‘Hridayapoorvam movie review’: A light-hearted entertainer that stretches a thin plot to its limits

The need to move out of their comfort zone ceases to be a necessity for filmmakers when they find success with their favourite tropes. That has been the case with Sathyan Anthikad for over four decades. Even as the film industry changed around him in unrecognisable ways, and despite a few slumps, he continued to have some level of success with his signature style. Anthikad’s previous film, Makal (2022)— which also dealt with the tried-and-tested — had a conservative protagonist who struggled to understand the mindset of his teenage daughter.

But, in Hridayapoorvam, one finds a filmmaker who has a clear intent to connect better with a younger generation, without, of course, letting go of his family audience. The casting of a few popular online content creators, an odd fit in the Anthikad world, although an industry trend, is not a coincidence. One can also notice the influence of his sons, Anoop Sathyan, the associate director, and Akhil Sathyan, who penned the story, in how he has approached the scenes.

Every idea has a limit. However, in Hridayapoorvam, one witnesses novel ways in which an idea can be stretched to extract and exhaust all its myriad possibilities. It all rests on the old fascination in fiction towards heart donations, and the residual affinities that the close relatives might have to the donated heart. Sandeep Balakrishnan (Mohanlal) visits the family of his heart donor in Pune, on the occasion of the latter’s daughter Haritha (Malavika Mohanan)‘s engagement. Some unforeseen circumstances force him to extend his stay, leading to further complications.

The film, for most of its runtime, is marked by light humour, aided by the striking chemistry between Mohanlal and Sangeeth Prathap. Even in parts where another filmmaker might have taken a detour to explore more weightier aspects of the subject at hand, Anthikad hardly strays away from the humourous rhythm he hits early on.

This extra careful approach, in a way, helps the film steer clear of uncomfortable discussions, which could have possibly pulled the film down. Even when the film almost deals with such subjects, it does it with a delicate touch that would gently rock the boat. Despite these minor turns in the plot, there is never a doubt in our minds as to how the film would pan out in the end, for it plays by the rules of the comfort zone.

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With variations of the basic idea at play, Hridayapoorvam somewhat loses its steam in its latter half. The screenwriter resorts to some conveniences, especially when it comes to the character of Nishan, who plays Haritha’s fiancé. Ample screen space, almost on par with that of Mohanlal, is provided for Sangeeth and Malavika, who both manage to pull off what was required of them, although the portion involving Siddique as the scheming brother-in-law belongs to the yesteryear Anthikad world. Mohanlal continues his recent spurt of good form, carrying a film with hardly any major conflict, other than the imagined ones, on his shoulders.

With Hridayapoorvam, Sathyan Anthikad crafts a light-hearted entertainer by stretching a thin plotline and extracting all the possible laughs out of it.