For people who have lived in Chennai for over two decades, the name P James would rekindle a familiar memory that has been long buried. For many, the magician, known for his guerrilla advertising on walls all over the city, he was a mysterious person who felt like magic personified. So, when Ravi Mohan (Siddharth) takes the form of P James for an ‘act’ in Kadhalikka Neramillai, you anticipate magic to conjure up the spirit of love in this contemporary love story.

Siddharth and Shriya 

(Nithya Menen) are two people who carry extremely varied perspectives on bringing life to Earth. While Shriya is worried about modern women struggling to carry a life within them, battling time, societal expectations, and other constraints, Siddharth believes it is immoral to bring life into a world where there is no hope or future for humanity.

Nithya as Shriya is a fierce soul who refuses to bend down to cultural constraints of any kind. The best thing about Kadhalikka Neramillai is its ability to move away from meet-cute moments and massive drama while training its focus on Shriya’s solo journey to bring a child to the world. Her character is mature and self-aware.

Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi feeds the audience with a romantic comedy

that replenishes the void of the genre in recent times. The first half sets up a nearly perfect organic romance between Siddharth and Shriya. The latter portions move into a dramedy that struggles to tie conflicts and resolutions together.

In a significant time jump post-intermission, Siddharth looks to be a different man with a poised demeanour, almost having shed all his buzzing energy. Shriya has her focus steady and it is refreshing to see that her priorities remain the same. Her character almost feels like the older, secure, version of Nithya Menen’s Tara in O Kadhal Kanmani. However, when Shriya and Siddharth’s lines cross again, it happens too soon, and too easily. A person vehemently opposing the birth of a child suddenly becomes a father figure. The justification for this is thrown to the magic that love begets.

The interesting conversations

that could have emerged out of the film’s own themes like childbirth, free will, and choice, are swept away for good. Ironically, this somehow works in the film’s favour, but you would also like for a film to closely examine the themes it presents. The film still carries several merits for fleshing out a realistic contemporary romantic story but strangely remains uninterested in delving deep into its themes. Despite having a film beaming with potential, bolstered by equally justifying performance from Ravi and Nithya, the makers resort to a few body shaming jokes like Jalaja (Vinodhini) describing Nirupama (TJ Bhanu) as a ‘thodappakuchi’ (broomstick).

One of the biggest assets to Kadhalikka Neramillai is AR Rahman himself. ‘Yennai Izhukkuthadi’, which continues to top streaming charts, reverberates beautifully in theatres. It has been a while since we’ve heard a background score that is refreshing in its conception and runs seamlessly to suit this new-age story that could very well be the start of a new genre of movies that swears by its relatability to newer audiences.

With Tamil audiences staring at overused tropes of evidently over-the-top twists and turns, 

Kadhalikka Neramillai steps back and asks itself a poignant question, ‘How do we treat this film that prioritises the agency of a woman?’, ‘How do we present an idea that probes the existing status quo?’ It is a film that dares to take its audience on a familiar yet revamped route, towards a new and interesting space that might not suit everyone’s idea of a destination, one that is not bound by the confines of societal expectations or time.

Director: Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi

Cast: Ravi Mohan, Nithya Menen, TJ Bhanu, Vinay Rai, John Kokken, Vinodhini Vaidynathan

Rating : 3/5

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Kudumbasthan Movie Review : Financial follies meet family fun in uneven but amusing comedy.

Kudumbasthan Movie Synopsis: After losing his job right after his wife's pregnancy news, a graphic designer's attempts to maintain middle-class dignity lead to mounting debts. His status-obsessed brother-in-law's constant judgment only complicates his predicament.

Kudumbasthan Movie Review: Money has a way of turning family comedies into pressure cookers, and Kudumbasthan drops its hero — a freshly-jobless graphic designer — right into a mess of mounting debts, status anxiety, and a pregnancy announcement. The result? A sloppy but amusing chronicle of middle-class chaos that proves the creators of YouTube channel Nakkalites can stretch their comedy beyond bite-sized sketches — even if they sometimes strain in the process.

