Meenakshi Sundareshwar
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and I have finished watching Meenakshi Sundareshwar on Netflix. Sometimes, the hardest thing about being in a relationship is the distance. Distance does play a part in the communication or rather the lack of it. Not only does it lead to a communication breakdown but it also does its bit in sowing seeds of mistrust. Speaking from a personal experience myself, it is important to try and communicate as seen in Little Things as well in order to avoid disappointment. Based on this theme, Meenakshi Sundareshwar is out on Netflix. Is it worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Set In Madurai, Meenakshi Sundareshwar follows the story of a couple who get married only to fall back on a long distance relationship after one of them changes cities. The story is sweet, cute and simple as well as relatable. For many folks like me who may have been in a long distance relationship in some form or the other(be it even friendship) will find this story relatable. The screenplay blends perfectly well with the story. It is light, frothy and breezy. The initial 20 minutes are a buildup to the relationship of the protagonists with a dollop of humour. Soon the twist of fate strikes and the story oscillates between Bengaluru and Madurai. The relationship displayed here is quite organic and it shows many external factors leading up to a communication gap which can happen to the best of couples. Come the second hour things get a little serious but credit to the writers for not going overboard with it. So at no point do you feel that the drama is slipping or getting melodramatic. On the downside, things get a little repetitive in the middle and you may get a feeling of getting a move on. But overall, the screenplay is fresh and deserves some brownie points for that heartfelt ending!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are very well penned and I really enjoyed the analogy between an engineer and a lover. And the film is filled with such one-liners that are simple at the face of it but carry a lot of weight in the context of the film. The music is outstanding and blends extremely well with the drama. The BGM is fabulous are does its bit in enhancing a few scenes. The production value is extremely good here, the film is brightly setup with a colourful palate. Director Vivek Soni does a fine job with the execution. Keeping things light, frothy and breezy may have been a challenge but he really comes out with flying colours!
Performances
One thing about the performances was that none of the characters actually sounded like Tamilians even while mouthing Hindi Dialogues. This seemed like a flaw, rather a liberty opted by the makers. But in general, the performances are good. The character of Senthil is a bit weird and bizarre but Sukhesh Arora does a fabulous job with it. Chetan Sharma Danish Sood and Khuman Nongyai are fabulous in extended cameos. Ritika Shrotri is excellent and has a good screen presence. But the film rests on the shoulders of the two protagonists Abhimanyu as Sundar and Sanya Malhotra as Meenakshi, both of whom are excellent. Abhimanyu is earnest, sincere and quite likable. And he also brings some level of innocence to the character. Sanya Malhotra is making the right choices. She looks gorgeous here as Meenakshi and does a tremendous job bringing out many emotions to the table. The chemistry between the duo is infectitious, I just wish the character of Sanya had a bit of a character arc too which would have propelled the film even further.
Conclusion
Meenakshi Sundareshwar is a sweet, cute and breezy film that exudes of happy vibes. Most people in a long distance relationship would find this relatable. Available on Netflix.