Immaika Nodigal – a gripping film

By Devaki Parthasarathy

A gripping ”˜Who done it?’ where we know Who done it, but don’t know what was done, why it was done and how.

But this movie is more about its characters than the storyline itself. Revolving around three or lets say four people ”“ Arjun (Atharvaa), his sister and CBI Anjali (Nayanthara), corrupt cop Martin (Anuraag Kashyap) and Anjali’s husband Vikram Viramadityan (Vijay Sethupathi).

Arjun, has come a long way in terms of performance and sets the screen on fire with his acting as a possessive lover and then a protective one. He shines in his role especially in the supplementary plots like love, romance, break up and the action sequences, kudos.

Anuraag Kashyap, is the pick of the movie as you find yourself equally creeped out by him as you develop a new found respect for him as you consider the incidents that lead him to be like this. The Dev D director plays a psychotic villain, who ”˜loves killing’. Director Ajay Gnanamuthu has diligently expressed the surrounding pain of an individual whose efforts are taken credit for by someone else who gains fame out of it by resorting to a Pachatantra tale type Hyena and Lion storytelling! I think Anuraag has found his niche as a psychotic villain in South Indian films!! I do hope we get to see more of him!

Nayanthara ”“ I believe the director has not been fair in writing out her script. Though she looks beautiful and does the best she can with her role, scenes like explaining Jack the Ripper to a room full of cops who had apparently never heard of him was a bit questionable. But she did the best she could!

Vijay Sethupathi ”“ Well though tiny, his character in the film is the fulcrum to the story. And the genius of Vijay Sethupathi makes even the tiniest role the beefiest of them all! You can give him the cheesiest lines and he’ll say them in a way that makes you feel something. The man can be charming even if you give him a really bad hairstyle. That’s just how good he is!

And the review of this film would be incomplete if we didn’t mention the little girl who plays Anjali’s daughter. She is an absolute scream ”“ she’s one of those precocious child characters we’ve seen in one too many films, but she’s adorably convincing in her role as a spirited brat.

Once again Tamil cinema shows that it is light years ahead of Bollywood showing a bold single mother CBI officer as the main lead. And thank you, Director Ajay Gnanamuthu for not making the kid a bait to milk some tears from the audience. And for that alone Imaikkaa Nodigal deserves a pat.

All in all a gripping can watch film, if you are willing to overlook cheesy lines and forgive the dragging love scenes between the youngsters (not the seniors”¦ that’s maturity and really something else).

DeeScore: 3.5/5

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