Oru Naal Iravil – A Neat Little Suspense Drama 

Bharath Vijayakumar

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of Tamil films that are doing away with songs and comedy tracks and adhering only to the core plot. This remake of the Malayalam film 'Shutter' too is another step in that direction. 

 

Plot: 

Sathyaraj plays a middle aged man who hurriedly plans to get his daughter married off after suspecting her friendship with a boy. In a completely different episode he gets caught in a precarious situation that lasts a night. This eventful night changes his outlook towards life. 


Cast: 

Sathyaraj and Yugi Sethu are the only prominent faces in the film. Both of them deliver the goods. Anumol is very impressive as the call girl. The good thing about the film is everyone's performance is measured and there is not even an atttempt at melodrama. The guy playing Suri does look a little bit confused but it actually evens out as his character is such. Or is he really that good an actor? 

Direction: 

Editor Antony has made an interesting directorial debut. Having not watched the original version it is not possible to draw a comparison. But as a standalone product Oru Naal Iravil is a neat first effort from Antony. There is a sense of going nowhere in the initial minutes but very soon things fall in place and the 'what happens next?' feel is very much there from here on. With limited characters and the action being confined to very few locations it is the triumph of good writing that stands out and keeps us hooked. The item number too is cleverly fitted as part of the narrative. But the song in itself sticks out like a sore thumb. It happens at a shooting spot where Gautham is calling the shots. But the song is so atypical of GVM. 

Bottomline: 

Oru Naal Iravil is a neatly packed suspense drama where writing is the winner. Another film that needs to be welcomed with open arms. 

Rating: 3/5