Meesaya Murukku

HipHop Tamizha Adhi's 2017 Tamil film is his first work as a director and draws largely on his own career in music. At its centre is a young man who wants to make music, caught between family pressure, love and the effort to release his first song. The first half runs as campus comedy and the music sequences are well built; Adhi's own compositions sit naturally inside the film. In the second half the story turns heavy and the resolution of the romantic line is too abrupt. The director playing himself gives the film sincerity while also setting its limits; the inexperience in the acting shows. It was an unexpected commercial success. Who it's for: viewers interested in Tamil music films and the work of young directors. Who it's not for: anyone wanting experienced performances, or who will find the shifts of tone abrupt.