Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee review: A fantastic ensemble cast in a middling campus drama

Bunking classes, endless laughter, last-bench fun, balloon-shooting on the beach, Spencer Plaza outings, slam books, first love, oversized pants, cassettes, VHS tapes, the obvious Michael Jackson references, ego clashes, drinking beer for the first time and terrace birthday parties—Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee takes a nostalgia-ridden route, invoking happy memories—for the ‘90s kids. We get a glimpse into the lives of St Martin’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School students in class XI, who’re reeling from the vacation hangover. Vinoth (Kishen Das), ‘Chinese’ (Harish Kumar) and a couple of other boys eagerly check the new admissions’ list on the notice board. 

Though much of Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is about the love story of Vinoth and Rekha (Meetha Raghunath), composer Darbuka Siva of Enai Noki Paayum Thota fame, who turned a director with this film, decides to tell us the stories of other characters—the ever moody Catherine (Purva), Francis (Rahul Kannan) and Surendar (Gautam Raj). As a result, we get too many subplots. Half an hour into the film, these boys tell Vinoth, “You are not the hero, and we are not your sidekicks”, but the story pans out anything but this way. Meetha and Kishen get the extra screen time, which indicates they are lead characters.

Darbuka Siva doesn’t make you wait or think but gives exactly what you want. It’s all predictable to a great extent. You expect Vinoth and Rekha’s relationship to fizzle out, and eventually, that happens. But, the actors look terrific on-screen. They seem real. It doesn’t feel like you are watching a film. When these characters fight, you feel tense. When they share an endearing bond, you root for them. There are cute scenes without being cloying. 

Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee works like looking at an old photo collage. Each time you turn a page in the album, you can’t help but smile to yourself thinking about those good old times. 

The first half is delightful to watch with these characters indulging in mindless banter on campus. School life creates the ultimate bonding, which is based upon innocence, unique camaraderie and selflessness. Darbuka Siva tries to capture all of those moments that lead into the chaos of adulthood. For a film that sets out with enjoyable initial portions, the latter half comes as quite a disappointment. The thread that deals with Francis’ bullying and harassment doesn’t fit into the narrative. It’s okay to make a campus love story without any social commentary, running in parallel.

Now, everyone’s grown up, and the whole gang decides to meet. Ideally, in this scenario, the excitement must be palpable. But, everything falls flat and looks staged—including hugs and handshakes. The long-delayed reunion has zero impact on you, as nobody was curious about how the ravages of time had affected one another. They never talked of their school canteen or assembly sessions. Instead, Darbuka Siva shows what these guys are up to, as adults. You don’t understand how their friendships progressed over time. Gradually, you see Vinoth as a bearded melancholic musician, who hasn’t moved on from Rekha. But you don’t understand why. You don’t see his transformation into a successful composer, as well. 

Kishen Das is convincing as Vinoth. Harish Kumar is impressive as ‘Chinese’. The rest of the actors—Meetha, Purva, Rahul Kannan, including the ones featured in blink and miss roles make a mark with their screen presence. I don’t understand why most filmmakers succumb to the pressure of making a ‘template film’ for two-and-a-half hours. I’d have liked Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee more had it been a short film. 

In the first half, you felt like you were one among them, but there’s a huge disconnect in the second half. Darbuka Siva himself plays cupid god with irreverence. This god laughs, warns, yawns, and even believes in ‘second chances’. Let the influence of Oh My Kadavule not be forgotten, mind you. Also, the influence of Gautham Menon on a new generation of filmmakers! (You see his name as the end credits roll.) The climax portions of Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee lack focus and depth, as Darbuka Siva pieces certain inconclusive subplots together. You get reminded of scenes from Nee Thane En Ponvasantham, Boys, Kanaa Kaanum Kaalangal and Premam. Maybe, Darbuka Siva thought it was a nice idea to do a campus love story, but while converting that idea into a full-fledged film, something got lost somewhere. The first half is pacy, with a liberal dose of humour, whereas, the script meanders aimlessly later on, not even justifying the runtime of 150 minutes. 

Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee is a dream debut for most of its actors. But the absence of cinematic aesthetics makes it a tad uninspiring. Also, I get the sense that this was, perhaps, reshaped considerably on the edit table. Darbuka Siva ‘tells’ us a lot but cares to ‘show’ us less. After all, good intentions do not make a good film. Do they? 

Director: Darbuka Siva

Cast: Kishen Das, Meetha Raghunath, Harish Kumar, Rahul Kannan

Language: Tamil 

Runtime: 150 minutes 

Streaming on: Zee5