Irugapatru Review: Watch the Best Feel-Good Movie in 2023

Irugapatru is a movie that revolves around the relationship issues between three different married couples. Directed by Yuvaraj Dhayalan, the film follows the lives of these couples as they face issues that threaten to break their relationships. Although the three stories run parallel, we get a connecting element in the form of a relationship counsellor, who is also one of the couple.

The movie explores the diverse problems between the couples, and each story has its unique set of issues. Rangesh (played by Vidaarth), an IT employee, is unhappy with his wife Pavithra’s (played by Abarnathi) weight gain post-pregnancy and believes divorce is the only solution. Twenty-somethings Arjun (played by Sri) and Divya (played by Saniya Iyappan) are frustrated with each other and wonder where the love they had has gone after their marriage. And Manohar (played by Vikram Prabhu) is annoyed that his marriage counsellor wife Mitra (played by Shraddha Rama Srinath) doesn’t seem to be able to switch off the psychologist in her while at home.

The film is a satisfyingly narrated relationship drama that shows that there is still hope for drama and emotions in the Indian film industry. The director manages to maintain a lighter tone, mostly, and sometimes, he uses humour to lighten a heavy scene. The lead couples’ elegant interiors and chic costumes cannot cover up the shallow writing we find in the Mitra-Manohar track. They are the sort who go camping, hold hands while watching the romantic montage from Up, bake cake, and call aval upma, poha. In short, a couple straight out of a sleek TV commercial for coffee or paint.

The film’s soundtrack (by Justin Prabhakaran) keeps underscoring every point that is made, which adds to the effect. The friction that develops between the lead couples doesn’t come across as a serious threat to their relationship, and the manner in which their problems are dealt with lacks depth. However, the director manages to make up for the slightly underwhelming feeling that these two stories leave us with, with the Ragnesh-Pavithra track, which is the most relatable and best-performed among the three.

The writing and performances in the Ragnesh-Pavithra track are detailed enough to give us a sense of a lived-in feeling. We realize Ragnesh’s issue, which seems bizarre and chauvinistic at first, is deeply personal when we hear him pouring his heart out to Mitra in an affecting monologue. Vidaarth sells the character efficiently, and Abarnathi brings out the naivety of Pavithra with her subtle body language and her voice modulations. It’s a well-calibrated performance that is charming and instantly earns our empathy.

Despite its faults, the film remains engaging for the most part and leaves us with a warm and fuzzy feeling that well-made feel-good films provide us. Yuvaraj’s success as a filmmaker lies in his ability to create a movie that is both thought-provoking and entertaining, exploring the complexities of human relationships in a way that is both relatable and engaging.