Nenjuku Needhi movie review: Arunraja Kamaraj presents a devastatingly accurate picture of society's shortcomings in this Udhayanidhi-starrer

3/5

Story: Nenjuku Needhi is the official Tamil remake of the Hindi film Article 15, which had Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead. The film explores the layers of oppression and caste politics in society. Interestingly, the title comes from Udhayanidhi Stalin's grandfather and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's autobiography. Vijayaraghavan (Udhayanidhi Stalin), Assistant Superintendent of Police is upright and doesn't hesitate to stand up against influential people. Three Dalit girls disappear from a village. Eventually, we get to know two of them were raped and killed. Will Vijayaraghavan be able to do anything to bring them justice?

Review: Nenjuku Needhi holds a mirror up to present-day society. We are shown that even 70 plus years after Independence, prejudices have not left us; they resurface in ways we don't expect. The film begins with scenes that demonstrate the differences in caste and the suffering of the marginalised. A Dalit woman who cooked food at a school is humiliated and beaten. She is insulted, and her food is thrown away because "she" cooked it. Boys who came to her defence were threatened; false charges were levelled against them. After the success of Pariyerum Perumal, Karnan and Jai Bhim, we see a string of films that indulge in a social-political commentary. Manual scavenging, check; untouchability, check; violence against women, check; discrimination, check; NEET; check, Hindi imposition, check; police brutality, check; honour killing, check; goons in politics; check; caste riots; check.

A CBI officer refuses to touch the glass of water brought by a constable. Another police inspector refers to Dalits as 'adhunga' instead of 'avunga', depriving them of their basic dignity. The film screams melodrama (read: message) in the ears, which I felt wasn't needed. I'm not against message-driven films, but no 'message' should seem force-fit into the screenplay. And, that's the trick with the writing. Pariyerum Perumal went on to become a hit because the premise felt authentic. So was the case with Karnan. In Nenjuku Needhi, I felt that authenticity was amiss.

The first half, the setup, is simple and proceeds along expected lines. Vijay investigates the case involving the murder of two Dalit girls. They were raped and killed because they had asked for thirty more rupees for their daily labour. The conflict points are cleanly and clearly drawn, in the second half. Though Arunraja Kamaraj lends a realistic tone to his storytelling, a serious premise like this would have worked more effectively, with a better actor. Udhayanidhi Stalin doesn't fit into the role, as much as Ayushmann Khurrana did. It's not bad acting, per se. Say, someone like Ajith Kumar would have done justice to those well-written lines. Admit it, you need that ‘massy’ image to pull it off!

I liked how Anubhav staged the entire drama in Article 15, which I felt was a little lacking in Nenjuku Needhi. The latter had better visuals, too. This one remains faithful to its source material; no doubt! Yet, something falls short. Because, when a film is well-directed, it affects you subconsciously.

Nenjuku Needhi holds immense promise right at the start as Vijay goes about investigating the entire case. As the film progresses, the narrative does lose its steam. But I get the makers' perspective. When they do a remake, they are in a safer space. They know the math can't go wrong. But how right it goes depends on various factors like actors and the way you adapt the film—which hasn't worked much in Nenjuku Needhi's favour. For those who have watched Article 15, Nenjuku Needhi might be a tad underwhelming. For others, there might be something to chew on, for sure.

Truth be told, Nenjuku Needhi seems more of a launchpad for Udhayanidhi Stalin's political ambitions. This is where I have problems. The tone of, “I am going to clear this mess", in particular. It screams loud to your face. The messaging seems to be above the storytelling, overall. I liked those intentions. A doctor who performs the post-mortem is named after Anitha. (For the uninitiated, she was the daughter of a daily wage labourer, who died by suicide, owing to her poor marks in NEET.) Her passing triggered strong reactions from political parties and social activists who had been seeking exemption for the State from NEET. Also, there are references to the Hindi imposition, which is a raging issue in Tamil Nadu. Tamizharasan Pachamuthu's dialogues are spot-on.

Dinesh Krishnan's camera captures the rural flavour and ambience effectively. I quite liked Dhibu Ninan Thomas's background score. Again, comparisons are odious but inevitable. The performance of Udhayanidhi Stalin, who shoulders the entire film, doesn't keep you invested. He wells up, but you don't feel like welling up.

Ayushmann Khurrana's innate charm and honesty translated well on screen in Article 15. It's not the same with Udhayanidhi Stalin. The confidence that Ayushmann had was missing in Udhay. I think he's more comfortable with lighthearted films like Oru Kal Oru Kannadi. Even Manithan and Mysskin's Psycho, I'd say, was out of his comfort zone. He sounds the same in every film. Doesn't he? And, don't you think acting is not just about one's facial expressions? It involves the actor's whole body in the process. Ayushmann brought in varied emotions like anger, frustration and conviction in the original. Here, barely, Udhayanidhi Stalin emotes. Nenjuku Needhi is too heavy a film for him! Otherwise, casting against the grain works to great advantage. Suresh Chakravarthi, who plays the caste-obsessed cop, is a revelation as Sundaram. He plays the character with instinctive understanding. Aari Arujunan, Shivani Rajasekhar, Mayilsamy and Ilavarasu also shine with credible performances.

Verdict: Nenjuku Needhi is well-intentioned. And, of course, has its heart in the right place. But I felt Udhayanidhi Stalin was awfully miscast!