Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee (aka) Mudhal Ne Mudivum Ne review (2024)

Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is a film written and directed by Darbuka Siva, and produced by Sameer Bharat Ram under the banner Super Talkies. The film has Kishen Das, Harish, Meetha Ragunath, Amirtha Mandarine and others playing crucial roles. It has music by Darbuka Siva and cinematography by Sujith Saarang. The film has released on Zee5 OTT Platform.

Vinoth (Kishen Das), Chinese (Harish), Rekha (Meetha), Anu (Amirtha) and a bunch of other students are returning to school after their 10th standard summer vacation and find a lot of new admissions in their class. Vinoth and Rekha are in love with each other, but have taken different groups in their 11th class. They face minor issues in their relationships, which results in something drastic. How does this impact the lives of all the 13 lead characters in the film? That is what Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee tries to trace.

There is a scene in the first half of the film where Chinese (played by a fantastic Harish) proposes his love to Catherine (Purva Raghunath). She rejects him saying she wants someone to propose her like Superman. Immediately, he goes to the restroom, wears his underwear over his pants and comes back to propose her again in front of the whole school. It's not just about how this scene is written. It is outrageously funny, unique, reeks of innocence, and staged superbly. You cannot control your laughter. This is just one of the gems the first half of the film carries.

There are very little scenes that build the suspense. Instead, director Darbuka Siva wants you to get into the atmosphere of the film and enjoy the mood. And very rarely does such things keep you engaged. This is also partly because of Siva's direction, because even when what is happening in the foreground is bland, there is something in the background that catches your eye and makes you smile. There are elements that 90's kids would find nostalgic starting from the Walkman that Vinoth uses, to the way the kids watch p*rnographic films, Spencer Plaza, the oversized pants, and even the wrapper on a dairy milk chocolate. There is so much attention to detail to recreate the Chennai of late 90's.

The casting of Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is also spot on. With so many refreshing faces on screen, each one of them contributes so much to the scenes. However if there are two people who stand out, it has to be Harish in the first half, and Kishen in the second. The former absorbs the eccentricity of his character really well, and his body language makes you laugh hard. He doesn't rely on slapstick humour or punchlines alone. His presence in a frame adds a lot of humour value. On the other hand, Kishen is solid in the emotional scenes that are plenty in the second half. Watch out for the single shot in the climax where he has to weep and regret missed opportunities in a parking area, and he does nail it. Meetha Raghunath, who plays Rekha, the love interest of Vinoth has acted with a lit of cuteness and maturity.

The major issue that the film faces is the writing in the second half. Or rather, the issues begin as the school portions end. The film starts to lose focus, and tries to run in every direction, but ends up staying stagnant. There is an elaborate sequence in the reunion in the second half, where so many things are happening yet, but only few of it engages us. The writing constantly keeps searching for other elements like music and the performances to hide it's flaws.

Darbuka Siva has also composed the music, which is mellifluous till a point. Midway through the second half, it feels like the music is overused. Silence at a few places would have been so much better. Sujith Sarang and Sreejith Sarang, who have handled the cinematography and editing respectively, work in tandem to give us lovely, heartwarming visuals.

Overall, the first half of the film is brilliant technically and is shouldered by the performances of the fresh faces, led by Kishen and Harish Kumar. The writing in the second half lacks direction and focus, and looks lengthy. This affects the engagement, making the audience lose interest before the climax. The 90's nostalgia and a thoroughly entertaining first half is a good take away of MNMN.

Verdict: Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is a nostalgic musical trip to your school days, with a superb first half.