The film has a familiar setup — an intercaste marriage between Naveen (Manikandan) and Vennila (Saanve Megghana) that has both families spitting curses at the marriage registrar. But this isn’t your typical star-crossed lovers saga. Instead, it's a launchpad into a year-long series of financial face-plants and ego bruises, starting with Naveen's spectacular workplace meltdown. After slapping a jewellery company representative during a botched marketing pitch (a scene that plays out like a corporate comedy of errors), our hero finds himself unemployed, with his friend adding insult to injury by slapping their boss for good measure.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Vennila’s got an IAS dream in one hand and a positive pregnancy test in the other, while Naveen’s bank account is empty. What follows is a parade of increasingly desperate schemes. Naveen starts with a modest ₹20,000 loan that somehow multiplies into a ₹3 lakh debt, leading him through a series of misadventures: a doomed bakery venture that crumbles under competition, a real estate deal that goes south faster than winter birds, and various attempts to save face in front of his status-obsessed brother-in-law Rajendran (Guru Somasundaram, stealing scenes like they’re going out of style).

Speaking of Rajendran – this chief engineer character is the film’s secret weapon. His interactions with Naveen crackle with the kind of class tension that makes you simultaneously cringe and cackle. Guru Somasundaram and Manikandan’s chemistry hits its peak during an ear-piercing ceremony where Naveen’s attempt to maintain status with borrowed bling backfires, creating the kind of secondhand embarrassment that lands just right.

The film excels when it’s playing in these spaces — the awkward family functions, the desperate attempts to hide unemployment, the increasingly elaborate lies that pile up like dirty laundry. There’s a hilarious sequence involving Naveen orchestrating his parents’ 60th wedding anniversary celebration through some creative manipulation of Rajendran, only to have it blow up in his face when his jobless status gets exposed in front of the entire family gathering.

But at two-and-a-half hours, the film overstays its welcome. The job-hunting sequences drag their feet, and the business ventures subplot feels more like a checklist than a coherent narrative thread. Logic takes more than a few coffee breaks — you might find yourself wondering why a skilled graphic designer can’t land another gig.

Manikandan keeps Naveen sympathetic even when he’s making decisions that would make a financial advisor weep. His performance walks the tightrope between comedy and pathos, particularly in scenes where his pride crashes head-first into reality. Guru Somasundaram nails every beat as the pompous brother-in-law, turning each appearance into an exercise in well-timed condescension. Saanve Megghana impresses with her limited role debut performance. Sundarrajan and Kudassanad Kanakam score a few laughs as Naveen’s parents.

For all its detours, Kudumbasthan works best when it sticks to basics — much like its protagonist, who discovers that family and honest work trump any get-rich-quick scheme. The film lands enough of its punchlines to keep the laughs coming.

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Game Changer Movie Review : Ram Charan and Shankar deliver a grand political drama

Game Changer Review: The highly anticipated film Game Changer, directed by Shankar and featuring Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, and Anjali alongside SJ Suryah and Srikanth in pivotal roles, is a political action drama that delves into the murky waters of corruption within the Indian political system. Shankar, renowned for his grand storytelling, makes his Telugu directorial debut with Game Changer. His signature style is evident in the film's lavish production and narrative structure. The story, penned by Karthik Subbaraj, weaves together action, drama, and social commentary, though it occasionally leans heavily on familiar tropes.

Ram Charan delivers a compelling performance in dual roles, seamlessly transitioning between the principled Ram Nandan and the rustic Appanna. As the central figure of the story, he carries the narrative with remarkable ease. While his portrayal of Ram Nandan is high on style and swag, it is his heartfelt performance as Appanna that truly resonates with the audience.

