‘96 Review: Of Aching Nostalgia and Pregnant Silences

It is in recreating the school days of Ram and Janu of the ‘96 batch that the minds, hearts and memories of director Prem Kumar and cinematographer Mahendran coalesce into one. And yet, the time travel happens effortlessly, thanks to the little details in every scene. The stray floppy drive, the clusters of flowers adorning either sides of the double braids of the school girls, the fidgeting and pinching that are natural extension of classmate camaraderie; all of these come together in scenes that are not recreated in studios or elaborate sets, but in actual locations. The school is real, the hotel and the resort are real, and every place the leads go to, or the story takes you to, are real.