Movie review 'Thirumanam Enum Nikkah': Starts off on an interesting note

DIRECTION: Anis

RATING: ** 1/2

After a long wait and with Ramzan around the corner, Jai – Nazriya starrer Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah which created a huge buzz for its songs and trailer has finally hit the screens.

Vijayaraghava Chari (Jai) is on a trip to Kovai and travels in a fake name Abu Bucker, a ticket facilitated by the local middleman (Mayilsamy). He meets Vishnu Priya (Nazriya Nazim) who also travels in a hidden name Ayesha for a project demo of her Muslim friend. Both belong to orthodox Brahmin families and work as IT professionals. A bad guy’s entry in the journey brings them together and the inevitable happens– romance blooms.

They meet later in the city and exchange phone numbers and frequent coffee shops and go on happily with their love affair maintaining their faux Muslim identities. Eventually, they seemed to fall in love with their religion and the imaginary personalities without realizing it. When reality strikes and they come to know of their staunch Vaishnavite Brahmin background, all hell breaks loose and they fall out of love. Will they unite in wedlock forms the rest of the story which ends with a clichéd climax.

Jai as a cool headed guy has delivered a good performance. Nazriya is adorable and once again has proved that she is an actress of substance. Both sync well with both the characters of different religions they portray. Hebah Patel as the second heroine is just about adequate. Pandiyarajan in a cameo is okay. There are umpteen number of newcomers who are aptly cast as the members large Hindu as well as Muslim families.

Debutant director Anis’s sincere attempt to convey a romantic story laced with inter-religious tension is appreciable, but he has erred in the execution part of it. What starts off with an interesting note, loses its sheen in the middle fizzles out towards the end. Had he put a little more effort on the screenplay, the film with its rich production values would have been more watchable. Loganathan’s vibrant visuals warrants mention. But it is Ghibran’s soulful music and brilliant rerecording that is the highlight of the movie.