Hi Nanna : Heartstrings in Frames

Discovering profound connections in 'Hi Nanna,' this piece unravels a cinematic journey, intertwining love, life, and healing (Some spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.)

"Praanam allaadi podhaa ammaadi, andham kattesukunte ammaadi."

Okay, slightly overwhelmed on where to start from and what to start with. How about I begin by expressing how the song has embraced me like a warm blanket on a chilly morning? For someone with seasonal depression, this means a lot, by the way. Or, to put it differently, you can be a coffee connoisseur and have experienced specialty coffee in brilliant ways and places, but at the end of the day, what provides us with the feeling of safety and probably some solace is the filter kaapi at home. This movie is my warm, safe, and tranquil cup of filter kaapi.

It might seem like a stretch, and some might find it extremely significant, so bear with me. I want to start with how so many things I love, adore, and wrap my very being have been somehow associated with the movie - phytoplankton algae, black saree, bindi, evil eye earrings, the idea of love and marriage, Charlie Mackesy’s ‘The boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse,’ Yashna’s outfits, Viraj’s profession, the drishti bracelet.

The director, Shouryuv, is a debutante and has managed to skillfully make a movie that exudes simplicity, love, and beauty. The screenplay is absolutely smart and easy. Dialogues by Nagendra Kasi and Vamshi Bommena are simple and easy-flowing, with us not having to intentionally concentrate to grasp. One of the best is a dark joke when Justin says something like, “Avunu marchipovadam ante gurthonchindhi, mee akka ekkada?.” It had me cackling.

Who knew Nani could dance to an EDM song in Bosco’s choreography? The song was a smooth and fresh addition to the movie. Nani has time and again proved his acting prowess and is a natural star indeed, and he proves it again with his endearingly simple and classy portrayal of Viraj, a photographer and the father of six-year-old Mahi.

With all of this being panned out in the movie, every frame and detail seemed to be crafted right out of a dream by Sanu Verghese, the cinematographer. The beginning of the movie shows the grown-up Mahi singing, and if we closely notice, she is wearing the black-threaded bracelet with a tortoise on it, which is what Yashna gave Viraj to protect him, who, in turn, shall always protect Mahi.

He has not just made sacrifices but has struck a balance between his professional and personal life to provide what’s best for Mahi. This is an extremely rare feat to see or achieve, as most of us can only dream of bringing harmony into our work or personal lives and being financially sound.

In the song, “Gaaju Bomma,” we see how beautifully woven is the bond between the father and daughter. I was teary-eyed the whole time as the song progressed. In a scene where Mahi is applying nail paint to Viraj as he is asleep with a book in his hand, it is endearing to see that he could be narrating Charlie Mackesy’s ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,’ to his daughter and fell asleep holding the book closely.

While the book speaks about kindness, self-worth, selflessness, self-belief, and the importance of family and friends, I believe that the director’s vision could have been to add light and provide meaning through one quote that stuck with me, "Always remember you matter, you're important and you are loved, and you bring to this world things no one else can.” This quote reinforces the fact that Mahi is loved by Viraj, Justin, Pluto, and her grandfather and she is a miracle (‘adbutham,’ like how Viraj mentions in a scene where Yashna drops by their house, right before she ties him the drishti bracelet) and is important despite her cystic fibrosis / 65 roses condition.

Viraj with the book

With multiple other things, one of which stuck with me is how rain, thunder, or lightning plays a key role in the movie. We know how Coonor receives intermittent rainfall almost throughout the year and how Viraj sees ‘Varsha’/ Yashna for the first time when it starts raining in the Lovedale station. For starters, I would say it played cupid to them. Then comes how this is reinforced when Viraj considers rain as the witness for his story and his love-at-first-sight vision when he says, “Varshame sakshyam.” This somehow had me thinking of how immediately as Viraj uttered those words in the cafe later, it rains (I have heard that Mumbai rains are pretty much a mood in itself) which shows the unpredictable nature of the story and their bond.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but Varsha/Yashna's accident occurs during rain, and in the ‘Gaaju Bomma’ song, Viraj is providing protection and warmth to his daughter as she runs to him because she is afraid of the sound of thunder. Just like how Yashna gets scared of loud fireworks in the second half during her wedding and it’s her father who holds her close.

As the story progresses with them being a married couple, we don't see the movie rushing into things but is at a very medium pace and smartly put when it comes to the couple taking steps to get a house, make it their home as we see the couple paint the house, choose the colors, sit down on the floor and eat as there is no furniture, and it shows how in reality as well, we tend to bring in things one by one, and there is no immediacy, and so are things in their marriage.

