Oru Naal Koothu Movie Reviews

Like a breath of fresh air comes a film about, all the hue and cry that is made about a woman and man getting together in the guise of a wedding. New comer Nelson Venkatesh who has directed the anthology film ‘Oru Naal Koothu’ and also written the script with Sankar Dass is a welcome addition to the list of young debutantes who have made a commendable debut in recent times.

The film opens promisingly by introducing a few unconnected people ,all heading towards Trichy from Chennai. Dinesh is travelling in his friend Bala Saravanan’s car to the marriage of his ex-lover debutante Nivetha Pethuraj. Ramesh Tilak boards a bus after assuring his lover Riythvika that he will return within a week to finalize their marriage, Mia George is alone travelling in a different bus. At a stopover Mia is hit by Dinesh’s car and the car overturns and from there the lives of these characters unfold. Riythvika is an introvert RJ who is in her late twenties whose brother Karunakaran tries his best to find a groom. She is always at loggerheads with her colleague Ramesh Tilak. Mia George also in her late twenties is a shy rural girl living in Trichy whose father rejects many alliances hoping to find someone equal to his status. Dinesh is an IT worker in love with an upper class Nivetha who wants to marry him, but he stalls stating that he wants to settle down after settling his family. What happens to these characters and how they connect through the theme of the film in the end forms a fun filled screenplay which also subtly drives home its message.

Dinesh as Rajkumar fits the bill of a brooding IT worker trying to balance his love life and family responsibilities. He gets some cutely written love scenes with newcomer Nivedha that he manages without a fuss. His best scenes are when Nivedha’s father insults him and when he bursts out to her on their final night together. Mia George and Riythvika are the two pillars who carry the movie and this is their best work till date. Mia’s eyes brilliantly express the sadness of a girl who watches helplessly as her father bungles one marriage alliance after another and finally, when Abhinav gives her hope of a possible life together she conveys that too with just a sparkle in her eyes. Riythvika even outdoes her famous ‘Madras’ role here as Sushee the RJ who faces many disappointments. Her casual dialogue delivery of the theme of ‘Oru Naal Koothu’ in bed with Ramesh and the way in which she often switches to a cheerful voice on air after being in tears just moments ago could well be another ticket to a handful of awards. Nivetha Pethuraj is perfectly cast as a modern IT girl and performs without a flaw giving the right expressions for the variety of emotions required for her role. As a RJ, Ramesh Tilak plays his real life self on screen and is full of energy in all the scenes he appears and his antics remind one of a younger days Prabhu Deva. Karunakaran and Charlie provide some of the funniest moments of the film and the latter also brings to life an aged bachelor who longs for a companion. Bala Saravanan in the Santhanam mould tickles the funny bones just about every time he onscreen. Abhinav as the suitor of Mia and the actor playing the fiancé of Riythvika are both solid in their roles. Special mention is due to another actor playing Dinesh’s colleague who brings the house down by mouthing inappropriate words during the most serious moments.

Justin Prabhakaran is fast becoming one of the most promising young composers around and in ‘Oru Naal Koothu’ he gets a chance to prove himself again providing a highly complementing re-recording to the proceedings with his oft repeated Nadaswaram-Thaval theme music lingering in the ears long after leaving the theatre. All the five songs gel with the story and enhance the emotions involved with the melody "Adiyae Azhagae" sure to top the charts. Gokul’s cinematography is so neat and pleasant that it is instrumental in holding the audience attention even in a few lag sequences in the second half. National Award winning editor V J Sabu Joseph gives the zig zag narration apt pacing and ensures a seamless flow throughout adding another feather to his cap. Kenanya Films is a banner that seems to favor the experimental films and have come out with a thought provoking entertaining fare.

Sankar Dass & Nelson Venkatesan have written a gripping screenplay with sharp dialogues that work beautifully on the jokes as well as the hard hitting messages. The scene in which Mia and her school friend meet at a bus stop after a long time sheds many truths about the plight of such women in today’s society. The accident is used as a very effective tool to keep the audience’s interest alive till the very end and then a couple of unexpected twists are thrown in . High praise is reserved for the duo who drive home their message subtly and truthfully. Nelson has extracted excellent performances from all the cast members and shows great promise with his confident story telling.

On the downside the scenes involving Mia become repetitive in the second half, allowing boredom to set in. Mia’s father character who is a school master behaves more like a filmi villain. Riythvika is shown as a headstrong girl and it is questionable whether she will beg her fiancé to marry her when he clearly tells her he does not like her.

Special hint : Don’t miss the end credits which houses many LOL moments

Verdict: Go for it and enjoy a fun filled film, that has an engaging screenplay and conveys its message convincingly.