Maara, directed by Dhilip Kumar, is the Tamil remake of the 2015 Malayalam film Charlie which brought together Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy in a refreshing romance where the two leads barely share any screen space. The film follows a picaresque structure, documenting the adventures of a man who wears his heart on the sleeve and a woman who is in his pursuit.
I remember watching Charlie back then, drawn by the fact that a woman was making a solo journey, wearing whatever she wanted and doing whatever she wanted, without any terrible consequences on screen. That realm of easy-come-easy-go is usually reserved for male characters and Charlie’s spirited Tessa with her prominent nose-rings, wild curls and trekking bag was the kind of heroine we seldom got to see.
In Maara, now playing on Amazon Prime Video, the loosely knit plot of the original finds a tether right at the beginning with a frame story that explains Paaru’s (Shraddha Srinath) obsession with Maara (Madhavan), a man she has never seen. While Charlie seemed like an illustration of serendipity, Maara is more about destiny. The remake begins with a young Paaru listening to a nun narrate a story about a sipoy who has locked his life in a fish, and must find it after it gets lost in a storm. And just as this unlikely pair must seek each other to become whole, Maara and Paaru too are destined to discover each other.
Set in Fort Kochi and Mattencherry, the film is a riot of light, music and colours, with the tone set by the fairytale beginning persisting all through the narrative. Shraddha is arresting in her pretty clothes and accessories, but she isn’t there only as eye candy. If Parvathy brought a certain mischievous rebelliousness to her interpretation of the role, Shraddha plays it in her own way. Paaru’s curiosity, disappointment and surprise register in her eyes by turn and Shraddha really is the film’s soul.
Madhavan as Maara, however, looks jaded. It may seem unfair to play a ‘who did it better’ game when reviewing a remake, but in a film like this which depends heavily on the charm of its leads, it is inevitable. The role called for someone who has a child-like sense of wonder within them despite being able to take on a bunch of thugs if required. Madhavan looks too world-weary as Maara though his easy smile is still winsome.
Abhirami has a small but significant role as a sex worker. The scene is among the few dark ones in the film and the actor does well to move us with her dignified performance. The rest of the supporting cast – Alexander Babu, Sshivada, Kishore, Moulee and others – add to the genial atmosphere of the film.
Some may find it too genial. The conflicts are few and quickly resolved; most of the characters border on quirky caricatures. When I watched Charlie, I remember a trenchant, middle-aged man next to me asserting that unless one has a fat bank balance, it is impossible to lead a carefree life like this. I suspect that he is right; however, if you buy into the premise that love is enough to make the world go around and forget about who will pay the bills and how, you may find Maara appealing.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.