Modern Love Chennai is an anthology that depicts six love stories inspired by articles published in the New York Times and set in the city of Chennai. The series is now streaming on Prime Video.
Story
The first episode introduces Shoba, a woman who was jilted by her lover. She meets a godman who makes a prediction about the man she will love and marry, but will it come true? Will she ever heal and learn to love?
The second episode depicts the story of Nithiya and Devi. Devi’s disease might take away her ability to see. Whether their love will survive the trials and tribulations that lie ahead or not, only time will tell.
The third episode revolves around Mallika, a hopeless romantic. She watches romantic films and wishes to find a love that will rival the ones in films, but a love like that is hard to find in real life.
The fourth episode introduces Jazmine, a girl who has forgotten how to smile after her parents’ divorce, but a boy named Milton might change that.
The fifth episode follows the love story of a man and a woman that begins in a metro. However, to be with the woman he loves, he must leave his wife, which leads to the meeting between the woman he loved in the past and the woman he loves in the present.
The last episode depicts the complicated story of Sam and K. The line between their love story and the script written by K blurs to the point that the viewers are made to question what is real and what is a figment of Sam’s imagination.
Performances
Sri Gouri Priya’s performance as Shoba is one of the best performances in the series. The script gives a lot of space for the actor to showcase her skills, and she does not disappoint. This is one performance that the audience will remember even after the show is over.
Similarly, Ritu Varma, who plays Mallika, is an actor that the audience will enjoy seeing on screen. She makes her character interesting and is able to keep the attention on herself throughout the episode by adding her own unique touch to the character.
Sanjula Sarathi also gave an adequate performance as Jazmine, a character who had to express her emotions without speaking too much. Sarathi convinces the audience that she is indeed a teenager falling in love for the first time.
Ramya Nambeeshan’s performance is praiseworthy. The actor’s portrayal of Revathi is simple yet layered. There is so much that is left unsaid, but Nambeeshan tries to say it all through her actions. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the other actors in the episode.
Similarly, there was nothing extraordinary about the performances of TJ Bhanu, who plays Devi, and Ashok Selvan, who plays Nithiya.
Positives
Every story depicts a different part of the city of Chennai and the different kinds of people that live in it. The city becomes a part of the stories, either casually existing in the background or included in between shots, but it is always present.
Music is also an integral part of these stories; it is often used to depict the passing of time and developing relationships. Some episodes use music in quite an interesting way. For instance, the contrast between love songs and hymns in episode 4 is used to depict Jazmine’s innermost desires.
These stories are about common people and their common lives. They are very ordinary, but the audience will still be able to find something extraordinary in each of them.
Negatives
It is clear that the makers tried to include the mundane activities and routines that define the lives of ordinary people. However, in some episodes, these activities and routines go on for too long, making the audience lose interest.
Additionally, there are also parts in the episodes that seem too dragged out. The same action keeps repeating on the screen while the music plays in the background.
While some stories are exciting, there are others, like that of Ravi and Rohini, that are simply dull. The story had potential, but the way it is depicted makes it seem like a never-ending and tiresome affair.
It is interesting how there are stories, like that of Shoba and Mallika, that only get a happy ending when women marry the men chosen by their parents. It cannot be said whether these stories are deliberately trying to promote arranged marriages or not, but it does seem like that.
Verdict
Modern Love Chennai is a mixed bag. There are various kinds of stories with different moods and about different people; some will entertain you, while others might seem dragged out and dull. Audiences who enjoy watching romance should give it a chance.
Also Read: Modern Love Chennai summary and endings explained