After watching a movie for two and three-fourths of an hour, you expect to know why it’s got ‘Super’ in its title. Unless it is a very clear wordplay that you somehow missed, you might still wonder at the end of the film, why Sharanya – that’s the second half of the movie title – is called super. A bunch of men in her village who promise to tell the story, later on, do not. The whole film is decidedly written around her, a period in her life in college with friends, teachers, relationships and blunders you think of 20 years later and laugh about. But it still doesn’t explain ‘super’. It is the kind of sweet film that begins promisingly, but stretches itself a tad too much (two and three-fourths, remember), deviates randomly and then ends up connecting all the dots halfheartedly. Girish AD’s second film is not as adorable as his first, Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, but it ticks a lot of boxes.
The movie begins with the face of Anaswara Rajan, playing Sharanya. Straight off, we are given the promised snippets of student life that Girish – also the scriptwriter – has proved to be good at. The bits of ragging, hostel life, friendships and my favourite –conversations between students. Girish somehow seems very connected to this age group, getting their expressions, topics of interest, body language et al just right. Just the scenes of the four young women – Sharanya and her friends – in the hostel room are so enjoyable.
Sadly though it doesn’t last. After the trailer came out, it seemed that Super Sharanya will be about the friendship of young women – an area little explored in Malayalam cinema, except as subplots, or storytelling tools. Sharanya’s friends don’t leave in the middle of the movie, but the story moves away from them. It somehow centres around Sharanya being so attractive that men, all around her, fall for her. In the very first scenes, it is established she is pretty. When she has to go through a certain ground in her village where men play games, she hesitates, telling her mother, “I am not like you, I have some beauty”, and sure enough the men tease her as she rides a scooter.
Watch: Trailer of Super Sharanya
In the next few segments, you find how men keep falling for her. It could have been that story, of a beautiful person that people keep falling in love with. But it strays. Added to it, Sharanya is simple (no makeup) and meek and sensitive – all qualities found traditionally attractive in a woman. It is fun at first to see the various reactions of love-struck men, satires of real-life versions. But after a point the plot seems repetitive, circling between the men and Sharanya.
Arjun Ashokan is introduced outside the campus as a man named Deepu, who Sharanya and her friends run into on a street in Kochi. Sharanya keeps calling him “nice” but you fail to understand how she gauged this after a two-minute scuffle on the street. If anything, he shows all the symptoms of a stalker at first – finding her on social media by checking the location and then the name he accidentally heard.
Sona, Sharanya’s friend, who argues with Deepu, shows more sense but is brushed off as overly “bold” as if that’s a flaw.
Sharanya is shown as growing bolder through the film, by her various friendships. And you are happy that towards the end she is able to fight her own fights. Anaswara plays Sharanya wonderfully, and it must be comfortable to play her age – a privilege women actors in previous generations couldn’t enjoy much, having had to play much older roles in their teens. Those playing Sharanya’s set of friends are also wonderful discoveries by Girish and his team, the novelty of new actors both charming and enjoyable. Naslen K Gafoor, introduced first by Girish in Thanneer Mathan and now a few films old, has a small role too, but it’s disappointingly small.
You have to give it to Girish for how he brings in interesting campus events – arts day, ragging, feedback of teachers, etc. Undoubtedly, he can do coming-of-age movies really well. Perhaps if the film didn’t circle back to the same plot points over and over again, and developed the story of the female friendship more than the tiring old relationship troubles, Super Sharanya would have been a more pleasant experience.
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.