Made in Korea Tamil movie review: Priyanka Arul Mohan’s film is breezy and K-drama coded, both simple and heartwarming

Made in Korea plot:

Shenba (Priyanka Arul Mohan), a young woman from a small village Kolappur, down south Tamil Nadu, dreams of going to Korea one day. And in a sudden turn of events, she ends up on a one-way flight to Seoul, but in the least of situations expected. What happens to Shenba and does Seoul pour equal love on her?

Made in Korea review:

Imagine this. A countryside woman alone in foreign locale that she was supposed to visit with her loved one, she unable to manage to speak the language, some local strangers turning into guardian angels, and she ending up finding about herself and her true calling. Probably you would imagine the country to be Paris and the woman is named Rani. But as much as these details sound similar, Ra Karthik gives you Seoul instead of Paris, and Shenba in place of Rani. Made in Korea is not just some tweaks, but more of an addition to the coming-of-age genre where women dare to find their calling and eventually find peace in doing so. To be just the way they are, women need not trash men, or be hypermasculine. It is about women who dream, make mistakes, achieve, learn and more, simply because why not? Ra Karthik’s Made in Korea starring Priyanka Arul Mohan is all this and much more, a plainly simple yet richly heartwarming story. Or simply when a Queen gets K-drama treatment.

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A girl is in the city of her dreams and yet tears of pain roll down her cheeks, a son recognises his mother’s cooking much to the displeasure of the latter, a girlfriend genuinely thanks her ex-lover for betraying her trust. These circumstances might sound contradictory and question the behaviour of the characters. But in Made in Korea, the situations appear as a plot pusher, not the ones constructed for the sake of it, but come across organic, humane, and cohesive.

Made in Korea, for all you know, is indeed about someone who gets made in Korea. Quite not in the literal sense, but about Shenba who finds her true calling, builds herself and becomes everything she aspires. In turn, she gets truly moulded, shaped, and made into the version she never knew would be. While it might have been her schoolteacher Matilda who introduced Shenba to Sembavalam, the Tamil princess who travelled to Korea and went on to become a queen, Shenba’s fascination towards Korea is further fuelled by Korean dramas, K-Pop, food culture and more, thanks to the thriving south-east Asian culture in India.

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What really works in Made in Korea is that it is careful enough not to infantilise Shenba’s dreams. Like she justifies her love towards Korea just because she simply likes it. The film too thrives on such simple decisions and choices. A random videographer coming to Shenba’s rescue in Seoul, how an ailing old lady reignites Shenba’s career aspirations, and a roadside band finding their goals eventually, are strung together in a breezy and light-hearted way, that makes Made in Korea a little more engaging and closer to heart. Who would have thought the garlic podi sadam from a mess run by Shenba’s father would soon merge with kimchi rice and become Indo-Korean fried rice. Or say how a busker notices Shenba in tears and all he does is play AR Rahman’s song, that instantly connects with Shenba metres away, without saying a word, or even inching towards her. Perhaps these instances bring the feeling of home away from home and that’s what make Made in Korea too more rooted. It also appears the film’s notions are simple; to thug your heartstrings in a way that it sounds logical, magical, and endearing.

And for the film’s conclusion, without having to spoil it for you, Made in Korea takes the credit for not wanting to be preachy and glorify that home can only be that place you are ethnically rooted to. Sometimes, it’s okay to have a home that is miles away from the place you were born or amid people who don’t speak your language. Choosing a home can sound like a privilege but why deny the chance to have choose a home that gives you peace, ideally what a home should. Made in Korea makes this point subtle yet clear, making the film talk deeper talks in a rather simplistic way.

Made in Korea verdict:

Made in Korea feels like what if a K-drama was made in Tamil, but with the artistes from both cultures, keeping the local sensibilities and Korean aesthetics, the latter’s way of emotional storytelling. It is feather light, harmless and simply there to bring a smile. Ra Karthik, and Priyanka Arul Mohan along with the ensemble cast come out with a clean and feel-good drama with Made in Korea.