The first half of 3 BHK Flat feels like a series of never-ending problems with the tone of a sappy TV serial, fortunately post interval takes a much better turn. The second half has two important subplots. One is Meetha Raghunath’s Aarti deciding that she will no longer put up with marital abuse and starts life new, the second one is the transformation of Siddarth’s character where he decides that he has had enough of the mechanical IT Job, he begins his studies afresh by doing engineering These two tracks elevate the film from being a typical middle-class story of sacrificing sons and daughters
Starcast: R Sarathkumar, Siddarth, Meetha Raghunath, Devyani, Chaitra J Archar and others
Genre: Drama
Direction and screenplay: Sri Ganesh
Based on: Tamil short story Aravindh Sachidanam
Producer: Arun Viswa
Production Company: Shanti Talkies
Music: Amrith Ramnath
Cinematographers: Dinesh B Krishnan and Jithin Stanislaus
Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
The core plot of Sri Ganesh’s 3 BHK Flat has a certain relatability specifically for young men who have grown up in certain households, the burden of expectations where the father looks at them as a beacon of hope. This hope acting as a catalyst for major life decisions and of course shunting between different houses with a shared dream of having one own’s home. The beginning portions of 3 BHK Flat has all the trappings of sacrificial drama, at one point boredom creeps in as well thankfully the movie doesn’t end up being regressive with its plot developments.
R Sarathkumar plays Vasudevan. He is a typical middle-class man with dreams of having an own home. The financial status of Vasudevan is quite wobbly; he has his hopes pinned on the son Prabhu (Siddarth). However, these expectations become a hurdle for the son, in spite of putting in all the hard work Prabhu remains a failure for a major portion of the movie. Devyani plays Vasudevan’s wife Shanti, she is the typical emotional pillar thankfully with a voice of her own. Meetha Ragunath plays the sister Aarti. This is the story in brief.
One of the things which work in 3BHK Flat are the atmospherics. Director Sri Ganesh does a fine job in setting up a lived-in atmosphere, whether it’s the conversations between the characters or the design of the different houses which the characters shuttle at numerous junctures. The characterization of Siddarth’s Prabhu is also relatable for most young boys growing up in typical middle-class families. The constant turmoil which Siddarth goes through for a large part of the movie hits the viewers hard making them empathize with him. The build up to the change is also smartly done without making it look abrupt. Siddarth does a very fine job in capturing the different nuances.
R Sarathkumar as Vasudevan also makes a strong impact in spite of coming across as not so likeable in some portions. The way he has portrayed the physical and emotional transformation from a 40-year-old to 60 plus is commendable. The scenes between him and Siddarth have numerous poignant moments. Meetha Raghunath is also wonderful more so in the post interval portions. Her act in the breakdown portion deserves a specific mention and the question that she asks about whether marital abuse is only about physical violence is so relevant. Meetha Raghunath is excellent in portraying the fighting spirit of Aarti. Devyani is also striking in her scenes giving good support. Rana Daggubati’s voice over as the different houses adds an interesting element although it doesn’t bring anything substantial.
Mention must also be made of how Sri Ganesh talks about important topics without making it come across as overtly political. There is a portion about the rising real estate making it difficult for a common man to fulfill his dreams, similarly the impact of societal pressures in choosing studies has also come out well. The songs composed by Amrith Ramnath have a soulful nature. Tracks like Kalaleene have an emotional resonance, at the same time Aagiponu Nenu works as an engaging motivational number.
A major problem with 3BHK Flat is a TV Serial treatment of the first half. As viewers you get a feeling of depression with the overdose of problem faced by Vasudevan and his family. The tonality of a sappy daily soap induces a certain tediousness making you wish that the movie moves at a crisper pace.
The cinematic liberties which the movie takes in the third act isn’t for all too. For some Prabhu quitting a well-paying tech job at 34 to pursue his passion while having aged parents at house will be tough to swallow.
Final word: 3 BHK Flat makes for a good watch if you are fan of middle-class dramas without the overtop commercial ingredients.