Kiara Advani, as Deepika, plays Ram Nandan’s love interest. Her character moderates Ram’s anger and inspires him to take up the IAS. While Ram and Kiara light up the screen, their love track feels somewhat clichéd. Anjali, as Parvathy, gets a meaty role as Appanna's wife, championing his principles and cause. The emotional depth she brings to the story bolsters the film's core.

Srikanth, as Bobbili Satyamurthy, surprises with his antagonist role. His dynamic interactions with Appanna add layers to the narrative. SJ Suryah, known for his distinct style and mannerisms, delivers yet another solid performance as Bobbili Mopidevi.

The film opens with Ram transitioning from an IPS officer to an IAS officer, featuring a stylish action sequence where he settles old scores. The first half chronicles his journey from a fiery college student to a committed civil servant. Although it employs some usual tropes and forced humour, the first half ends with an interval twist, setting the stage for an engaging second half. The latter part of the film takes a different trajectory, transitioning into a politically driven narrative rooted in the soil. The screenplay, treatment, and even the colour palette shift to complement this transformation.

Thaman's musical score elevates the film, with a soundtrack that complements its themes. Tirru's cinematography captures both the grandeur and grit of the story, employing dynamic visuals that enhance the viewing experience. Editing by Shameer Muhammed and Ruben ensures a cohesive narrative flow. The production values reflect Shankar's commitment to high-quality filmmaking, with grandiose visuals in the song sequences. "Jaragandi" stands out as the highlight track, while the popular "Naanaa Hyraanaa" is yet to make its way into the final cut. The team has announced its inclusion starting January 14.

While Game Changer impresses with its grand visuals and socially relevant themes, it falters in areas that detract from its overall impact. The narrative occasionally veers into predictability, relying on familiar tropes of love, political corruption, and systemic injustice. The screenplay’s didactic tone, though impactful at times, can feel heavy-handed, leaving little room for subtlety.

Overall, Game Changer is a well-executed commercial film. Shankar's grand scale and Ram Charan's brilliant performance, combined with strong supporting roles and technical excellence, make it a compelling watch for enthusiasts of the genre.

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Virundhu Movie Review : Barring Arjun’s Style, This Wannabe Thriller Is Messed Up

The best thing about Virundhu (also released as Virunnu in Malayalam) is Arjun Sarja. The actor, at 62, looks and moves like a dream, and he has a screen presence good enough to uplift even the most senseless scenes. For example, in an unintentionally cartoonish portion, he’s made to wear a black Satanic coat resembling the raincoats we used to wear during school days, and infiltrate a cult. But he exudes a sense of style even as the material remains bemusing and as he delivers bland lines that go like “My message to today’s youth is this...” while looking straight at the audience. He’s ably supported by Nikki Galrani, who, despite playing a character whose motivations seem unclear, manages to bring about a sense of sombre intensity. However, their spirited performances are hampered by a screenplay that is a total mess, to say the least.

The suspenseful moments are all shown beforehand, while the reveal about the villain comes way too late into the narrative. There are long portions of the first half that have no bearing on the plot. None of the character motives are established well, and none of their actions seem to make sense. An auto driver leaves his family to accompany a stranger on the run. Five minutes into meeting her, he pledges to save her with his life. The screenplay’s explanation seems to be: He’s a helpful man. A character delays a crucial explanation to two people he’s hosting and instead behaves rather suspiciously with them. The screenplay’s explanation seems to be: He’s a mysterious man. Instead of organically uncovering the threads of the mystery, the film abruptly jumps from one hyper-cut scene to another, and it's very hard to get into the proceedings. None of the moments are allowed to linger, and none of the emotions are established. Fast-paced thrillers are fun, yes, but without having anything to hang on to, what are we supposed to be invested in?

Adding to this, in what is probably an attempt to make things more racy, we get a background score that is relentless, loud, and haphazard. Every second of the 125-minute runtime is underlined by deafening music, without a single breather. It becomes exhausting after a point, drowning out any chance for the audience to connect with the film's narrative.

