(by Avinash Prakash)
The most unconventional love story that’s come out of Gautham Menon. Well the first time I finished watching it, I felt a void. I brushed it aside thinking the film didn’t work. But the entire time, Kamal and Nethra’s short time together kept playing somewhere in the back of my mind. Something about them coming together reminded of something that happened in my life. Keeping that aside, I felt like I missed something. And through the night I couldn’t get them out of my mind.
I sat through the entire anthology, and when it came to the 9th film, “Guitar Kambi Mel Nindru”, I decided to give it a go again.
The second time around, everything felt organic, I saw beyond and could catch every minute reaction, this time, everything made sense and I felt complete.
The first thing that struck me was, I am watching Suriya! The star the mass hero. He truly let go! He was honest, uninhibited. Like the first time he meets Nethra (the lovely Prayaga) Suriya has a stunned look that’s so true, looking back at a similar moment in Vaaranam Aiyiram, he was fabulous in that as well, but here, you don’t see Suriya the Person. This feels different, true and honest.
Let’s meet Nethra, Prayaga was simply stunning in every possible way! The first time she appears on screen and gives that look, that look, damn, it’s everything. Oh how lovely that first moment played, love struck strangers, cautious yet flirtatious, and they have a song to record. The moment when adhirudha plays, prayaga’s expression says everything she feels for him.
Small moments are crafted so carefully, suriya crossing prayaga, she asks for one more take. He enjoys her voice. Nethra seems to be enjoying the soul of Kamal! The one true self. Like real life, when you fall for the truest self, that is a problem, our truest self doesn’t really show up much!
As I write this, I want to watch the film again, the purity of the first drizzle of infatuating is so minuscule and to bring that to screen so well, is such a lovely thing.
Suriya is on his bike, heading back home, looks at Prayaga on the opposite side walking as she enjoys a music track on her headset!
It isn’t a simple walk, she’s thinking of him. That’s so reflective in how she walks!
I smile as I think back on how he asks her to hop on the bike. It’s so cruel to be Kamal or Nethra, so vulnerable! Like every time you go to talk to a girl and ask her out. You have a 50 – 50 chance of a yes and a no, that’s hurtful. Suriya portrayed this so well, minimal, yet enough to make us feel that awkwardness.
Look at how Nethra struggles to trust or not! Her reaction to seeing Kamal there, is nothing short of a masterful stroke! Very curious to know what the instruction was and where she drew that expression from! She battles and finally gives in and decides to trust him.
The bike ride is such a romantic notion that has two strangers opening up. The best part? you don’t see the other person. Sometimes the hardest things are easier said when you don’t have to look into the other persons eyes.
Nethra is open, she’s forthcoming, she takes charge. She’s younger! Kamal is still in his elements, these things are new, he’s shy! He opens up a little too, yet still closed. The bike was the perfect way for him to talk to her. He opens up when he chooses to remove his helmet. They now can feel a little more closer to each other.
Love the bit when Prayaga celebrates by lifting her hands up. She takes the lead! Kamal reciprocates!
Their bike conversations remind one of the awkward pauses, wanting to prolong the conversation, finding no words, when you need them the most. Seriously need to get into suriya and prayagas minds to see where they drew their expressions from.
When his wait leads to them hearing the song that Kamal composed, and the song in the GVm trademark style, transitioning into their own love story, where she’s the muse, he’s the inspired artists, everything seems beautiful and the world is moving for them!
Everything about this feels right and so true to what initial phase of love is!
Are they lusting on each other, yes! And isn’t that a part of what love is, rather what love does!
Yes its kind of a shocker to hear that they aren’t together, and what he thought was his life story is now a beautiful chapter. What a way to end it, keeping you curious and always wondering what could have happened to them!
Gautam Menon is in absolute form, letting go of many things that he’s stuck by, getting deeper into his own zone of understanding romance in a deeper sense, purer may be?
Suriya is brilliant, pure, true and possibly his best yet. So glad he’s let go!
Prayaga is a whoot! I wish the universe gives her more such fabulous roles.
Karthik’s music is amazing.
The coolest member of this gang is PC Sreeram, his cinematography is so damn refreshing, the angles, his choice of lenses, lighting. Yes he’s the best we have got, but to kind of reinvent himself after so many years of working, is such a cool thing. I don’t see any young guy having the audacity to move the camera the way he does! Maybe he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone and that paves to newer ways of seeing things.
Guitar Kambi Mel nindru is pure in every sense! Oh what else can it be, it must be love!
Baradwaj Rangan 
swathisuperstar
August 10, 2021
this write-up is just so nicee and so close to what I felt when I watched it too!
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hari
August 10, 2021
What exactly happens at the end? This is the right place to ask that question I think. Couldn’t understand GVM’s voice over.
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KV
August 10, 2021
Hello GVM 😅
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Ramit
August 10, 2021
@hari, thankyou. Can we talk over email please? ramitbajaj01@yahoo.com
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Senthil S
August 10, 2021
Don’t really understand the hatred toward this short. The dialogue wasn’t any cringier than the stuff in Project Agni, though everybody has been lauding that one. Only issue I felt was a low budget feel to the way the London bar and Naanum songs were shot and staged. Prayaga’s voice modulation also felt a bit forced, especially with some of the English lines.
Loved Suriya though. It felt like Vaaranam, but not a intentional repeat of that performance. There’s something so casual about his GVM performances that we don’t get in his other films. Almost like it’s a different actor. I’ve rewatched the bike ride scene with his “avalo dhana? As simple as that? As easy as that?” He delivers that line so well. His perfomance in the Thooriga song also warrants a repeat viewing of that song.
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Srinath Ramesh
August 11, 2021
At the end it was not important how they split or why, and love is love, whether together or apart is what Gautham wanted to convey. What I also observed in this film is that, it explores the thin line between love and lust, which probably explains why it was titled Guitar ‘Kambi’ Mele Nindru.
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V
August 11, 2021
Yes. I felt the same way too. It was past midnight when I watched Guitar Kambi Mel Nindru (after watching 5 other films from the anthology) and I found it to be a generic, pleasant slice-of-life film from GVM’s stock. Rowthiram, Inmai were the ones that instantly conveyed the intended rasas of Anger & Fear. GKMN wasnt – or so I thought!
But today I woke up with Thooriga ringing in my head & GKMN spinning in my head. The closeup shots of Suriya where he goes back to his Nerukku Ner shy persona (against the Singham Alpha male) still linger.
The heroine Pragya was good, but I couldnt help but wonder how Parvathy would have fit so well in this role. (How she turns on her charm in the initial few minutes of Inmai!)
Nice one….
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Prat
August 11, 2021
Was anyone else bothered by surya’s hairstyle in this one?
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Raju
August 11, 2021
Although I enjoyed the short for what it was, I can’t help but smirk to myself at the possibility of GVM submitting in this write-up! 🤣
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Enigma
August 13, 2021
Absolutely loved it.
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