in director Anuraj Manohar’s Ishq (2019)? What about poor Geethu and her daughter?” Prasanth and Vishak manage to plague the minds of the viewers with many such frightening questions. This tone they maintain from the start proves especially beneficial when Anish and Anjana’s lives are thrown out of gear following the previously mentioned unexpected incident.

While conversations between Ram and Jaanu make our hearts brim with love, those between Anish and Anjana make them race. Although Ithiri Neram is a slow burner for much of its runtime, like Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004), the rollercoaster of emotionally charged chats between the star-crossed lovers is more reminiscent of those in Before Midnight (2013), the third instalment in Richard Linklater’s romantic drama franchise.

Anish and Anjana are no longer the naive young adults they once were when in relationship. They have seen life’s ups and downs and dealt with the scars of their lost romance too. Hence, the conversations between them are more real, clear, and candid. “Now that I think of it, had we had an open talk about all that over drinks, we may have been able to sort out everything back then,” he tells her at one point. Nonetheless, both they and we know that isn’t true. Yet, much like Before Midnight’s Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), we also see them flushing out all that they had bottled up in their hearts for a long time; here, after their love ended “without offering the other a goodbye or a slap.”

As the movie opens, we see social activist Maithreya Maithreyan talking to Anish during an interview about the social institution of family and how it “interferes in one’s personal freedom like a jail warden,” particularly denying individuals the chance to choose their partner based on mutual respect and love. Ithiri Neram puts Anish in a conundrum where he is torn between choosing his love and his family. However, Prasanth and Vishak don’t offer answers or even their takes. Instead, they leave it open for debate, allowing the audience to form their own opinions on who or what is right in this situation.

There’s a very peculiar warmth between Anish and Anjana that may have stemmed from the fact that Roshan Mathew and Zarin Shihab are friends in real life. (Credit: Instagram/@roshan.matthew)

One of the strengths of Vishak’s writing is the way Anish and Anjana slip into their unfiltered selves when around each other, highlighting the comfort they once felt in that company. Despite being “Communists,” they don’t try to be overtly politically correct with each other and instead blurt out what comes to their minds fearlessly. She asks him if she has gotten fat and also reveals that one of her ex-boyfriends publicised an intimate moment between them. He, on the other hand, admits that his marriage to Geethu was “replacement therapy” following their break-up. Nonetheless, once the untoward incident occurs, Vishak shifts his complete focus to that area and manages to extract both tension and humour from those portions, offering an entertaining watch. With the problematic Chanchal, and Rajan also re-entering the scene, Ithiri Neram takes a different route compared to other similar two-handers.

However, the movie falters in a few instances, where situations and plot devices appear to be introduced forcibly to push the narrative forward, due to a lack of sufficient elements to ensure organic development. (Spoilers ahead) For instance, at one point, we see Anish and Anjana in a heartfelt conversation, and the movie immediately cuts to Rajan and Chanchal searching for the couple, where their lines are clearly intended to make viewers chuckle. Much like this unnecessary cross-cutting, the film features some moments here and there that are entirely out of tune with the tone established up to that point. While one could argue that these moments highlight the unpredictability of life, they also give the impression that the makers may have been unsure how to tie everything together through conversations alone.

The conversation between Anish and Anjana towards the end, in which they discuss whether anything would have happened between them had things gone differently, also comes across as artificial, almost as if the makers were desperately trying to whitewash the two to cater to a conventionally minded audience.

There’s a very peculiar warmth between Anish and Anjana that may have stemmed from the fact that Roshan and Zarin are friends in real life. It transcends beyond just two college sweethearts catching up after they couldn’t end up together. From the very moment we see them share the screen for the first time to the way Anish and Anjana’s conversations build — especially as the two get progressively drunk and struggle to handle their tipsiness and longing for each other’s warmth — both Roshan and Zarin maintain astonishing control over their characters. While ensuring that their performances in own roles are sharp, they also manage to create remarkable on-screen chemistry that effectively tugs at the audience’s heartstrings.

Though Nandu has proven his acting prowess many times in the past, Rajan is undoubtedly a feather in his cap. Despite the character appearing quite simple, without many emotional fluctuations or demands, the casualness he brings to the portrayal is likely to remind one of the many Thiruvananthapuram-based, middle-aged drivers we may have encountered in real life. The precision with which he has handled both comedic and serious moments is superb. Anand Manmadhan also deserves commendation for a job well done.

Among the many positive aspects of Ithiri Neram is Rakesh Dharan’s seamless cinematography. In particular, there’s a moment in a bar where Anish and Anjana are talking and as the conversation slowly shifts to the uncomfortable topic of their past, their attitudes towards one another begin to change. Rakesh skillfully breaks the 180-degree rule with camera movement here, effectively marking the shift in mood visually. Combined with Francies Louis’ rhythmic editing and Sandeep Kurissery’s atmospheric sound design, the visuals immerse us effortlessly into the movie’s world. Basil CJ’s songs and background score are the cherry on top.

Ithiri Neram movie cast: Roshan Mathew, Zarin Shihab, Nandu, Anand Manmadhan, Jeo Baby, Athulya Sreeni
Ithiri Neram movie director: Prasanth Vijay
Ithiri Neram movie rating: 3.5 stars