Ariyippu review: A moving tale that deals with the gritty underpinnings of honour and morality

Directed by Mahesh Narayanan, Ariyippu tells the gritty, moving story of a Malayali couple — Hareesh (Kunchako Boban) and Rashmi (Divya Prabha) — who work at a surgical gloves factory in Noida as they wait to get their visas to land their dream job.

In between, they struggle to survive. Making matters worse, a video of Reshmi surfaces and circulates among the workers. The situation puts the couple’s marriage and jobs at risk.

Highlights the dichotomy of life

Ariyippu avoids clichés and formulas. Too many times, the film might have taken the easy way out but unlike other genre films, there is no perfect happy ending in this one.

In fact, the ending is highly ambivalent, with both hints of hope and flashes of gloom. The script also shows a variety of human characteristics.

While dealing with the gritty underpinnings of honour and morality, Ariyippu also examines its dichotomy of impact on those who occupy the lower strata of society.

Mahesh Narayanan narrates a moving tale and he does it so carefully with all the right points put in to keep the story tight. Even when what is happening on the screen is basic, the editing gives Ariyippu a throbbing rhythm.

It is a film that doesn’t mess around. The director’s passion resonates throughout the picture.

Intense performances

The powerful emotional swing is uprooted by an inspiring cast’s uncompromising performance.

The characters are impeccably written and developed. There is no better example of casting. We see real people as characters, which gives the movie its power.

Kunchacko Boban, as Hareesh, excels in portraying a character with hardly any sympathetic characteristics. He is down to the bone of the human condition and certainly up to the highest screen standards.

Danish Husain, Kannan Arunachalam and Lovleen Mishra support the flow well. However, it is Divya Prabha who gives the film’s most shattering performance. As Rashmi, she plays her role with the air of one who has gone through the conditions that the film depicts.

Final take

The most agonising sequences in the movie do not include loud statements or excessive melodramatic tragic events. Instead, we watch small disappointments bruising a relatable couple’s soul.

Ariyippu is a fantastic film with excellent acting, strong performances, intimate and emotionally challenging script. The writing is sharp and the ensemble is colourful. The grounded performances of the lead actors will knock you out!