Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Review - Comic Caper that is adequately amusing

Bharath Vijayakumar 

Vijay Sethupathi has really not done 'that' mainstream film that is strictly aimed at the masses. A title like 'Naanum Rowdy Thaan' would seem an effort to venture into that area. But the film is yet another conscious move to deviate from the beaten path and still remain mainstream.

Plot:

A small time prankster takes immense pride in masquerading as a rowdy. But he has to turn into a real one to win the heart of his lady love.

Cast:

Pandi played by Vijay Sethupathy is reminiscent of Das from Soodhu Kavvum. To consider the hero of Naanum Rowdy Thaan as the younger version of Das might not be a gross miscalculation.

Humour comes naturally to Vijay Sethupathy and he nails it in a few scenes. Nayanthara is jaw droppingly beautiful and comes up with an absolutely measured performance that is a sure delight.

Playing the hearing impaired she brilliantly balances her eagerness to act and also tones it down exactly to match the commercial sensibilities. Parthiban rocks it as the villain. 

He does seem underutilized for a while but makes it all count in the climax that is a riot. Radhika and Anandraj show their mettle in the little time they get. This has got to be RJ Balaji's most enjoyable performance. More often he spoils a very good joke with an annoying follow up. But here he is on top of his game. He only speaks when he has to. A few calculated blows always work better than non-stop wild slogs.

Crew:

The film gives the feel of an attractively wrapped gift thanks to George C. Williams. Anirudh's songs are utilized perfectly with the narration and are never the speadbreakers that we usually get.

Direction:

The crux of the film is actually about a girl trying to take revenge for the loss of a loved one. A comic caper out of this line is definitely out of the box. While you could be tempted to call it a black comedy the film actually tries to keep it as mainstream as possible with most ingredients in place.There is a neat love story that forms the backbone. A lot of emotions are involved in a few scenes but without melodrama.The only problem with the film is that there a few places that are about too plain. You have few nice little touches and then it either seems stretched or nothing happens for a while. A fully blown laugh riot would have definitely been possible but probably the intention of the makers was really not that. A few double entendres and quite a few 'muted' expletives fly around. This is the curse of our cinema that needs to get an U/A certificate to cater to all age groups!!!

Bottomline:

An enjoyable outing that has enough crests along the way with the climax being the highest. 

Rating:3/5

Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is currently rated 62% at MC post your rating here