Vanakkam Chennai review - Watchable fare

By Bharath Vijayakumar 

Female directors are quite rare in Tamil Cinema and more so in the case of a mainstream commercial film. Does this debut vehicle of Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi offer any different perspective to urban romance? Read on to find.

The lead pair are cheated by a broker and are forced to share a flat. Boy falling for a girl who is already engaged is a premise that has been dealt with quite a few times already. Vanakkam Chennai follows suit with not many variations thrown in.

Cast:

Well everyone knows what Shiva's strength is. And when there is only a single facet of your acting that is projected over and over again it becomes a weakness after a point. Vanakkam Chennai is a romcom and it really takes something to look the part and carry off this genre. Though not entirely convincing this is definitely a much better effort from Shiva in the slightly emotional romantic sequences compared to his last two outings.

Priya Anand fits the bill well as the bubbly NRI from London. In a character that is quite loud mouthed she has come up with a measured performance that is neither over the top nor sulking. Santhanam who enters the film at the halfway point is not able to elevate the film any further. A few scenes evoke laughter and that's about it. When you are a part of almost every film that hits the screen a conscious effort needs to be made to avoid monotony. Sadly Vanakkam Chennai is not one of Santhanam's better performances. 

Songs:

This is the department that is spot-on in Vanakkam Chennai. The songs that were already popular make their presence to be felt in the film too. But Shiva has got to do something about his dancing skills. The audience cannot assume all the dance movements are a spoof. And now it has gone beyond a point where they are not even able to laugh at it. Either Shiva has to improve his dancing skills or the makers need to be smart enough to camouflage his limitations through montage shots. The picturisation of the songs is however pleasant thanks to Richard M. Nathan.

Direction:

Vanakkam Chennai is a decent debut for Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi. It is a romcom that does not leave you immersed in laughter. It works more as a feel good romantic flick. Where Kiruthiga scores is, that despite a predictable flow the film has a lively feel to it. While the movie fails to keep you entertained what it does well is that at no point you are left feeling helpless and scratching your head. A little more attention to each of the characters would have definitely helped. The antics of the character 'Rosy Aunty' is downright silly. Urvasi and Rajkumar (who played Balaji in Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom) could have been better utilised. 

Bottomline:

Vankaam Chennai is one of those movies that neither makes you feel elated nor disappointed. Anirudh's music and a certain charming feel throughout the film make it a watchable fare.

Rating :