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And the film uses Ilaiyaraaja songs in a unique way to enhance this nostalgia. We get a beautifully narrated teenage romance between Ram and Janu that is intercut with moments in the present involving the reunion of childhood friends. But the film doesn’t resort to emotional manipulation to achieve this, but rather does so by narrating its story organically. The first half of 96 taps into nostalgia to leave us with a high that only happy associations with our past can evoke. We even get a cute story on why she is named Janaki. She enters the picture somewhat late, but in the second half, it is, in fact, Janu’s actions that nudge the plot forward. And that is where he meets Janaki, his Janu, once again, after a gap of 22 years.īut the film is as much Janu’s story as it is Ram’s. That is the only place that he chooses to drop by, and this leads to him connecting with his old classmates, and they all decide to have a reunion. A chance visit to his native, Tanjore, triggers a flood of memories for him… the places that have defined his childhood, like the bus stand where his parents landed at after their marriage, the hospital where he was born, the place that was the first major shopping centre in his town, and most importantly, the school where he met the love of his life, Janaki Devi (Trisha). It does begin as the story of its male lead, Ram (Vijay Sethupathi), a travel photographer.
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But what sets Prem Kumar’s film apart from the others is that it gives equal importance to the romance of its female lead. Will the event spark something between him and his old flame?ĩ6 Movie Review: There is a lot to fall in love with 96, a wistful romantic film about a past romance, like Autograph and Premam. 96 Movie Synopsis: A chance visit to his school leads to a photographer connecting with his school friends, and they decide to have a reunion.
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