Plot:-
After his son Prabhu (Siddharth) expresses displeasure over the substandard living conditions of their rented house, Vasudevan (Sarath Kumar) begins saving money to purchase a 3BHK Home for his family but inflation and unexpected expenses keep hindering Vasudevan’s pursuit. Can Prabhu accomplish what his father couldn’t?
Performances:-
Siddharth as Prabhu – He has given his best performance since Kaaviya Thalaivan. Siddharth seamlessly portrays the physical and emotional maturity attained by his character from high school to mid 30s as Prabhu struggles to live up to the expectations of his parents & a job that constantly makes him feel that he doesn’t belong here.
Sarath Kumar as Vasudevan – He plays it quite subtle in the initial parts of the film in what could one of his least macho roles till date. As head of the family, he is forced to deprioritize his own wellbeing for the family’s future. But once his character grows old, Sarath Kumar’s performance becomes more layered showing how difficult it is for tough men to hide their vulnerability after losing optimism in life.
Meetha Raghunath as Aarthy is the most independent member of Vasudevan’s family. Unlike Prabhu, she has clarity over what to do and what not do when it comes to making difficult decisions. Meetha has performed neatly wherever she was given scope but unfortunately her character loses depth in the 2nd half due to abrupt transitions and limited screentime.
Chaithra Achar as Aishwarya – Its kind of a role reversal compared to what she did in SSE Side-B. Despite good performance, there is this sense of unfulfillment due to writing issues that gradually reduce her character to the sidelines.
Devayani as Shanthi – For her experience and caliber, this role is pretty much a cakewalk for her. She can do this in her sleep. There were some subtle moments where Devayani’s mild nuances enhance the scene like the smile she gets on her face when their new rental house has better kitchen.
Technicalities:-
Cinematography by Dinesh B. Krishnan & Jithin Stanislaus – They’ve lit and filmed early 2000s portion of Chennai with lot of authenticity, warmth and nostalgia. Certain interior shots were reminiscent of Shakthi Selvaraj (Shalini)’s household from Alaipayuthe.
Makeup and Hair by Siva Malleswararao & Vinoth Sugumaran – One of 3BHK’s highlights is the makeup and hairstyling by Siva & Vinoth. Age transitions of Siddharth, Sarath Kumar, Meetha & Chaithra wouldn’t have looked so authentic without them. High quality work.
Production Design by Vinoth Rajkumar – Very layered and minimalist work. Although there weren’t many eagle eye exterior shots in the film, Vinoth impresses big time with the amount of detail he has put over the smallest elements like changes in company logos and ice cream cups etc.
Music by Amrit Ramnath – 3BHK’s album has lot of emotional and soul touching songs where Veezhvena stands apart from the rest especially the reprise version sung by Amrit Ramnath himself.
Scripting and Direction by Sri Ganesh :-
In general, upcoming directors begin their career with thrillers or feel good films before transitioning to action dramas. Sri Ganesh has done the opposite by opting for a grounded family drama despite having stars known for working on a larger canvas. The core story of 3BHK shares obvious resemblance with Balu Mahendra’s Veedu but Sri Ganesh’s treatment of this subject is more like a V. Sekar film about lower middle class families in Chennai. Flawed characters who breakdown & mature in their pursuit to become financially secure & have permanent roof over their heads.
Through appropriate narrative detailing, he has authentically conveyed how inflation, urbanization & IT revolution changed Chennai & its inhabitants forever. Vasudevan & Family were part of the section of inhabitants who were adversely affected by the growing wealth inequality.
Sri Ganesh’s writing was efficient when the focus was on Vasudevan’s family as a whole but falters in the individual tracks of Siddharth & Meetha Raghunath post interval. Their segments feature rapid time period jumps without giving proper closure to the previous scene. Thus despite shouldering heavier emotional baggage Siddharth & Meetha get rather lightweight payoffs compared to the 1st half. Fortunately 3BHK gains back some momentum before the 3rd act that eventually leads to a satisfying climax.
Plus:-
Acting
Cinematography
Makeup & Hairstyling
Production Design
First Half
Music
Minus:-
Lack of Depth in 2nd half (Siddharth & Meetha’s portions)
Abrupt Cuts
Sudden jumps in timeline
The Final Word: Despite some shortcomings in the middle, the film’s strong foundation laid by Sri Ganesh ensures 3BHK gets to stand erect till end of construction.
Rating (7/10) : A house will never feel like home without a happy household. Vasudevan (Sarath Kumar) & Family build themselves together the same way a house is built. Slowly, Brick by Brick till they become whole.
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