Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
‘Modha Rathiri’ literally translates to ‘first night’, and the Tamil comedy-drama is all about a pair being forced into an arranged marriage, each made to think the other is interested in the match, while in reality, neither of them are interested.
Written and directed by Raja Karuppasamy, ‘Modha Rathiri’ stars Anishma Anilkumar as reluctant bride Muthuselvi, whose plan to elope before tying the knot goes wrong because her unreliable boyfriend oversleeps, while actor Rishikanth plays her Dubai-returned groom Maruthanayagam, late to his own wedding, for a comically wild reason. Meanwhile, the groom’s family is also having a panic attack over the carpenter not delivering the wooden bed they offered for the newlyweds.
From the chaotic morning of their wedding, to the more nerve-wracking ‘Modha Rathiri’ that awaits them in a house full of relatives, the film follows Muthu and Maruth’s comical and sometimes heartbreaking journey into marriage over 24 hours. Director Raja Karuppasamy also dons the actor’s hat, playing Muthu’s useless, broke boyfriend, who has absolutely no plans for a stable future together. While Muthu hyperventilates and desperately tries to escape, Maruth actually starts to think positively about the possibility that having a life partner he barely knows might not be such a bad idea after all.
Last seen in the Tamil teen comedy Youth, Anishma Anilkumar gets annoyingly monotonous as Muthu in Modha Rathiri, wearing practically the same expression throughout its two-hour-and-thirty-minute runtime: sadly helpless. I do feel she was deliberately directed to maintain this expression, perhaps to highlight the fact that Muthu has no agency and has been bullied all her life by those around her. But that doesn’t change the fact that it gets glaringly repetitive. The fact that she’s given very little dialogue is absolutely fine because, again, it cleverly illustrates her lack of a voice. However, Anishma fails to make the most of this opportunity to speak through her expressions.
Rishikanth is more entertaining, bringing a palpable ‘angry young man’ energy to Maruth. His character too spends much of the film miffed at his family for pressuring him into a marriage he doesn’t want, but the actor still manages to display a wider emotional range as the leading man. In a twist foreshadowed right from his introductory scene, Maruth also harbours a dark secret that his parents have concealed from the bride’s family.
Much of the comedy in Modha Rathiri stems from the way the bride’s and groom’s families bicker over the silliest things, constantly flashing fake smiles at each other when, in reality, they have little respect for one another. This is best illustrated by Muthu’s mother Selvi (Shelly Kishore) and Maruth’s mother Gomathi (Sangeetha Balan), who exchange awkward, polite smiles while concealing their own insecurities and secrets.
Bagavathi Perumal plays the incredibly annoying uncle Saravanan, who’s forever picking fights and throwing tantrums. He’s the embodiment of every Indian family’s worst wedding-day nightmare: that one uncle who is known for creating drama over the pettiest things. Short-tempered and repulsively patriarchal, Saravanan stirs up enough mayhem to bring both families to blows in the second half of Modha Rathiri.
Modha Rathiri essentially tackles the chaotic circus that Indian weddings can be, and how families continue to force their children into marrying someone of their choosing, almost as if it were a business transaction. Through some of the workers employed for the wedding, the film also attempts to expose the rampant caste discrimination people face. Unfortunately, this subplot feels more like an exercise in ticking a box, as if to say, ‘Hey, look, we’re tackling some other serious issues in this comedy too!’
While the pacing can be a challenge, the never-ending bed delivery fiasco makes for a hilarious recurring gag throughout the film, accompanied by some catchy, comical musical beats that sound a little like the squeaky noises made by children’s plastic shoes (or well, a creaky bed). The climax brings Muthu and Maruth’s first night to an emotional conclusion, ending on a hopeful note as the two finally stand up to their meddling families with a newfound sense of resolve, even if their own future remains uncertain.
Rating: 3 stars on 5. Watch ‘Modha Rathiri’ on Netflix.
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