The very first thing that made me notice Idhayam Murali was Fahadh Faasil's face on the poster. Everything looked fresh. Promising? I wasn't convinced. Then the trailer dropped—and that completely changed my mind. The visuals, the edit, the cast, the overall vibe... everything felt surprisingly refreshing. That was enough to nudge me into the theatre for Idhayam Murali.
The film opens with a visual I genuinely didn't expect, and that immediately caught my attention. It was one of those moments that quietly tells you the filmmakers know exactly what they're doing. The story then eases itself into Idhaya's life without rushing, introducing Atharvaa's protagonist and his circle of friends played by Thaman, Niharika, Rakshan, Angelina and others.
I honestly wasn't sure if Thaman would work as an actor. Boy, was I wrong.
Without any massy build-up, Fahadh Faasil enters the film, and before you know it, we're pulled into a lengthy narration that transports us straight to the '90s. The nostalgic childhood visuals and innocent moments are undeniably charming. While the nostalgia itself isn't groundbreaking, the makers spice things up with some unconventional cameos that surprisingly never feel forced.
The premise is delightfully simple. Idhaya keeps falling in love at different stages of his life. The real villain, however, isn't another man or circumstance—it's his own inability to confess his feelings. His love stories don't fail because of rejection; they fail because he never presses "send."
Let me be honest.
This movie is silly. It's mid at times. It gets cringe. It occasionally throws logic out of the window. Sometimes it's just... too much.
But here's the funny thing.
It worked.
I had far more fun than I expected. Thaman absolutely steals the show and had me laughing till tears rolled down my face. Once he takes a breather, Sudhakar (our beloved Gopi) effortlessly carries the baton with another hilarious performance. Even the dumbest one-liners somehow land perfectly, and the fourth-wall breaks never overstay their welcome.
Performance-wise, Atharvaa is his usual natural self. We've seen him play similar characters before, but he still makes Idhaya feel likable. Preity Mukundan is charming and does her part well. Kayadu Lohar looks stunning and delivers a solid performance, especially during the emotional moments. Natti Natarajan is impressive as Idhaya's uncle, while the chemistry within the friend group feels organic throughout.
The film also packs quite a few surprise cameos, many of which seem tailor-made for Tamil audiences. I can already imagine the whistles in packed theatres. The biggest surprise for me was Malavika Mohanan, who lights up the screen the moment she appears. It was genuinely nice seeing her on the big screen again. Anju Kurian and Jonita Gandhi also make brief appearances that add to the fun.
The songs are decent, though not particularly memorable. My only gripe is that the film occasionally abandons its otherwise grounded tone for random dance sequences in public that feel straight out of another universe. Those moments stick out more than they should.
To wrap it up, Idhayam Murali is a goofy, old-school rom-com with plenty of flaws. It's silly, inconsistent, occasionally cringe—and yet incredibly easy to enjoy. At a time when every other film is trying to be profound, gritty, or "cinema," Idhayam Murali simply wants to make you smile. It reminded me of the carefree romantic comedies that once flooded Tamil cinema before they quietly disappeared.
Go in with zero expectations. You might just walk out with a grin.