'Hridayapoorvam' review: Mohanlal's drama could have been so much more
What's the story
Mohanlal's Hridayapoorvam, which arrived on JioHotstar on Friday after its theatrical run, is directed by Sathyan Anthikad. Featuring Malavika Mohanan, Sangeeth Prathap, and Sangita Madhavan Nair in key roles, the slow-paced comedy-drama explores themes of grief, love, forgiveness, and second chances. While the ensemble is dependable and everyone hands in committed performances, the film suffers due to a lack of ambition.
Plot
Follows a man's life-changing journey
The film tells the story of Sandeep (Mohanlal), a 45-year-old bachelor who has recently undergone heart transplant surgery. He travels to Pune for his donor, Colonel Ravindranath's daughter, Haritha's (Mohanan) engagement ceremony, leading to a series of comedic and dramatic events. His extended stay with Haritha and her mother helps him look inward and discover himself in unprecedented ways.
#1
Fails due to its predictability
Perhaps the biggest problem with the film is its lack of ambition. Initially, it flirts with some interesting ideas (how organ donation changes the lives of two families, how grief alters people, etc), but eventually, these ideas go nowhere. Some sequences are unnecessary, while a few others drag on forever, and the film (lengthy at 151 minutes) meanders heavily.
#2
No surprises, nothing much to draw you in
You keep waiting for a proper conflict, surprises, or anything that can lend the story some heft, but, alas, that never happens. The film keeps rolling at its own breezy, excessively slow pace, subplots are established only to be forgotten moments later, and the screenplay seems all over the place. With an intriguing plot like this, the movie could have been a lot more.
#3
A wayward screenplay doesn't help the cause
A brief romantic plot between Sandeep and Haritha (his wishful thinking) is off-putting and feels as if it belongs to a different movie altogether. You must completely suspend your disbelief while watching Hridayapoorvam, and with the amount of sentimentality thrown in, the film is so sweet that it will turn you off. Without connective tissue between haphazard scenes, everything feels disjointed.
#4
The humor tries to keep the film going
The film has some interesting, soothing frames; in some moments, Hridayapoorvam becomes the kind of movie where time stands still. Mohanlal, present in every frame, is a delight to watch, and he tries his best to uplift an average script that needed more polishing. Its humor, too, is mostly on-point, derived largely through Sandeep's conversations with his nurse, Jerry (Prathap).
Verdict
Can skip this bland drama; 2/5 stars
The movie boasts some warm, tender moments, and the humor helps the first half stay afloat. However, the film runs out of ideas in the second half, and it fails to translate its poignant ideas on-screen. Sandeep gradually becomes the father Haritha has lost, but we never connect to his transformation because of the lackluster execution. Hridayapoorvam can be safely skipped. 2/5 stars.