Naanum Rowdy Dhaan movie review: Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara’s cute romance, and some hilarious gags make for a breezy entertainer!

The film is directed by Vignesh Shivan of Podaa Podi fame, and produced by Dhanush.

It’s a Vijay Dasami bonanza for Tamil audiences as two huge films have released on the same day and both are of different genres. Vikram’s 10 Endrathukulla is fast paced action thriller (read our review here…), that have been getting some mixed reviews. The second film, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, is an entertainer that gives importance to both comedy and romance. So how does this film fare? Well, here is our review…

What’s it about

Pandi (Vijay Sethupathi) always wanted to be a rowdy, ever since he heard the tale of a fearsome goon Killiavalan (Parthiban) defeating a brave cop in his childhood. His mother (Radhikaa Sarathkumar) wants him to be a cop, as she is in police force herself. When he grows up, he secretly leads a double life of a goon, albeit a fake one with help of his frieds (RJ Balaji and co.). His mother has no clue about all these activities, and thinks her son is a gem. His life goes for a toss, when he meets Kadambari (Nayanthara) a pretty girl who is hearing impaired and can only read lips. She is the daughter of the earlier mentioned cop, and had witnessed her mother being killed in a blast, arranged by Killivalan, which also made her lose her hearing. Her father is also later killed by the same man, when he tries to avenge for his wife’s death. A vendetta seeking Kadambari convinces the besotted Pandi to help her kill the dreaded goon, who is now trying to stand for the elections. He agrees, and the pair along with his friends hatch various conspiracies to kill the man. Will that work out or not is what the rest of the film is all about!

What’s hot

No two words about it, the film is a pucca entertainer thanks to its two amazing leads. Vijay Sethupathi, who is in a golden phase of his career, is absolutely brilliant. His comic timing and his romantic persona make him a very likeable protagonist, who is willing to go to any extent for a kiss from his lady love. Nayanthara is astoundingly beautiful, and matches Vijay’s vigour in every step. It’s hard not to fall in love with those beautiful eyes and cute smile, and we don’t blame Pandi when he makes some stupid decisions for her. Even though they paired up for the first time, they look great together, which is what makes this film so watchable. Parthiban as the comic villain is fanstastic. He steals the climax with his deadpan humour and double entendre dialogues. Another actor to look out for is RJ Balaji who brings the house down with his hilarious oneliners. The rest of the cast, including yesteryear villains Anandraj and  Mansoor Ali Khan, is also good. Director Vignesh Shivan has managed to make a good comic entertainer, with some really hilarious scenes. Check out the scene when Pandi and gang ‘tries’to kidnap Killivalan, at the same time when his rival is also trying to take him down. Or the entire play in the dingy bathroom when Pandi and Kadambari confront the villain. Anirudh’s score for the film matches the mood perfectly, with Thangamey being the pick of the lot, while the cinematography by George Williams is spot on!

What’s not

While the gags are great, the film lacks a cohesive and tight script. While we are able to digest several loopholes in the name of comedy, some are too glaring to be ignored. Like why is Pandi’s mother so blind to his activities? Or why the goon played by Anandraj, who earlier kidnapped Pandi’s friends, becomes so respectful towards him, just because he instantly manages to procur the money he demanded? Editing is another issue, as several scenes in both the first as well as the second half tend to drag. The double meaning dialogues uttered by Parthiban can be a turn off for the family audiences. Several characters, like Pandi’s mother or his mentor, are placed in the movie for a couple of scenes and disappear without any reason. Radhikaa Sarathkumar is almost absent in the second half, except when she returns in the end credits, though she was quite likable in whatever scenes she appeared in.

What to do

Though the film has its faults, it is still a decent entertainer thanks to some really LOL-worthy gags, all-round acting and a very endearing lead pair in Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara. You won’t regret buying tickets for this one!