The part that had me crying and smiling at the same time was when they had their first fight about having a kid and both of them engaged in an argument that had them saying hurtful things to each other in rage, but within seconds of being away, they realize how they behaved in anger and embrace each other, leaving me in a very sweet zone.

We see how Pluto (good lord, he is such a charmer!) plays an integral role in the movie, with his presence being aptly put when situations arise, such as when Varsha is having her meltdown in her room (she is wearing a beautiful black floral dress topped with a yellow cardigan), he seems to be a savior as she finds solace and comfort with him. He brings her guard down and somehow erases her dislike or fear of dogs. It’s him who puts two and two together, like how he is the one who pulls Yashna to Mahi in the first place.

It is golden (you see what I did there? Pluto is a golden retriever, so you know!) and the bond between Pluto, Yashna, and Viraj is the same but different. For the first time, Viraj finds Pluto, he licks his nose, and it’s the same with Varsha/Yashna when Pluto goes close to her when she is low, and in the present, we see how Mahi and her father peck on each other’s noses when she has to say hi or bye to her dad. I do not know if it was just casual or something intentional when the filmmaker chose to integrate ‘nose’ in the movie, as in when Viraj and Varsha discuss having a kid, they wonder whose nose will the kid get, the mother’s or father’s? And an addition would be that Yashna kisses Viraj’s nose as well. Or is it because Nani has a very adorable peculiar nose?

Transitioning to one of the film's most emotionally charged and heart-wrenching moments - the emotional breakdown of Viraj and Yashna. The montage accompanying this scene is a breathtaking visual journey. Simultaneously, we witness poignant parallels when Mahi is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), fiercely battling for her life within the incubator. Meanwhile, on the exterior, Yashna (Varsha) is emotionally shattered, weeping inconsolably on the floor.

Viraj steps in, holding her close, mirroring the supportive role the incubator plays for their child. This sequence is marked by its intense, well-thought-out, and meticulously executed performance. Mrunal Thakur's portrayal is nothing short of exceptional, and Nani's emotive delivery in this scene had us profoundly moved.

Coming to how emotionally connected I am to the movie, it all began a few months ago when someone from the movie’s team got in touch with me to write content/draft questions for their interviews. I never really knew anything about the movie other than the title and the cast, just like everyone else at that point. It so happened that Mrunal answered my questions (yes, the host asked questions that I wrote) and when I knew it, I was over the moon happy. And then on how in the later part of the same interview when she was answering those questions, she is all dressed up and cheery and leaves when the shot is ready for her. Little did I or anyone know for a matter of fact that she happened to kill the scenes later which were the wedding sequences that required her to give immense emotional energy and strength. This is what makes her an impeccable actress.

Screengrab from Nikhil Vijayendra Simha’s Youtube Video - Goa Trip ft.Mrunal Thakur

Yashna as a character has layers, and one of those is somehow ‘balanced’ through her nose pin. It is beautiful to see how the addition of a nose pin is a character in itself. I was beaming with, I don't know how to explain the feelings when Viraj was describing what his wife looked like to Yashna at the beach - I could picture myself as he mentions that when she smiles her cheeks reach till the eyes, making her tiny eyes smile as well, a black tiny bindi on the forehead that completes her round face, and he points to the sand on the beach and says how it's her ‘chaya,’ more on her complexion. I intentionally am keeping the nose pin part aside as I don't wear one. And all of this happens when the bioluminescence shines on the beach.

And little details like the time Viraj says ‘I love you’ to Varsha/Yashna during the scene where she takes his camera away - Yashna is wearing earrings with an evil eye on them. Her outfits and style resonate with me in various ways. Mrunal happens to carry them so well. This movie has healed a piece of me that I knew needed some refuge. I had to watch it for the second time to cry my eyes out and let go of something that I never knew was holding me back. As much as one would say it is the story of a daughter and father, I would agree and add on how intricately beautiful the bond is, and not all of us are blessed with such a relationship with our parent/father.

If I could, I would write endlessly about how Kiara, the little girl who plays Mahi, is supremely terrific and about more nuances in the movie. She deserves accolades and appreciation for her portrayal of Mahi.

I cannot emphasize enough the impact Hesham's music has on the movie. It's a significant plus, offering an extraordinarily fresh and enduring essence that carries profound depth.

Now, coming to an end, why this movie is a little extra special despite all the above-mentioned details and analysis? In the movie, Viraj narrates a story to Mahi which has a princess named Tara, and then so it remains.