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The extreme exhaustion induced by relentless, high-budget macho-hero films seems to have triggered an opposite trend: small-budget, so-called breezy rom-coms featuring shy, soft-spoken men.

With Lovedirected by Madhan, is the latest entrant in this wave. It stars Abishan Jeevinth, director of last year’s hit film, Tourist Familyas Sathya, a demure and deeply insecure young man. His shyness and anxiety rob him of any chance at romance until, nudged by his sister, he meets Monisha (Anaswara Rajan) at a coffee shop.

A stretched premise

The two discover they studied at the same school in Trichy. As they talk, they begin sharing stories of their unrequited school-time loves, slowly realising how they had unknowingly shaped each other’s lives back then.

Instead of going on more dates, Monisha proposes a mission: to track down their respective school sweethearts, confess their feelings, and close that chapter properly. But by the time this journey actually begins, we are already at the interval – an indication of how long the film takes to set up its premise, or how little it really has going for it.

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On the surface, With Love is a light-hearted, harmless film that refuses to disturb its audience with anything resembling real tension.

The stakes are low and conflicts are resolved almost immediately, to the point where the film barely registers any conflict at all. The central problem is Sathya’s insecurity and lack of communication skills. However, his anxieties and social awkwardness are repeatedly labelled as “green flags”.

In one scene, Monisha, an Instagram celebrity – posts a selfie of him sleeping with the caption, “Endangered green forest.” In the very next sequence, this so-called green forest secretly checks her phone. This breach of trust, however, is brushed aside because he is, after all, portrayed as an insecure, harmless soul.

Myth of destined love

If the hyper-masculine hero of the KGF mould finds its roots in Western action cinema, this new vulnerable hero seems to emerge from India’s growing obsession with Korean dramas.

With Love borrows heavily from K-drama tropes, particularly what can be called “fantasy emotional architecture”. One such borrowed device is the ‘childhood connection revealed later’ trope, where love is framed as destiny and magic. However, in reality, isn’t love less about fate and more about choice?

The film barely scratches the surface of its protagonists’ personalities. We never quite understand what draws them to each other beyond narrative convenience. Sathya is the lonely introvert waiting to be saved, and Monisha is the knight in shining armour who rescues him from that loneliness.

She is said to see him for who he truly is, but not because of his actions. This reinforces another familiar trope: the idea that a relationship will complete you. Only here, the saviour role is reversed, the woman gets to save the man.

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One could argue that With Love is merely a non-committal, feel-good drama meant to entertain rather than provoke. But without real characters or genuine stakes, there is little entertainment to be found. Compare this with Vijay Sethupathy and Trisha’s 96, which navigated a similar emotional terrain but felt rooted in real people.

Ram, a man-child unable to let go, felt painfully authentic. The characters in With Loveby contrast, feel like derivatives of tropes rather than flesh-and-blood individuals.

Ultimately forgettable

Love, lust, pain, humour, and grief are all glossed over here. The film is careful not to let the audience feel anything too intensely.

It wants to protect its viewers, to ensure they leave the theatre unaffected, with nothing more than a sweet aftertaste. In trying so hard not to disturb, With Love, ultimately leaves nothing behind at all.