CProduced by Tamil director Thiagarajan Kumararaja, Modern Love Chennai A warm hug on a chilly winter evening. It surprises you when you least expect it.
‘Love’ is the recurring protagonist in the six-part anthology directed by Bharathiraja, Kumararaja, Akshay Sundar, Balaji Sakthivel, Rajumurugan, and Krishnakumar Ramkumar. adapted from the show new York Times’ Modern Love is the third India-focused iteration of the column and after Mumbai and Hyderabad. The Chennai edition moves away from the standard template of hook-up moments and dives deep into the complex layers of love and romance.
Modern Love Chennai Arguably the most exciting work of fiction in the Tamil OTT space. Creative director Kumararaja has ensured that each director has his or her own signature style, rooted in common cinematic sensibilities. All the episodes are centered around strong female characters.
Read also: Priyanka Chopra’s Love Again is gimmicky, badly written. but it’s an unscripted rom-com
divorce, young love, companionship
Director Rajumurugan Lalagunda Bommaigal Shoba (Sri Gauri Priya) who is struggling with the aftereffects of a failed relationship and a miscarriage. When she least expects it, she meets Nathuram (Vasudevan Murali), a pani puri seller, and romance blossoms. The rest of the story is an ongoing discussion on whether Shoba can live without a partner or not. But it doesn’t leave an impact.
Balaji Shaktivel’s imaigal throws light on the love between Nithya (Ashok Selvan) and Devi (TJ Bhanu) and how love blossoms (or doesn’t) in a middle-class marriage. The story moves away from the glitzy romance and addresses the real issues of a relationship. One of the two is suffering from a degenerative eye disease which means a gradual loss of eyesight. It is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch the struggles of the couple. Both the actors ace their respective parts.
next film of akshay sundar Margazi, Jazmin (Sanjula Sarathi) follows a teenage girl trying to understand her parents’ divorce. Her love for music and companionship with Milton (Chu Khoi Sheng) offer glimpses of a happy future. The pure and sweet love that blossoms between Jazmine and Milton is the highlight of the entire series.
Story of Krishnakumar Ramkumar Kadhal Enbadhu Kannula Heart Irukkura Emoji Probably the weakest. Mallika (Ritu Varma) is obsessed with the idea of love shown in movies and somehow (no surprise) it never works for her. While its heart is in the right place, the story rarely picks up.
Parvai Kutil Vazhum MangalDirected by Bharathiraja, it is the story of Ravi (Kishore) and Rohini (Vijayalakshmi) who grow on each other after a chance meeting in the metro. Ravi, who is married to Revathi (Ramya Nambesan), falls in love with Rohini. The story touches upon how love survives or dies when tested (read: divorce). Bharathiraja beautifully explains how two people can fall out of love after being married for years. While Kishore plays his part well, the two women – Ramya and Vijayalakshmi – are the jewels of this modern-day love story.
While Mumbai have been on top in the three editions so far, Chennai have come very close to conjuring up the same magic. It is far more memorable than the Hyderabad iteration.
Every way, Modern Love Chennai Shines through and through. Even as a few strong stories emerge, the cumulative warmth of the rest of the anthology breathes life into the Amazon Prime Video series. Bringing Thiagarajan Kumararaja on board for this anthology was the right move, no one could have done it better than him.
(Editing by Therese Sudip)