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Critics Review
3.50
An Arrival of a Filmmaker & an Actress
n many ways, Rathnakumar's Aadai is more of a sister-piece to Aruvi. In the sense, how both films portray their leads and their sense of liberation.. In the sense, how both films present satirical knocks and at times, a serious punch on the facets of society.. In the sense, how they deal with the whole concept of sex, virginity or sexuality.. In how, at both the cases, the parent figures dissociate with the freaky nature their daughters are happily embracing. Perhaps, unlike Aruvi.. which was more inclusive, sparse and compassionate.. Aadai, goes a bit more mainstream with its one note direction towards talking the things the filmmaker wants to talk.(more)
Source: Suhansid Srikanth, MovieCrow
3.50
Aadai is an intense, irreverent and bold film about survival. A must watch
Aadai is replete with delicious moments of irony (one of the attention-seekers wears a T-Shirt with Frida Kahlo's face printed on it), and of course, the anti-establishment jokes. Despite a slightly incoherent third act, 'Aadai' is a kind of film that breaks every preconceived notion one might carry before experiencing the film. The film may not be for the faint-hearted but does deliver a satisfying, cathartic end(more)
Source: Behindwoods Review Board, Behindwoods.com
3.50
Aadai is a compelling watch which breaks a few stereotypes and offers an engaging experience.
Several contemporary issues have been touched upon without affecting the engaging screenplay, until a flashback is revealed. The backstory for the main conflict has an overdose of message and one wonders why films should often talk about social issues. It not only makes the premise preachy, but also puts off the core thrilling plot to an extent.(more)
Source: Thinkal Menon, Times Of India
2.75
Go for it for the extremely laudable effort from Amala Paul and the novel attempt on the whole
Rathnakumar certainly deserves praise for attempting something new in Tamil cinema but at the same time the core issue is something that needs to reach a wider audience and he has succeeded in pulling them in. But alas by his complicated telling he has consciously settled for it to be bottlenecked for a niche.(more)
Source: IndiaGlitz , IndiaGlitz.com
3.00
Amala Paul elevates a weakly-scripted film
Amala Paul usurps everyone and everything, which is great, but is also eerily similar to the manner how heroes overshadow everything in their film. This is not a criticism. It is a worry. Perhaps, what we need is a plot-centric film.(more)
Source: Pradeep Kumar, The Hindu
3.00
One of the bravest attempts in Tamil cinema
Aadai is definitely one of the bravest attempts in Tamil cinema. It talks about how women should rightfully use hard-earned freedom. Watch it for the noble theme and fearless attempt of the young team.(more)
Source: Moviebuzz, Sify.com
3.00
A Wickedly Ambitious, Though Slightly Problematic, Survival Drama Held Together By Some Crackling Comedy And An In-Form Amala Paul
Aadai is unlike any film I've seen this year. And for all the films that's been coming our way, being self-labelled as feminist tales, kudos to Amala Paul for picking the 'ballsiest'.(more)
Source: VISHAL MENON, Filmcompanion.in
2.50
A rebel without a cause
The biggest problem of Aadai is that the film's end makes its centrepiece feel like a gimmick. Amala Paul, in an interview, likened the director Rathna Kumar to Kaamini, saying that Kamini is Rathna himself. Remember what I said about making a point? Aadai feels like an accomplished dare; as if someone challenged Rathna to make an aesthetic film about a naked woman. It's like he's checking a list for a 'bold film' -- scenes with drugs, references to feminism, women drinking, mentions of condoms etc. The writing seems all over the place, unsure of what it wants to say.(more)
Source: Ashameera Aiyappan , CinemaExpress.com
2.75
Begins With Promise, Ends With Whimper
Aadai bundles up a lot of themes together and struggles to unpack them in any coherent manner. There is a scene where Kamini tries to reach a woman in a service provider's customer care, but the woman grows irritable and shuts her off. The employee�s colleague asks her why she didn�t listen, after all this is a woman and we hear enough stories to be concerned. The film spectacularly comes off the rails in the closing portions � introducing a flashback and a misplaced rant against social media. It stops being a film and becomes a lecture, not even something that was scheduled.(more)
Source: ADITYA SHRIKRISHNA , Silverscreen.in
3.00
Amala Paul's nuanced performance rises above the script
In a film like this where the heroine travels naked throughout the second half, cinematographer Vijay Karthik Kannan's work is like walking on a tight rope and he has pulled it off brilliantly. Aadai is definitely worth watching for Amala Paul's painstaking efforts and a newfangled story, which breaks the stereotypes.(more)
Source: Anupama Subramanian , Deccan Chronicle
3.00
Amala Paul sure knows how to pack a punch
Aadai, once again, emphasises �woman is the biggest enemy of woman'. Sometimes, it is true. Sometimes, it is not. Kamini, of course, is forgiving of the woman who caused her trauma towards the end. That is not believable. I don't think Kamini was a saintly-figure. On the other hand, men in Aadai are shown being protective of Kamini. Though they get drunk, they neither take advantage of her nor the situation.(more)
Source: subhakeerthana, Indian Express
3.00
Amala Paul provides thought provoking commentary on society and womanhood
The film belongs to Amala Paul. She is bold to have taken the road less travelled, and has done a wonderful job of holding it together. Ramya as Jenny is riveting along with Vivek Prasanna, who appears as her colleague. However, with a runtime of 141 minutes, Aadai drags, especially the first half with unnecessary scene-establishing characters which test your patience. The basic story begins at the interval but the surprise character and the sub plot around the climax further slow the narration. Cameraman Vijay Karthik Kannan deserves a pat on his back for shooting Amala's body aesthetically without any titillation. All said and done, Aadai does herald a brave new world of women-led films in Tamil.(more)
Source: Sreedhar Pillai, Firstpost.com
3.50
Amala Paul starrer is an inventive, original and bold take on freedom
With Aadai, Amala Paul has not just upped her game but has also reminded everyone what she is capable of doing and that she's in no mood to stop. I doubt if any other mainstream heroine would�ve been as progressive as Amala in embracing this character without making any changes to the script or to their portrayal on screen.(more)
Source: Haricharan Pudipeddi, Hindustan Times
3.50
Source: PRasanth, Prashanth
