Love stories in Kollywood can be easily dated back to the pre-ice age period. Love has been showed in different aspects and there is always a new view to it.
However, very few such films make the audience feel related to its content and 96 starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha is the latest in this list.
The storyline of the movie is no surprise, Vijay Sethupathi a photographer and a nature lover visits his hometown Thanjavur where he meets his old friends.
Following this, a get-together of their ’96 batch mates is arranged in Chennai where he gets to meet his childhood love Trisha.
How they recollect and relive their past memories and what happens to them in the future are conveyed in a poetic way by director Prem Kumar.
Prem has not commercialised this love story and has given the audience something that would have happened in their life at one point or the other. He has neatly scripted the movie which keeps the flow smooth without any hindrance.
The first half of the movie contains the flash back portions. Aditya and Gauri who play young VJS and Trisha, respectively, set the tone and mood for the movie and have done exceptionally well.
The character supporting the lead roles too have been cast with extra care giving the movie a real feel. The combination scenes of Sethu and Trisha begin in the second half.
We are at a loss of words on what to tell about Vijay’s performance in the movie. He has always given his best in each films and seems to enhance the performance in the next flick.
He has once again proven that he is the best when it comes to being a natural actor and getting under the skin of a character. He has lived his role and gives the audience the feel of present inside the screen along with the other characters.
Trisha as Jessie in Vinnaithandi Varuvaya is a favourite of many and Jaanu in ’96 might give Jessie a run for her money. Though the major focus is only on the lead pairs, rest of the cast too has done their supporting parts very well.
Govind Vasantha’s music which was vital in promoting and creating the hype for the movie has lived up to the expectation and the visuals for the songs are also a treat.
The movie is the journey of a strong love which everyone can easily relate to.
Rating: 4/5 – 96 out of 100
