Ithiri Neram

Under the hazy, amber glow of the city lights, a long-awaited evening of carefree male camaraderie is about to be beautifully derailed. 'Ithiri Neram' (A Little While) is an intimate and poignant cinematic journey that unfolds over the course of a single, transformative night, exploring the delicate threads that connect our past to our present. The story centers on Anish, a man comfortably settled into the rhythms of his life, who has finally carved out time for a much-needed, long-overdue drinking party with his two closest friends. This night promises an escape—a sanctuary of laughter, ribbing, and the simple joy of old friendships, a temporary respite from the quiet responsibilities of adulthood. The plan is simple, the mood anticipatory. However, fate, in the form of a ringing phone, has other plans. The call is from Anjana, a voice from a chapter of his life he believed was firmly closed. She is in the city, just for a short while, and her unexpected presence sends a tremor through his carefully arranged evening. The news creates an immediate, palpable tension among the three friends. While his companions are eager to stick to their original script of revelry, Anish is pulled by an irresistible and complex force—the ghost of a past love, the allure of unresolved questions, and the simple, terrifying curiosity of seeing her again. After a moment of charged hesitation, Anish makes the pivotal decision: they will meet. What follows is not a dramatic, high-octane confrontation, but a slow, simmering immersion into shared history. The group dynamic shifts as Anjana joins them, and the evening becomes a delicate dance of easy banter that effortlessly slips into moments of profound, uncomfortable silence. Laughter shared among the friends is punctuated by loaded glances between Anish and Anjana, each inside joke and remembered anecdote carefully skirting around the edges of old wounds. As the night deepens and the city sleeps around them, the facade of casual reunion begins to crack. 'Ithiri Neram' masterfully peels back the layers of their relationship, revealing the quiet regrets, the paths not taken, and the lingering 'what ifs' that time has failed to erase. Anish is forced to confront the man he was with the man he has become, while Anjana’s visit proves to be more than a simple coincidence. Their encounter becomes a crucible, forcing them to navigate a landscape of tender memories and sharp truths, leading them both toward a series of difficult choices that will define not just this one night, but the very course of their futures. It is a film that captures the profound impact a few fleeting hours can have on a lifetime.