| Directed by | Mahesh Narayanan |
|---|---|
| Written by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Produced by | Shebin Backer Kunchacko Boban Mahesh Narayanan |
| Starring | Kunchacko Boban Divya Prabha Danish Husain Loveleen Mishra |
| Cinematography | Sanu Varghese |
| Edited by | Mahesh Narayanan Rahul Radhakrishnan |
| Music by | Sushin Shyam |
| Production companies | Shebin Backer Productions Kunchacko Boban Productions Moving Narratives |
One Liner
A delicately edited video clip is shared among the workers at the factory where a struggling Malayali couple works, and it causes unanticipated emotional, social, and marital imbalances in their relationship.
Detailed Plot
The main protagonists of Declaration are Hareesh (Kunjacko Boban) and Reshmi (Divya Prabha), a Malayali couple who work in two distinct sections of a gloves manufacturer in Noida. The pandemic interferes with the couple’s desire to immigrate abroad. The movie opens with a scene in which Hareesh records Reshmi for a “talent video.” To demonstrate Reshmi’s professional background, the pair would provide a VISA consulting firm with this covertly filmed video. However, when a doctored version of this footage leaks, things become much murkier. The couple witnesses corruption and hidden agendas in the plant, which complicates matters further. Will they be able to overcome their situation jointly or separately?
Artistes’ Performances
Hareesh is flawlessly performed by Kunchacko Boban. It was amazing to watch him express the character’s internal conflict, prejudices, and guilt with such ease. His script selection has been impeccable for some time, and this performance has further accentuated his brilliance. In Ariyippu, Divya Prabha is a marvel. It’s high time she had feature-length roles similar to Reshmi. Unlike her spouse, she is willing to move on and not spend too much time thinking about what happened, as evidenced by the way she even walks. Reshmi persuades you that she has made far too many sacrifices for her to be dumped by an edited video thirty minutes into the film.
Direction / Technical Side
Mahesh Narayanan is gaining recognition as a director who depicts common people in dire straits in his films. Another subject Mahesh Narayanan plays with in Ariyippu is trust. Narayanan reveals the story’s layers one at a time, describing the reasons behind Reshmi and Hareesh’s problems as well as their effects. In order to examine a variety of emotions, gender dynamics, and power dynamics, Narayanan turns to conflict. A variety of perspectives are being used to view the situation. The ability to select, evaluate, and follow whichever character’s point of view the viewer desires is granted to the audience.
However, after a slow-burning first half, the second half of Ariyippu is much more interesting since we are interested in learning more about the mystery surrounding the clip, what it will do to Hareesh and Reshmi’s marriage. In contrast to his other films C U Soon and Malik, Mahesh opts to keep the technical aspects to a minimum. In order to underline the ethically dubious, emotionally stifling atmosphere, cinematographer Sanu John Varughese illuminates and shoots both the interiors and the exterior surroundings.
Major Plus Points ;
- Straight forward Plot
- Powerful Performance from Lead Pair
- More Emotional Connect, Lesser Drama
Verdict; The film Ariyippu, directed by Mahesh Narayanan, is possibly his most straightforward and uncompromising work. Mahesh Narayanan’s presentation of the value of trust is its standout feature. Director gives the audience, the freedom to choose, assess, and adopt the point of view of whatever character they like. With flawless performances from Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha, Ariyippu is worth your time.