Maara review: Restoring love through a treasure hunt

Maara (Tamil) (Amazon Prime Video)

Cast: R Madhavan, Shraddha Srinath, Sshivada, Moulee

Director: Dhilip Kumar

Rating: 3/5

R Madhavan and Shraddha Srinath’s latest ‘Maara’ is a remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Charlie’, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy. When ‘Charlie’ released in 2015, the audience was divided. Some liked it and thought it had many philosophical notes to it, others thought it was too vague and didn’t convey what it actually wanted to.

‘Maara’, to the large extent, has stuck to a similar storyline but with tweaked instances. Overall, the movie felt more well-rounded and clearcut as compared to ‘Charlie’. It does take you through a bit of thinking process but at the end of the film, you are satisfied and left without too many unanswered questions.

Madhavan, who plays Maara, is like a guardian angel who shows up when someone is in need. He has touched and saved so many lives that even though they’ve met him only for a few hours or days, he leaves a huge impact.

Professionally, Paaru, played by Shraddha Srinath, does restoration work on old buildings — almost a simile where she restores something very precious for an old man. She’s on a treasure hunt to find Maara as he reminds her of a story she heard from a stranger when she was really young.

The supporting cast plays a very crucial part in the film. In fact, everyone else in the film gets more screen presence than Madhavan himself. However, his presence is felt throughout the movie.

Without a doubt, ‘Maara’ is a romantic movie, just not about the main cast. It’s long but the cinematographers Dinesh Krishnan and Karthik Muthukumar need to be given special mentions for creating stunning visuals throughout the film.

Every single shot, be it the detailing of Maara’s cramped apartment or the wide landscapes of the tea estates, perhaps, it’s an injustice to their work to have watched it on a smaller screen.

It's not a movie that you'd want to revisit often but it's a pleasant and a visual treat.