Ram Venkat Srikar
It cemented the fact that debutant Shoryuv cares about the characters he has created. It isn't a film that relies on groundbreaking concepts or techniques to set itself apart.
There's a big interval twist that turns the tables around for the story in the second half but the way the screenplay flows from one point to the other is largely predictable. But what works is the heartfelt treatment.
The backstory chronicling the blossoming of love between Viraj and Varsha These portions reek of predictability and exude a heavy been-there-seen-that feeling because there aren't many directions this story could go in any way, considering we have already been exposed to the endpoint.
The way Viraj's rendezvous with Yashna is also recontextualised, with the word 'Hi' in the title finding its actual meaning, is simply beautiful. Things get incredibly heavy during the intermission and this weight lingers throughout the second half
He begins as a one-dimensional 'other guy', and how his character is utilised at the end is highly rewarding. The final 30-minute stretch of the film is one rollercoaster ride, but in its own style, it still manages to be soft and how!
It's intended to mean well and make you feel warm. But the film goes beyond the surface-level contentments of cold greeting cards, meaning its degree of warmth and emotion might vary but it surely makes you care for its characters.