Atharvaa-starrer ‘Hrudayam Murali’ OTT Movie Review

Rating: 2.5/5
— Surya Prakash Josyula

Falling in love does not need much effort. All you need is a little free time. Put your phone away, walk down the street, and look around. You may suddenly like someone. Maybe you like something about her. Your body even gives you signals. Your heart beats a little faster, while your brain starts working a little less.

That is how love begins.

But falling in love is easy. Making the other person fall in love with you is not. And before that, you have to actually tell them that you love them.

That is the problem Hrudaya (Atharvaa) has.

Hrudaya is very good at falling in love with girls. The funny part is that everyone knows he is in love—except the girl he actually loves.

He simply cannot walk up to her and say, “I love you.”

There is a reason behind this.

Hrudaya loses his parents when he is very young. His uncle (Natti Subramanyam) raises him. That childhood loss creates a fear inside him. Instead of getting close to people, he starts worrying that they may leave him someday.

So, love becomes easy for him. Expressing it becomes almost impossible.

First, he develops a crush on his school teacher Geetha. But it remains just a crush.

Then, in college, Samantha (Preethi Mukundan) enters his life. He thinks about her, loves her, and even tells his friends that he loves her.

But he never tells Samantha.

So, she moves on.

Then comes Amudha (Kayadu Lohar), a doctor. Hrudaya falls for her and starts admiring her.

Will he finally confess his love?

The answer is predictable.

His friends keep trying to push him to express his feelings, but nothing works.

Finally, his uncle understands that Hrudaya is not exactly lucky in love. He arranges his engagement with Aditi (Malavika Mohanan).

Now, just when marriage seems certain, Hrudaya starts remembering his past.

And then something unexpected happens. The girls from his past start coming back into his life.

Will Hrudaya get married?
Will he finally find love?
Or will his past change everything?

That is what the movie is about.

How Is It?

We have seen stories like this many times before. We have also heard similar stories in real life.

But that is the strange beauty of love stories. Even when the basic idea is familiar, they can still feel fresh.

‘Hrudayam Murali’ clearly takes inspiration from the old-school romantic films of the 1990s.

The connection to the old Tamil film Hrudayam is obvious. In that film too, the hero struggles to tell the girl he loves that he loves her. That movie became a big hit and later inspired several romantic films.

‘Hrudayam Murali’ takes that basic emotional idea and brings it into the present.

But times have changed.

Love has changed.
Dating has changed.
The way people communicate has changed.

Today, if someone falls in love at night, they may feel the need to confess by the next morning. If they keep waiting, there is always a chance that the other person may move on with someone else.

That makes this kind of old-school love story slightly difficult to accept today.

Still, nostalgia works in the movie’s favour.

The biggest advantage of the film is that you don’t have to think too much while watching it. There are no complicated puzzles. There is no big mystery about what is going to happen.

You can simply put your brain aside and enjoy the ride.

Of course, there are several scenes where you may think, “Haven’t I seen this before?”

That is probably the main rule you need to follow while watching this movie.

Don’t compare every scene with the films you have already seen.

If you can do that, the movie is watchable.

It is not a terrible film. There are some good moments, and some viewers may genuinely enjoy its old-fashioned romantic mood.

But if you are expecting something fresh or something much better than the usual love stories, this may disappoint you.

Where to Watch?

The movie is available in Telugu on Netflix.

Final Thought

Don’t assume that the title ‘Hrudayam Murali’ simply came from the heart.

It clearly comes from the old Hrudayam.

And after watching this movie, there is actually one thing you may want to do: search for the old Hrudayam on YouTube and watch it.

The love story of Murali and Heera may stay with you for a few more days.

‘Hrudayam Murali’ — a simple, nostalgic love story that works best when you stop expecting something new.