Thattathin Marayathu

Vineeth Sreenivasan's 2012 Malayalam film is a first-love story set in a small town. Vinod falls for Aisha, who comes from a Muslim family, at first sight; she is uninterested at first, then responds, and the matter comes down to the difference of religion between the families. The film does not enlarge the conflict, building a quiet helplessness instead of fights, threats and dramatic scenes, and keeping the young pair's indecision at the centre. Daily life in a Kerala town, groups of friends and their humour make up its texture. Nivin Pauly became known through it, and the film is regarded as the start of the plain, realistic romantic comedy strand that spread through Malayalam cinema in the years after. The songs became popular apart from the film. The ending softens the argument rather than resolving it. Who it's for: viewers who like Malayalam cinema and quiet romance. Who it's not for: anyone expecting the question of religious difference to be treated seriously; the film lightens it.