A lot can happen in a day. Two strangers, a man and a woman, can meet and develop companionship through conversations, stealing glances, and smiles. All against the spiritual backdrop of Varanasi. That is what Varsha Vasudev has crafted in her directorial debut, Chinna Chinna Aasai, a poignant story that keeps us emotionally invested and leaves us with an ache in the end.

Varsha, who has written the story as well, weaves a simple story that is all heart. Elevating the poetic narrative is the performances of her actors — Indrans, who is going from strength to strength with each film, and Madhoo, who breezed into Indian cinema 34 years ago as an effervescent girl in Mani Ratnam’s Roja.

Indrans’ Madhavan is a retired school teacher and single father who often visits Varanasi to meet his daughter Janaki (Aparna Balamurali), who is learning kathak. Madhoo is Leela, a widow from Thanjavur, touring the holy city with a group. When Leela gets left out of the group and is robbed of her belongings and phone, Madhavan meets her, sitting by the ghat, crying. He volunteers to help reunite her with her group. An initially distant Leela eventually warms up to Madhavan. He takes her around Varanasi that day, and the few hours she spends with him help Leela find herself.

The strength of Chinna Chinna Aasai is that the narrative moves forward through conversations, despite Leela mostly sticking to Tamil and Madhavan talking a mix of Malayalam and Tamil. It takes time for the audience to get into the rhythm of the story, especially when Leela initially hesitates to speak to Madhavan. But the tenderness with which Varsha eventually takes their relationship forward is admirable. As they organically get emotionally closer, Leela tells Madhavan more about her life.

The ease with which Indrans essays Madhavan is a class apart. His character is affable for Leela and the audience because of Indrans’ innocent eyes, expressions, dialogue delivery, body language, and smile. He does not do anything extraordinary; it is just that he creates magic with his simplicity and the right dose of emotions.

The restraint and grace with which Madhoo essays Leela make her sparkle. There are no emotional outbursts, even when she talks about missing out on happiness and not having anyone special. It is interesting to see how Varsha peels off the layers of the character and brings out the real Leela. Madhoo gives her all to help her character transform from a gloomy, unhappy soul to someone who finds joy in small things, finally enjoying her time in Varanasi. The playfulness in her tone and hearty smile light up the screen once she realises that she has found someone special. The film’s title, which is also the lyrics of the famous song from her debut, Roja, aptly describes the life of Leela, for she has been living with several unfulfilled dreams and is now at the cusp of fulfilling a few.

Despite not having several scenes, Aparna proves yet again that she is a fine artiste. Her conversations with her father over the phone are heartwarming. Also adding to the nuanced narrative are performances by actors Vishnu Agasthya and Jaffer Sadiq. While Vishnu’s predicament breaks your heart, Jaffer’s lively character brings relief to the emotionally heavy sequence. Kali Venkat is a treat to watch as well. Hats off to Varsha for bringing in small characters who lend gravitas to the story — like the tea vendor and the little girl who sells diyas.

Faiz Siddik’s camera celebrates Varanasi — the temple, people, ghats, boats, food, sounds, water, lights, lanes, etc., without going overboard. The vignettes add to the story, seamlessly blending into the narrative. Composer Govind Vasantha elevates the scenes and performances with his songs, keeping you hooked to the visuals. Editing (Reckson Joseph), sound design (Renganath Ravee), and art direction (Sabu Mohan) contribute in no small measure.

Produced by Abhijith Babuji, the film takes its sweet time to reach the heart-wrenching climax. The film’s slow pace might not appeal to many viewers. Even then, Chinna Chinna Aasai is a film that will embrace you with its warmth and make you reflect on love, relationships, and life as a whole.

Chinna Chinna Aasai is running in theatres