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Ariyippu is not a movie where you ask for a happy ending and you are served it on a platter.
As situations change, the central characters conceal and display their vulnerability as any other real-life couple, observes Divya Nair.
The world took notice of Mahesh Narayanan after Traffic, the 2011 cult film directed by the late Rajesh Pillai which Mahesh edited.
When he started directing films, Mahesh took on subjects inspired by daily life and turned them into extraordinary cinematic events that offered an edge-of-the-seat experience -- be it Take Off (his debut film starring Fahadh Fasil and Parvathy), CU Soon, Malayankunju or the latest Ariyippu starring Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha.
Set in the pandemic, Ariyippu, meaning declaration in Malayalam, is the story of a young Malayali couple -- Harish (Kunchako) and Reshmi (Divya) who have moved out of their hometown (maybe out of debt or some personal crisis) and temporarily work in a gloves-manufacturing unit in Noida.
While they aspire to settle abroad and seek an agent's help to secure their visas, Harish secretly shoots a video of his wife at work hoping to present it as a skill video to potential recruiters abroad.
Unfortunately, an edited version of the video goes viral which leads to problems in their personal and professional lives.
As the couple navigate their daily struggles and investigate the truth behind the video to prove their innocence, the couple face harsher realities.
Within the first few minutes, Ariyippu, you realise is not your regular popcorn movie. The cast and the story are not glamorous either. But it's an important film because it offers a slice of reality that is both uncomfortable and also subtly questions the biases that exist within us.
Like Take Off, CU Soon and other films directed by Mahesh, the characters are as limited and real as your neighbour next door and as unfamiliar yet important as the man who picks your trash every day.
Kunjacko and Divya Prabha put on an earnest performance as the couple who try to support each other against all odds and yet succumb to one of the simplest yet complex human emotions in a relationship -- trust!
The gradual transformation of a struggling couple trying to be hopeful even when the tide is against them makes you want to applaud them and maybe take home some lessons about how you can be grateful about the little happiness you have in your jobs and lives.
At the same time, Mahesh reminds you that this is not a movie where you ask for a happy ending and you are served it on a platter. As situations change, the central characters conceal and display their vulnerability as any other real-life couple.
The ending, if not beautiful, also mirrors the society we live in -- where women we barely know, women we work with may stand up to each other but our own folks may have their reservations.
The beauty of Mahesh's direction and Sanu Varghese's cinematography is visible in the details that contributes immensely in bringing the set alive. The uninterrupted sound of machines revving in the background do not clash with the conversation between the workers. Hiring non-Malayalam speaking actors works majorly in this story because the language and accents are spot on.
Ariyippu is a slow burn drama that plays on your senses and minds, that unsettles you for a bit, but also relieves you like it does for Reshmi.
Ariyippu streams on Netflix.
