Vidhi Gosain, New Delhi

Navillera, starring Song Kang, Park In-hwan, Na Moon-hee and Hong Seung-hee, premiered on 22 March 2021 on tvN and is also available on Netflix. The show is based on a webtoon of the same name that is written by Hun and illustrated by Ji-min. The show consists of 12 episodes and aired from 22 March to 27 April 2021.

Plot

The show follows a 70-year-old Shim Deok-chul (portrayed by Park In-hwan), a retired mailman and the challenges he faces while following his childhood passion for ballet. The protagonist has had a lifelong dream of learning ballet but was put down by his father and then by the responsibilities of running a family. In pursuit of his lifelong dream, Deok-chul stumbles across a dance academy where he meets the 23-year-old Lee Chae-rok (played by Song Kang). Chae-rok wanted to become a dancer after the untimely passing of his mother as she used to be a ballet dancer. Although he loves ballet, his financial struggles leave him with quitting the art as the only option. While contemplating on what to do, he is introduced to Deok-chul, who would now become his student as well as his manager. Although Deok-chul’s family is still against his passion for ballet, he still doesn’t give up and continues to pursue the art even when he is faced with adversities like Alzheimer’s.

The passion and commitment that Deok-chul portrays in the drama is without a doubt heart-warming. The drama beautifully touches on the prospect of old age and its effect on the human body as well as the mentality.

Characters

Deok-chul is a retired mailman who has recently celebrated his 70th birthday. He has heard his friends and colleagues often complaining about how they hoped they had done things they enjoyed instead of following what was expected of them. This lights up a spark inside the old man and is reminded of his love for ballet and how he couldn’t chase his dream due the expectation of his father. Our main character is faced with challenges at every step of the way and yet he cruses through them beautifully. During his journey of becoming a ballerino, he meets Lee Chae-rok.

Chae-rok, a 23-year-old ballerino, helps Deok-chul accomplish his childhood dream of performing the dance, ‘Swan Lake.’ Chae-rok himself is suffering financially, with his father in jail. His struggle to make ends meet make him question whether he should continue with the dance form or not. While working part-time at a restaurant and practicing, somewhere his passion keeps on fading, but this doesn’t last long with the entry of Deok-chul in his life.

Choi Hae-nam is a typical housewife. She has surrounded her life with her children and her husband. Although at first, she is highly sceptical of her old husband pursuing ballet, but soon falls through and supports him against the harsh words of their children.

Each and every character of the drama is a natural and beautifully portrays their emotion on screen. From the main cast to the small supporting roles, the cast is beautifully handpicked and talented. The development of all the characters by the end of the show is worth waiting for. The cast sets up an intricate chemistry and one could easily imagine the characters as real life human instead of mere actors.

Impression

‘Navillera’ is a beautiful show that perfectly captures the innocence and passion of one’s childhood dreams. The drama is a huge example of how one should not let any challenge come their way and stop them from achieving what they truly strive for. The phrase, age is just a number is beautifully portrayed by the love and passion of our 70-year-old ballerino. With romance on bare minimum and cuteness to a full load this is truly a heartwarming show. Every episode makes us want to cheer for the characters more energetically and enthusiastically.

The dedication showed by the characters as well as the actors seeps through into the screens and soon into our hearts. The show brings something totally new to the audience and stands apart from the crowd. This drama will make you cry a few tears here and there, so do keep a pack of tissues with you! The show is sure to make your heart melt and leave you a warm feeling.