Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali review: A heartwarming tale of love, care, and self-discovery that is a treat to the senses

Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali, directed by Chandrajith Belliappa, is akin to the man-child films that one has seen a lot in Bollywood that starred actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.

The film deals with the story of Sid, who is in love with Anahita. Between them is Radha, a young girl who is engaged to be married to Sid. The story, narrated in chapters, follows the tale of love, care, and self-discovery of Sid.

Chandrajith Belliappa’s debut outing, simply put, is a treat to the senses. The film is a complete package for a theatre watch with good visuals, great music, fantastic sound, good locations, and wonderful performances.

The bonus is that the film, along with being audio-visual poetry, is also poetic in its writing.

With three new faces in the lead, along with a young team, Chandrajith Belliappa has given a story that touches one, with moments that haunt you long after you have left the cinema hall.

Some of the sequences, especially towards the climax, can leave one with goosebumps, both in terms of conceptualisation and performance. Along with this, there is a flashback portion of a driver in Goa which will also remain in one’s mind.

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Well-written characters

In the stories of the self-discovery of the man-child hero, who finds his purpose in life, often the women characters take a backseat. But Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali has some of the most wonderfully thought-out women characters.

The two leading ladies, Anahita and Radha, are poles apart in their demeanour. However, they are both such resilient and self-assured women that one cannot but fall in love with them.

Anahita’s mysterious ways, with her sharing just a few things out and remaining mostly silent, have a certain magnetic appeal to them.

At the same time, Radha’s straightforward nature and matter-of-fact way of approaching life and situations is refreshing. She’s probably the green flag girl everyone should go for.

Sid, the hero, is a mixed bag. He has his angst and yet has a brooding romanticism about him. He is probably “Arjun Reddy (2017) with a conscience” if we could call it that, on the one hand, and at the same time, someone who displays shades of Ranveer Singh’s character from Lootera (2013) on the other hand.

All three young actors—Vihan, Ankita and Mayuri—are perfect for their respective roles and leave a mark.

A perfect tribute to Geethanjali

One of the most curious aspects was the casting coup that the team had pulled when they signed on Girija Shettar of Geethanjali (1989)-fame for a character.

This film, once seeing her character Madhumita unfold on screen, seems like the perfect tribute to both Geethanjali and Mani Ratnam, with her being cast in the role that she did. This reason alone deserves more praise on this team.

Rakshit Shetty’s belief in Chandrajith Belliappa’s vision to narrate a story that is all heart and warmth needs to be lauded too. The makers have ensured they have not compromised on the locations or the treatment either.

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Final take

Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali is a poetic tale that needs to be savoured on the big screen.

It has a lot of refreshing moments and a wonderful and fresh cast with rarely any face that one sees often in films that require so many people on screen.

One might feel it could be a chapter too long, but it is worth the watch.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)