Thirumanam Enum Nikkah
Reviews
timesofindia
Thirumanam Enum Nikkah is like the romance dramas in which there will be no story at all if the leads talk to each other in a frank manner and so will have to keep pretending for the plot to go on. It is based on a single construct — two lovers belonging to the same religion (and even the same sect) mistaking the other to be of a different religion and so pretending to be of the same religion. It all starts when Vijayaraghavachari aka Raghavan ( Jai) approaches a tout for a ticket to Coimbatore. He is asked to pretend as Abubacker and on the train, he meets Vishnupriya (Nazriya), who is actually travelling under the name of her colleague Aayisha. He earns her confidence and both think of the other as a Muslim. On their return to Chennai, they realize they are in love but carry on the pretense of being a Muslim. He lies to Shaukat Ali, a respected Unani doctor, to get to know about Islam, while she learns about the practices followed by Muslims from Aayisha. Meanwhile, both their families are fixing a match for them and Shaukat's daughter, Naseema (Heebah), falls for Raghavan. When they realize their true identities eventually, they are left confused as the both seem alien to each other given that they now looking at one another from a different lens. The case of mistaken identity isn't new in the romance genre and director Anis tries to lend some freshness to this oft-seen premise by using religious identity as the point of conflict for a romance. He comes up with scenes that are mostly plausible to show how such a misunderstanding could occur. He nicely parallels the lives of the two leads to show how similar they are. Both Raghavan and Priya's have large, traditional families; both have a friend at office who informs their decision; both use details from their lives to make their lies believable (he uses Shaukat Ali's words while she gets her awareness of Muslim religion from her friend Ayesha); both have a character whose only purpose is to be the third wheel (if it's a colleague for her, it's Naseema for him) and so on. At times, he takes this too far — Raghavan and Priya are not just Hindu, they are also Iyengar Brahmins, as if the director wanted to avoid the minor inconvenience that might arise if either of the two were a non-Brahmin or even an Iyer. The leads, too, are likeable, though the falling-in-love aspect should have had a little more depth. But the first half is breezy enough and the humour that arises out of perceived religious differences provides some moments of levity. Even the attempt to spread the message of communal harmony doesn't come across as too preachy. The director also ups the stakes a bit in the second half by not wanting to provide a simplistic ending. When many would have ended the film once Raghavan and Priya realize their true identities, he reaches for something profound in the second half. Can you continue to love a person even after you realize that you have created a different image of them in your heart? It is definitely an interesting angle but it is here that Anis slips. The events that follow the revelatory scene are muddled and leave us frustrated. Given that they hardly talk to each other after realizing their real identities, it is hard to believe that in a matter of moments, Raghavan and Priya agree to get married because their parents are OK with their match. It doesn't help that the characters in their families are written in such a non-descript manner that they could be perfectly interchangeable. And so, when the two decide to call off the marriage, it feels like an over-reaction. Similarly, the sub-plot involving Naseema and her angry relative who wants to exact revenge on Raghavan feels forced. All it does is lead to an unnecessary stunt scene which is indifferently shot (even the location changes midway into the fight!). Similarly, Ghibran's songs, which are the film's calling card, are thrust into the narrative in random to stay true to the five-song formula. But most importantly, we never get a convincing answer as to why the lovers finally decide to get together.
Movie Recommendation
Liar Liar1997-03-21Forced by his son's birthday wish, fast-talking attorney and habitual liar Fletcher Reede must tell the truth for the next 24 hours.More...
Sarabham2014-08-01Despite being an honest man, Vikram, in order to get extra money without being caught, hatches a plan to kidnap Shruti. His actions land him in trouble and he realises that he is being framed.More...
Rear Window1954-08-01A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.More...
12 Angry Men1957-04-10The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.More...
Skyfall2012-10-24When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong, agents around the world are exposed and MI6 headquarters is attacked. While M faces challenges to her authority and position from Gareth Mallory, the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, it's up to Bond, aided only by field agent Eve, to locate the mastermind behind the attack.More...
Parasite2019-05-30All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.More...
Titanic1997-11-18101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic's departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.More...
Die Hard: With a Vengeance1995-05-19New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.More...
Back to the Future1985-07-03Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown - return to 1985.More...
Alien1979-05-25During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.More...
Taxi Driver1976-02-09A mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feed his urge for violent action.More...
Marriage Story2019-09-28A stage director and an actress struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal extremes.More...
The Shawshank Redemption1994-09-23Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.More...
Shaun of the Dead2004-04-09Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.More...
Home Alone1990-11-16Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. When thieves try to break into his home, he puts up a fight like no other.More...
Star Wars1977-05-25Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.More...
Howl's Moving Castle2004-09-09Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.More...
Fight Club1999-10-15A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.More...
American Beauty1999-09-15Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.More...
Into the Wild2007-09-21After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity, and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness.More...
