People divorce each other all the time for all kinds of reasons, but rarely is it for snoring. Anand Ravichandran’s DeAr describes the problems a young man faces when he finds out his wife snores loudly. Talk about problems in marriage; this movie shows all the irrelevant ones. In a world where finding the right partner for yourself often involves a loop of getting into doomed relationships, the world of DeAr seems like it’s set in the 80s, where women are considered nothing more than a commodity.
Spoilers Ahead
What happens in the movie?
Arjun is a news reporter who struggles with being a light sleeper. Deepika is a girl that guys run from when they hear that she snores at night. I’m feeling ridiculous repeating this, but Arjun and Deepika meet in an arranged marriage scenario. Their mothers recognize each other because they were besties back in school, and we can say that sealed the deal right there. Deepika’s mother forbids her to disclose anything about her snoring to Arjun, and she manages to marry her off. Arjun and Deepika have zero chemistry, and the awkwardness between them on their first night is sad to watch. Arjun tells Deepika that he’s a light sleeper, and he’s very serious about getting eight hours of sleep. When Deepika snores for the first time, Karan realizes that his life is never going to be the same again.
How do Deepika and Arjun try to co-exist?
Arjun seems supportive, and he assures Deepika that they’ll find a way out of this. Deepika knows there’s no solution, as she has already tried to look for a treatment, but it’s been of no use. The couple decides to sleep on alternate days, and the calendar is soon marked with De and Ar on different days. It’s kind of cute how they try to deal with it, but the exhaustion soon takes over both of their lives. Arjun sleeps at work all the time, and Deepika is no different. Arjun’s ambition of becoming a big-shot journalist takes a hit when he falls asleep at the wrong time. He gets the chance to interview the finance minister, but just before the interview, he passes out at the washroom. He gets fired and humiliated by his boss, and he also becomes the butt of jokes in his circle. Arjun finds his career in limbo, and he decides to take it out on Deepika. Deepika’s suggestion of getting Arjun to a psychiatrist for cognitive therapy goes horribly wrong, and Arjun rejects it right away. Drowning in rage, Arjun decides to divorce Deepika and start his life afresh.
What does Arjun do to get the divorce?
Arjun is hell-bent on separating, but Deepika refuses to divorce him. Arjun takes it to court, where the judge scolds him for filing a divorce over such a trivial matter. Even in court, Arjun gets humiliated, and his elder brother Saravanan slaps him for trying to dump such a sweet girl. Tired of fighting against his family and Deepika, he leaves his family to live on his own. When his mother tries to get him back home, he refuses and starts gardening to keep his mind off of things.
What happens when Arjun finds out Deepika is pregnant?
Deepika meets up with Arjun after a month to tell him that she’s pregnant. Arjun seems ecstatic, and his face gives Deepika some hope. That fades when he tells her that he’d happily be a co-parent and work through the separation to raise the baby. Deepika’s heart breaks, and she decides to abort. Her mother doesn’t support the decision, but her dad backs her. He says his daughter will make her own choices, and her body shouldn’t be just a vessel for others. Deepika’s mother fears the taunts from people, but her father doesn’t care, and he prioritizes Deepika’s wellbeing over anything else. On the day of the abortion, Arjun tries to change her mind once again, but Deepika refuses to have a baby without a father who’s present. Arjun misbehaves with Deepika’s father, and that’s when Deepika puts an end to it and goes ahead with the abortion.
Why does Deepika come back to Chennai?
Arjun’s mother receives a letter from her estranged husband, who left the family after his business tanked and he couldn’t repay his debts. Both Saravanan and Arjun hate the man for leaving, as one would expect. Soon, their mother falls ill and gets admitted to the hospital, where they find her heart has a blockage. Deepika comes back to check in on her and finds out about the letter. She takes Arjun and goes to Idukku to find the dad. They manage to find him, but Arjun lashes out at him for abandoning him when he was four and not even remembering his correct age. He’s hesitant to face his wife, whom he left so long ago, but Deepika convinces him to tag along. Arjun’s mother is over the moon when she sees her husband standing in front of her, but Saravanan can’t stand his presence, and he gives the man a piece of his mind. Seeing it all unfold, his mother finally has a meltdown and scolds both of her sons for treating the man like he’s murdered someone. The couple stay together, and Saravanan returns home, and tears break out from his eyes. Saravanan had to grow up and take care of his family way earlier than one’s supposed to, and all of that happened because he lost his father. A tough man all his life, his tears signify the vulnerability he carried with him under the tough shell.
Do Arjun and Deepika get back together?
After the situation improves between Arjun’s parents, Deepika leaves again. Despite the family wanting her to stay, she chooses to go away. The final hearing of their divorce comes soon, and Arjun has now realized what he has lost, and he requests that Deepika patch up with him. The judge asks the couple what they have decided, and Arjun says it’s her call and he’d abide by the decision. Deepika asks for some time to talk to Arjun, and she tells him that she has moved on from chasing him. Arjun begs her to stay, and now the tables have completely turned. Deepika finally decides to give it another shot, but she’ll need some time before they move back together. When she asks Arjun what happens if he finds someone else who is more suitable for him, Arjun replies that he wants nobody else but her. The movie ends with the couple eventually having a baby together and the baby inheriting the snoring from her mother, all of them bursting out in laughter.
DeAr, for most of its runtime, looks like a movie where the actors have been asked to perform at gunpoint. The shabby screenplay could’ve used a lot of trimming, and the acting performances rarely leave any mark. I yawned 17 times in total, and the movie kept getting worse with each yawn. It’s a movie written with a conservative approach, and it shows.
