Bharath Vijayakumar

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The curiosity around ‘Nedunchalai’ from the maker of Sillinu Oru Kadhal has definitely grown a bit thanks to the fact that the distribution has been taken over by Red Giant Movies. Is this highway worth the ride?

 

Plot:

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Nedumchalai has an intriguing plot that tracks a period in the life of Murugan(Aari) and his group that makes a living by robbing goods from lorries that frequent the highway.  Masanimuthu (Prashant Narayanan) a cop who is not only crooked but almost a beast with psychotic tendencies enters the fray. A young woman Manga (Shivada Nair) accidentally gets into the crossroads where the lives of these two men meet.

 

Cast:

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Aari is good as the egoistic and manly robber. His broad frame and physique make the thrilling heist scenes all the more convincing. Shivada Nair is an exciting young prospect. As the loud mouthed and active Mangaa she is extremely impressive. Prashant Narayanan who sent shivers down the spine with his brutal act in the Hindi film Murder 2 is menacing here. The glee he expresses when his perverse actions are on display is something to watch out for. Salim Kumar as the eccentric and money minded Sekhar with his antics is a joy at times. But it also turns out to be irritating when he goes overboard.

 

Crew:

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Nedunchalai is a technically neat product. The heist scenes have been chillingly captured thanks to Rajavel’s diligent work. Sathya’s BGM accentuates the impact. The songs are a mixed bag with the melodies standing out. But the item number is too loud and crass.

 

Direction:

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Krishna’s treatment is something new and raw. Most of the central characters have a streak of eccentricity about them. While the basic concept of how when an outlaw tries to rectify himself the misdeeds of his past will not leave him in peace is not something novel, the ambience where he has set these characters is what sets Nedunchalai apart. The love between Murugan and Mangaa has a certain amount of depth and we are able to invest our time in their emotions.The make up for Deiva Thirumagal Kishore who narrates the story looks overdone. The twist towards the end has enough rationale reasoning. But somehow it looks forced on screen. The primary reason being how did the character that brings about this be at the scene of action?

 

Bottomline:

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Nedunchalai is a gritty drama that deserves a watch. Thought the destination is not entirely new, the road is something less travelled in Tamil Cinema.