Behind the Veil- A Beautiful Love Story. Review on Thattathin Marayathu

The movie begins with two young boys standing near the coast and discussing the important matters of life. One of the boys sees a young girl, head covered with a purdah. He prays to God to get him married to her. His friend points out the purdah as a religious road block, only to receive a nonchalant reply from the other boy saying that religion doesn't matter in love. Flash forward to a wedding where our young boy  is now a young man, Vinod. Vinod knocks a girl off the staircase while simultaneously falling for her charm.

The girl being Ayesha Rahman. Then begins the journey of his pursuit of Ayesha- a journey of love, jealousy, tears and self actualization. The beauty of the film begins with the very name. "Thattathin Marayathu". 'Thattam' is the name for the veil worn by Muslim girls. 'Marayathu' means behind. The whole name sums up to- "Behind the Veil". Vineeth Sreenivasan has milked the same Hindu-Muslim love story concept but he has done a magnificent job. The movie is moving and enrapturing. It portrays love in all its' glory- watch this film with someone you love. The actors have given their best performances. Nivin Pauly has done a fantastic job as Vinod- the young, lovestruck, starry eyed boy who is head over heels for a stunning girl who the whole world wants. And for all its worth, he has a great smile. Another notable performance belongs to Sreenivasan who comes as Ayesha's father who often gives in to his bossy brother. He steals the show in the last few scenes. However, the one to watch out for is debutante Isha Talwar as Ayesha Rahman. She is gorgeous, but in a quiet way. Her beauty captures the hearts of the audience as they watch her slowly falling in love with the hero and sending him love letters. She is giving in, but does not hesitate to follow her heart. Her eyes portray her emotions and she is a great actress. Fabulous choice made by the director in the casting department.

The background score is great and Shaan Rehman's music is lovely. All the songs are lively while at the same time mellow and the lyrics are also touching.

The dialogues are also very well written. If there is maybe a bone to pick it is the pace of the film. It seems longer than it actually is, but this movie is worth the watch- without doubt.

This is definitely a must watch movie. If not for the romance component, for the witty one liners and the music.