'Hridayapoorvam' Movie Review: Mohanlal Shines In A Delightfully Old-School Comedy About Life’s Second Chances

Hridayapoorvam is what you’d call a typical Sathyan Anthikad movie, and I mean this in the nicest way possible. It’s not ambitious either in terms of what it wants to say or how it goes about saying it, but there’s an undeniable charm and an ease of storytelling that makes you want to stay on and just be there.

You feel this, even when one feels conflicted about what the film is trying to be. There are no genre shifts nor are there any surprises, but it gets you scratching your head, wondering what kind of Sathyan Anthikad movie this is. At times we feel it belongs in the mould of a film like Innathe Chintha Vishayam, in which an outsider, played by Mohanlal, enters a new environment, albeit to play the saviour to a lot of people who need his saving and advising.

A few scenes later, it reminds you of the other set of Sathyan Anthikad plots, the kind in which a mostly directionless, privileged man gets motivated to do more after he meets a strong, independent and bold woman. Examples of such films are many but the strongest are Veendum Chila Veetu Karyangal, Vinodhayatra, Njan Prakashan and most recently, Akhil Sathyan’s Pachuvum Albutha Vilakkum.

But the real beauty of Hridayapoorvam, for me, is how it's a perfect blend of both. So, it’s not just one man’s transformation, but a story that that transforms many. In that sense, it’s not so much a movie about one heart transplant as it is about a change of heart.

It’s a plot that begins with Sandeep, played by Mohanlal, getting a new heart. And with the new heart, he gets to meet the family of his new heart’s donor. There’s an engagement function that follows and a trip to Pune. Somewhere along this trip is the beginning of a beautiful friendship story between Sandeep, the heart donor’s daughter Haritha and her mother Devika.

Or should I push it a little and call it a ghost movie but in the sweetest way possible? During interactions between Sandeep, Haritha and Devika, you constantly feel the presence of one more person. At first you feel it can get a tad too sentimental, but the mood is always self-aware. Which means that even when Devika reacts to Sandeep, you find her reacting partly to her deceased husband and the many unresolved fights they’ve had, giving their friendship the added layer of watching a love triangle.

It’s to the credit of the film’s writers, Akhil Sathyan and Sonu TP, that they never show us a picture or a flashback of the donor. We see Sandeep listening to his voice notes too, but we never hear his voice. This allows us to make this donor just about anybody we imagine him to be. At times this retired Colonel looked a lot like Suresh Gopi in my head and at other instances, he looked strikingly similar to Mammootty in Megham. Either way, it’s delightful to think of a movie about heart transplant that’s as much about giving a second chance to those who’ve lost as it is about the man who found a heart.

That being said, it’s also a typical Sathyan Anthikad film in the way that the second half begins to meander. Certain scenes do not fit into with the larger theme of the film and you wonder why the legendary director is still so awkward at shooting song sequences. They tend to look like they’ve been outsourced to someone totally unrelated to this film. The same can be said about a cameo later on, which doesn’t add anything to the film.

But even through all this, it remains reasonably conflict-free without the stakes ever getting too big and out of hand. There’s a lightness through it all and a hilarious set piece is right around the corner.

So, you don't mind Siddique’s hammy performance where a recurring joke feels too forced and too tiresome. You also don’t mind another forced subplot involving Haritha’s architecture firm and a convenient resolution that jumps at you from nowhere.

Most of all, we remain invested because there’s crackling chemistry between Mohanlal, Malavika Mohanan, Sangita and most rewardingly, Sangeeth Prathap. And as someone who missed the full charm of Mohanlal, even in a film like Thudarum, you get to see him lift the complexities of this character or should I say character(s) as though it’s made of feathers. It may not be the best Sathyan Anthikad- Mohanlal movie nor can it come close to their formidable legacy, but it’s a film that feels like home, and I mean that in the most familiar, gnawing way possible.