There are some gripping moments, though. There’s an action segment in the second half that springs a surprise in the way it is set up. A sequence in the end, albeit campily staged, has good production design in an 80s-style villain's den manner. Some of the action, despite being typical one-versus-many fights, is choreographed well. And Virundhu is filmed in a saturated tone that suits the locations. But these don’t do enough to save the hastily-put-together film where there are more questions than answers. What was the point of giving Aju Varghese’s character so much screen time at the start, given that he doesn’t even appear later on? What is the reason behind giving Gireesh Neyyar so much ‘good samaritan’ backstory, other than him being the film’s producer? Did nobody in the crew point out that Kathipara Junction in Chennai is not in a hill station? Why not introduce the concepts related to Arjun’s audience-looking speech earlier on instead of abruptly introducing the themes in the climax? There is a line in the film that goes something like, “There is no other case more confusing than this." Well, there you have it.

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Vaaitha is the latest movie on the block to speak about caste disparities in the society and the way in which people from the privileged community take advantages even when they are on the wrong side of things.

 

Vaaitha is the latest movie on the block to speak about caste disparities in the society and the way in which people from the privileged community take advantages even when they are on the wrong side of things.

The film showcases the incidents that take place in the life of Appusamy and his son Pugazh, after Appusamy is hit by a car driven by a high-handed politician. As things don’t go their way even after repeated advices given by local politicians in the area, they decide to go to the court to find their victory. The film constantly reminds us of the opportunistic mindset and the caste issues that are prevalent in the society.

Mahivarman ensures that his film’s first half is busy with the establishment of the characters in the background, even though it does not happen at the right pace. There are more unnecessary scenes than required, and the film plods along until it moves into the court fully. With the introduction of Nasser’s character, the film makes us feel that it is about to turn towards a serious legal drama, but the end result is something different and it may not work with one and all.

Vaaitha has a decent amount of work put into it in the technical departments, with the cinematography and music turning out to be better than expected in few particular sequences like the climax.

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Sorgavaasal Movie Review : RJ Balaji's Sorgavaasal adds a new flavour to an old recipe.

Sorgavaasal Movie Synopsis: When a common man lands in prison due to systemic corruption, his experience reveals the harsh realities of incarceration and its role in either reforming or hardening criminals.

Sorgavaasal Movie Review: The conventional prison drama gets a reality check in debutant director Sidharth Vishwanath’s Sorgavaasal. Unlike the redemptive arcs of the genre, this film flips the script to show how the system actively works against reform, turning even the most earnest inmates into hardened souls.

Set in 1999 and inspired by a real-life prison incident, the story centers on Parthi (RJ Balaji), who runs a popular food stall in North Chennai with his mother. When his regular customer, IAS officer Shanmugam, turns up dead with chili powder from Parthi’s shop on the body, the police fabricate a case against him. Thrown into a prison run by Sunil Kumar (Sharafudheen), a calculating officer transferred from Tihar, Parthi finds himself in a world controlled by Siga (Selvaraghavan), a feared criminal who once did the dirty work. What starts as Parthi’s attempt to prove his innocence turns deadly when a devout Nigerian inmate Kendrick (Samuel Robinson) dies in solitary confinement, sparking the beginnings of a riot that exposes the rot within. The record comes out through testimonies to Officer Ismail (Nataraj), but everyone has their own spin on it, like a little game of who can tell the best story.

Sidharth keeps the narrative tight despite the prison’s claustrophobic setting. The site is starkly alive: overcrowded, under-resourced, and a breeding ground for more crime. His decision to tell the story through multiple witnesses is an interesting choice. It adds some guesswork to the plot, but is also confusing. You’re often wondering where we are in the film. It could also be shorter; perhaps 15 minutes could have been cut.

