The plot of Irugapatru by Yuvaraj Dhayalan centers on the marital problems of three spouses. Although we have a linking factor in the shape of a relationship counselor who also happens to be one of the couples, the three episodes unfold in parallel.

There are many different issues that arise between the couples. Rangesh (Vidaarth), an IT worker, feels that divorce is the only option because of his wife Pavithra's (Abarnathi) weight increase following their pregnancy. arjun (Sri) and divya (Saniya Iyappan), both in their twenties, are always irritated with one another and are perplexed as to where the love they formerly had gone after their marriage. Manohar (Vikram Prabhu) finds it annoying that his wife Mitra (Shraddha Rama Srinath), a marital therapist, can't seem to turn off the psychologist in her while she's at home.

Irugapatru, along with films like Dada and Good Night, demonstrates that there is still potential for drama and emotions in a time when violence and hero worship have become standards in contemporary popular cinema. Despite not inventing anything new, the movie is a well-narrated romance story. It may be both a strength and a weakness since there are times when it seems like couples therapy 101. There have also been occasions when we have entered a relationship workshop if the points it makes regarding romantic relationships seem pertinent. This is partly because the filmmaker uses language to impart relationship knowledge rather than using a visual medium for doing so. This feeling is further enhanced by the aggressive soundtrack (by Justin Prabhakaran), which continues highlighting each point that is made.

However, the filmmaker largely succeeds in keeping a lighter tone. He sometimes utilizes laughter to make a serious moment more bearable. For instance, in a scene where a character sobs after understanding his mistake, we see a chat between him and his employer (the late Manobala, who makes the most of the opportunity for humor at the time) that makes us grin.

The lead couples' poor writing in the Mitra-Manohar track cannot be hidden by the gorgeous settings and stylish clothing. They are the kind that like baking cake and calling aval upma, poha when camping and holding hands while watching the romantic Up montage. In other words, a stylish tv ad duo promoting coffee or paint.

The issue in arjun and Divya's relationship, however, is quite severe, and the former's actions come off as a sort of emotional abuse. However, the way this is handled also lacks depth, and the filmmaker never makes it apparent why they must battle to keep their relationship together because they love one another. Thankfully, the two young performers give these characters a level of humanity that makes us care about them.

With the Ragnesh-Pavithra tune, the most sympathetic and well-performed of the three, Yuvaraj makes up for the rather lacklustre sense that these two stories leave us with. We can see that the performances and writing are both well-done enough to have a lived-in vibe. When we hear Ragnesh open up to Mitra in a moving monologue that Vidaarth successfully sells, we see that his problem—which initially comes off as strange and chauvinistic—is extremely personal. With her nuanced use of body language and vocal modulation, Abarnathi brings out the innocence of Pavithra in a delightful performance that immediately wins our sympathy.

Despite some criticism, the movie generally holds our attention and gives us the warm, fuzzy sensation that well-made feel-good movies give us. And that is Yuvaraj's achievement as a director here.

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐

 
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Irugapatru movie review

SIBY JEYYA

06/10/2023 07:21 AM