She came, she conquered and she vanished..that was a decade back..and with “how old are you” (HORU), Manju Warrier has arrived on the movie scene with a fresh burst of energy and elegance!
HORU is definitely not a master piece but it’s not a bad filmeither. It’s a simple story told with sincerity and it kind of reaches home without melodrama and without the “inevitable bad guy”! Yes, there were typical “clichés” that could have been avoided, a few predictable turns and dramatic changes that are a little on the “utopian” side. Yes, the movie brings back memories of “English Vinglish” in various stages. Yes, Manju Warrier can create more magic than what she portrayed on screen..
But leave those regrets aside and you can appreciate the director for shouldering the responsibility of bringing back a yesteryear diva back to the audience..and he brought her back with warmth, simplicity and sheer elegance! The story too is a simple, sweet little peep into a thirty something woman’s world and it touches your heart at certain moments and brings out some mixed but relevant messages to the audience.
And what more can be said about Manju Warrier that hasn’t been said before? She slips effortlessly into “Nirupama”’s shoes and the tower of expectations definitely did not fail this time. Her performance makes us forget that she ever left the movie scene behind. The review cannot be complete without appreciating the stable support that Kunjacko lends to the movie , he holds his ground and matches Manju in every scene.
Despite being a hard-core fan, I should admit that the role was too ‘tailored’ for her and has not brought out the best in her. But I take this as her ‘warm up’ session before creating her second wave of blitzkrieg in Malayalam movie and that’s definitely worth the wait!
