Moda Kavida Vaatavarana story: Cherish (Sheelam M Swamy) and Saathvika (Saathvika) head to a resort to bond at the same time as newly-engaged Dhanu (Dhananjaya Didaga) and Sowparnika (Moksha Kushal). Cherish, a part-time psychologist and full-time meme-maker, and Sowparnika end up spending time with each other and exploring their new surroundings, what with their respective partners neck-deep in work pressure. All is well until a threat from Sowparnika’s past crops up.
Moda Kavida Vaatavarana review: “The second half of Moda Kavida Vaatavarana will be its highlight” – said writer-director Su Ni in a pre-release conversation about his new film that is in theatres today. Having seen the film, I wonder if he was joking; there’s no way that he could have meant it in all earnest, or did he? Su Ni, me thinks, had a title and a location to justify it; everything else that unfolded onscreen is best described as the trippy outcome of some ‘soppu’. Nothing, absolutely nothing, makes sense.
Mental health is at the core of Su Ni’s film and the two professionals he introduces not only flout their ethical duty to keep a patient's personal and medical information private, but one of them goes a step further and disregards this conflict to actively stalk the patient. The reason – she was his childhood crush, you see, so all is forgiven. [Perhaps the first breach of patient confidentiality occurred because Su Ni relegated a doctor with an MBBS and MD to being a psychologist (and not psychiatrist)]
Moksha Kushal and Sheelam in Moda Kavida Vaatavarana
The mental health of one of the protagonists leads to some of the film’s most hilarious scenes, though they were not intended to leave one rolling around in fits of laughter. The first time this character rolled their eyes and spoke, I literally screamed ‘Nagavalli’ and was expecting some “Vidamatten…. Ayogya naaye… inniku Durgashtami”, kinda dialogue, albeit as a spoof of the iconic scene. The dramatics on display were quite insufferable.
But then, amid a sea of mediocrity (and less) unleashed by the rest of the cast, this doesn’t seem so bad. There’s really nothing worthwhile to write about Moda Kavida Vaatavarana; not even the cameo by a hero who’s collaborated with the filmmaker earlier. Generally, Su Ni films tend to at least have good music and some entertaining bits, even if the final product does not stick the landing. This time, everything was amiss right from the take-off.
Moda Kavida Vaatavarana verdict: Su Ni’s latest is a massive misstep. The film did not work for me, but if you are still firmly in the team Su Ni camp, do give it a try.