The prison dynamics ring true - from the power hierarchy among inmates to the calculated indifference of officials. When reform attempts surface, like through Kendrick’s religious influence on others, the system swoops in to crush it. These moments land harder than the predictable plot turns, mainly because they feel pulled from headlines about actual prison conditions.

RJ Balaji sheds his comic image for Parthi’s intensity, even if the character stays limited to two notes - desperation and calm. Selvaraghavan brings menace to Siga without overdoing it, while Sharafudheen is your typical scheming officer behind a polite facade. Hakkim Shah’s performance as Mani, Siga’s right-hand man, is impactful and he delivers. Karunas and Nataraj both have prominent roles and they play their part. Parthi’s mother and Saniya Iyappan get little to do beyond filling in Parthi’s backstory.

Prince Anderson’s camerawork is on point, and Christo Xavier’s backgrounds match the theme.

Sorgavaasal works as it isn’t trying to make grand statements but instead, focuses on its characters caught in a place they can’t escape. Like Parthi’s food stall, the film serves up familiar ingredients while creating its own flavor.

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Nandhan begins with a note from the director, stressing how caste discrimination is still meted out to the deplorable lengths shown in the film. It all but says, “You best believe it!” So, whenever we feel the film is intentionally milking our sympathies, we are reminded of the disclaimer and it transforms our disbelief into shock. Through this, the film largely succeeds in drawing out the intended emotion from its audience. jk

Review 

However, even as we are ready and willing to believe the film when it shows how the events unfolding on-screen are still a reality now, director Era Saravanan draws out garish unsubtle performances from his actors, which ironically acts counter-intuitive to the message of the film.

The antagonists all but twirl their moustaches and laugh maniacally like cartoon villains. With that being said, Balaji Sakthivel has understood his assignment well and has given an intentionally amped-up and thoroughly entertaining performance. On the other hand, Sasikumar, albeit with a lack of finesse, comfortably plays a simpleton ignorant of the injustice meted out to him. 

 

At the beginning of the film,  two sections of upper-caste men argue about who should become the president of the village. Nandhan, an educated man from an oppressed caste, points out the unfair nature of their selection process and demands his name to be included in the race. He is promptly killed minutes later. After our walking-talking inciting incident has served its purpose, almost every single character from the oppressed caste shown in the film is depicted through a heavily patronising lens. 

 The characters are designed as if they are oppressed because they are naive or lack the mental acuity to understand their oppression. The lack of nuance in realistically portraying the inner workings of caste oppression is apparent. The pinnacle of this ignorance is Sasikumar’s Koozh Paanai AKA Ambeth Kumar. Written as a fiercely loyal worker to his casteist employer, his character seems like a caricature of stereotypes that might exist in a casteist mind. The central criticism is not that such incidents do not happen or that such characters do not exist in real life. However, while dealing with such a sensitive issue, the director could have exercised restraint and subtlety. 

One could argue that Suruthi Periasamy, who plays Sasikumar’s wife in the film, stands as a voice of reason and common sense, promptly identifying injustice whenever she can. However, it merely comes off as a character explicitly designed to collect feminist brownie points. Advertisements Several cinematic devices are used with the express intent to wring out our emotions. From slow-motion shots of an old woman being buried, while intense rain hurriedly fills her grave with mud to long drawn out sequences of Ambeth Kumar’s family being publicly thrashed, no punches are pulled in order to overwhelm us. The most effective part of Nandhan arrives towards the end where we are shown montages of real people from oppressed castes who faced harassment when they tried to stand for elections. 

While their tears are portrayed through a magnifying glass, Nandhan fails to capture their angst, rage, and the systemic ways in which they had their hands tied, all of which are palpable in their speeches. While it might have had its heart in the right place, the film ultimately falters in truthfully capturing the plight of the oppressed with sensitivity. Nandhan had its focus trained on making us weep for such injustice. However, as the credits roll, it is hard to shake off the question: Does the film want us to empathise with the oppressed or pity them?

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