Similar Movies
Tangos Are for Two
1998-01-23A woman's voice says she was wife to Renzo Franchi and Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), Argentina's great tango singer. People say she's crazy. Her story unfolds. Buenos Aires, 1933: Juana Romero, a seamstress who lives for the music of Gardel, dumps her boyfriend Gustavo for Renzo, a singer who looks like Gardel. She insists that his trio performs Gardel's tangos, which leads to Renzo recording a Ford commercial when Gardel himself is overbooked. The trio, with Joanna in tow, goes on an ill-fated tour of points north. The couple breaks up: she goes home and he tries to get to New York. Fate steps in, and once again he's called upon to pose as Gardel. Then, legend and a bracelet take over. Written byA History of Violence...
2005-09-23An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.An Hour Behind
2017-09-20Trish's friends set her up on a blind-date, but when she forgets to adjust her clocks to compensate for Daylight Savings Time, she inadvertently stands her potential sweetheart up. Instead, she arrives at the venue and meets Parker, a sweet-natured but troubled paramedic who decides to play along with the oblivious Trish. The pair hit it off, but their promising romance is threatened when the case of mistaken identity is revealed.The Bounty Hunter
2010-03-16Milo Boyd, a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, thinks he's seeing an upswing in fortune when he gets a call to bring in his bail-jumping ex-wife, a reporter named Nicole. Milo considers the job an easy payday, but Nicole quickly escapes to chase a lead on a murder case. The former spouses play an escalating game of one-upmanship, until they suddenly find themselves on the run for their lives.Macao
1952-04-11Nick Cochran, an American in exile in Macao, has a chance to restore his name by helping capture an international crime lord. Undercover, can he mislead the bad guys and still woo the attractive singer/petty crook, Julie Benson?The Gay Divorcee
1934-10-12Seeking a divorce from her absentee husband, Mimi Glossop travels to an English seaside resort. There she falls in love with dancer Guy Holden, whom she later mistakes for the corespondent her lawyer hired.Twelfth Night
1955-11-21Shakespeare's comedy of gender confusion, in which a girl disguises herself as a man to be near the count she adores, only to be pursued by the woman he loves.The Pallbearer
1996-05-03Aspiring architect Tom Thompson is told by mysterious Ruth Abernathy that his best friend, "Bill," has taken his own life. Except that Tom has never met Bill and neither have his incredulous friends. So when Tom foolishly agrees to give the eulogy at Bill's funeral, it sets him on a collision course with Ruth -- who is revealed to be Bill's oversexed mother -- and Julie DeMarco, the longtime crush Tom hasn't seen since they were teens.Shooting Straight
1930-07-20A gambler wanted for murder hides under the guise of a clergyman.Top Hat
1935-08-29Showman Jerry Travers is working for producer Horace Hardwick in London. Jerry demonstrates his new dance steps late one night in Horace's hotel room, much to the annoyance of sleeping Dale Tremont below. She goes upstairs to complain and the two are immediately attracted to each other. Complications arise when Dale mistakes Jerry for Horace.Pepi, Luci, Bom
1980-10-27After a young heiress is assaulted by a policeman, she seeks revenge by befriending the policeman’s mousy wife and introducing her to her circle of outrageous punk friends.Maid in Manhattan
2002-12-13Marisa Ventura is a struggling single mom who works at a posh Manhattan hotel and dreams of a better life for her and her young son. One fateful day, hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall meets Marisa and mistakes her for a wealthy socialite. After an enchanting evening together, the two fall madly in love. But when Marisa's true identity is revealed, issues of class and social status threaten to separate them. Can two people from very different worlds overcome their differences and live happily ever after?Laura
1944-10-11A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he's investigating.Eating Out
2004-02-14After getting dumped by his slutty girlfriend, Caleb falls in love with Gwen. However, thanks to Caleb's roommate, Gwen thinks he's gay and sets him up with her roommate, Marc.Say It Isn't So
2001-03-10Boy meets girl; boy falls in love (and had wild, non-stop sex) with girl; boy loses girl... when they discover they are brother and sister! But when he learns that he's the victim of the ultimate case of mistaken identity, the lovesick young man -- whom everyone still thinks is after some taboo thrills -- must race across the country to stop her from marrying another man.Intimate Strangers
2004-02-05Because she picked the wrong door, Anna ends up confessing her marriage problems to a financial adviser named William Faber. Touched by her distress, somewhat excited as well, Faber does not have the courage to tell her that he is not a psychiatrist. From appointment to appointment, a strange ritual is created between them. William is moved and fascinated to hear the secrets no man ever heard.The Majestic
2001-12-21Set in 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.Upgraded
2024-02-07Ana is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss Claire. When she's upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets handsome Will, and Ana pretends to be her boss– a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface.Year of the Gun
1991-09-10American novelist David Raybourne accidentally becomes entangled in the Red Brigade's terrorist plan to kidnap Italian Premier Aldo Moro during a research trip to Rome. As the terrorists attempt to kill David, he and his photojournalist friend must struggle to stay alive.The Keeping Room
2014-09-25In this radically reimagined American Western set towards the end of the Civil War, Southerner Augusta encounters two renegade, drunken soldiers who are on a mission of pillage and violence. After escaping an attempted assault, Augusta races back to the isolated farmhouse that she shares with her sister Louise and their female slave Mad. When the pair of soldiers track Augusta down intent on exacting revenge, the trio of women are forced to take up arms to fend off their assailants, finding ways to resourcefully defend their home––and themselves––as the escalating attacks become more unpredictable and relentless.