Director Vinayak Chandrasekaran's film highlights a distinct point — how society shames and humiliates men who snore.
A poster of Vinayak Chandrasekaran's 'Good Night'. (Twitter)
Good Night (Tamil)
Director Vinayak Chandrasekaran’s Good Night is a highly enjoyable romantic comedy that reinforces the fact that simple, plain, good-old-love is more than enough to overcome any problem that may arise between two individuals in a relationship.
Full marks to Vinayak for not only narrating a highly entertaining, adorable romantic story but also, in the process, making a very distinct point about how society shames and humiliates men who snore. Without much ado, let’s get to the story.
Mohan (Manikandan) is a simple, good-natured youngster working in an IT company.
He has only two problems in life. First, his command of English is poor, and the second — which is the more pronounced problem of the two — is that he snores loudly in his sleep.
A still from Manikandan’s ‘Good Night’. (Supplied)
Mohan’s snoring is so loud that office colleagues mock and make fun of him by calling him “Motor” Mohan. Things turn for the worse when a girl he’s been interested in office chooses to turn down his proposal citing his snoring problem.
In another part of town lives Anu (Meetha Raghunath), a quiet, charming introvert who keeps to herself, after taking to heart certain comments made by immature people that she is a harbinger of bad luck.
Anu, who works in an auditing firm, has lost both her parents and stays as a tenant on the first floor of a house owned by an old couple.
The couple loves her like their own granddaughter. Though Anu doesn’t state it openly, it is obvious that she is grateful for the care and concern coming her way.
Like all good things that happen unexpectedly, Mohan and Anu meet each other under a highly enjoyable set of circumstances. Eventually, they find that they like each other. One thing leads to another and before they know it, Anu and Mohan get married.
From Tomorrow ❤️#GoodnightfromMay12 #GoodNightMovie pic.twitter.com/ueGFOzautT
— Manikandan Kabali (@Manikabali87) May 11, 2023
A still from the Tamil film ‘Good Night’. (Supplied)
But it is here that the problem starts. Mohan’s snoring keeps Anu awake all night. The soft-natured gentle girl that she is, Anu tries to adjust.
Mohan, for his part, is exceptionally sweet and concerned that his snoring shouldn’t affect his wife. He enquires from her if his snoring disturbs her.
However, Anu, who is particular about not hurting Mohan, lies to him that she does not find his snoring disturbing.
Day after day, Anu struggles to get sleep as Mohan snores away to glory. Eventually, sleep deprivation takes a toll on Anu and she is hospitalised.
It is then that Mohan realises that he is a problem. What he does next, out of concern for his wife’s health, is what causes the distance between them to grow.
Director Vinayak Chandrasekaran’s story is so rooted in reality that you can relate to it. It tells of how men try desperately to fix even those things that they know are well beyond their control for the sake of their loved ones.
A still of Manikandan Kabali starring in ‘Good Night’. (Supplied)
In a scene, Mohan confides in his brother-in-law Ramesh (Ramesh Thilak) by detailing how people everywhere keep ridiculing him for his snoring and how he secretly lives a life of fear.
At one point in this scene, he wonders: “If somebody points out a mistake you commit while you are awake, you can correct it. How can I correct something that happens when I sleep?”
Beyond the snoring problem and the social stigma attached to it, Good Night also throws light on how people end up hurting themselves in the process of looking to protect and nurture their loved ones.
Good Night is a beautiful story narrated with precision and conviction. The narration is impactful, thanks to the outstanding performances of almost all the actors in the film.
Oru Tharamana vibe! #PalaPattra song from #GoodNight is out now 💥🥳https://t.co/wlsV1tFzjv
A @RSeanRoldan Musical!
🎤 #ThenisaiThendralDeva #TheSnoringFilm #GoodNightFromMay12 @Manikabali87 @RaghunathMeetha @imvinayakk @thilak_ramesh @SakthiFilmFctry @Yuvrajganesan… pic.twitter.com/f1rEaImyRc— Think Music (@thinkmusicindia) May 6, 2023
Manikandan, who wowed audiences with his performance in Jai Bhim (2021), comes up with another spectacular performance here as “Motor” Mohan.
He steals the thunder, scoring in all three departments — comedy, drama and romance.
A still of Meetha Raghunath’s ‘Good Night’. (Twitter)
Talking of romance, the chemistry between Manikandan and Meetha Raghunath is just adorable and works like magic.
Meetha Raghunath plays the soft-spoken girl Anu, who is understanding, to perfection. Measured and polite throughout the film, Anu’s character steals your heart.
Two other significant characters that make a difference in the film are Mohan’s brother-in-law (Ramesh Thilak) and Anu’s grandfather (director Balaji Sakthivel).
Both Ramesh Thilak and Balaji Sakthivel live their parts, adding to the humour quotient of the film.
Sean Roldan’s music is just out of this world. The master musician breathes life into the rom-com with his magical tunes and it is a delight to listen to them.
In all, Good Night is a good, meaningful, and thoroughly entertaining film that makes your day.
(Views expressed are personal.)
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