Nirangal Moondru Movie Review: Karthick Naren’s hyperlink drama falls short of being intriguing

2.5/5

Nirangal Moondru plot:

Shree is a schoolboy who has a crush on his professor Vasanth’s (Rahman) daughter Parvathy (Ammu Abhirami). However, one day she goes missing, and Shree misconstrues a kidnap scene shot by aspiring filmmaker Vetri (Atharvaa) as Parvathy’s abduction. Meanwhile, Vetri’s father Selvam (Sarath Kumar) is a corrupt cop, who gets meddled in a situation causing the trio to get connected.

Also read: Nirangal Moondru actor Rahman Interview: 'After Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, I was fed up with getting many cop roles'

Nirangal Moondru review:

Nirangal Moondru follows a hyperlink pattern to connect the fates of three individuals, who seem to have come from different walks of life, have a contrasting work routine and ethics, but somewhere fall into the same straight line of men who seem to be coping up father issues. Shree’s not-much-shown turbulent relationship with his father, when he refuses to buy his school-going son a cell phone while his peers seem to be enjoying one. Vetri, who lives away from his father Selva, seems to have a bone to pick up with the latter, and Vasanth’s being a gentle fatherly figure to his students, yet stumbles on a dark note.

Karthick Naren follows a non-linear screenplay to tell the stories of three men, and it seems he has selected a particular rhythm for each of them, the loudest being for Vetri, whose psychedelic state is visually explored in the film. Vasanth is sober, and Selva is notorious. But even as we get three separate character studies, aided by supporting characters, Nirangal Moondru is still bereft of clever writing to keep you intrigued.

There is an element of shocker sorts towards the climax, that ties the loose ends. The scene, and the messaging, even executed in a straightforward manner, still seem to jut out like a sore thumb as opposed to the hyperlink narrative the rest of the film carries.

Nirangal Moondru, as the title suggests, attempts to speak about the grey shades in each one of us, sometimes the missteps of which can leave long scars on the others. But where it fumbles when the film tries to push these shades in order to explore the characters. For the majority, the lives of how these three men get connected seem to be taking a long route and the circumstances that build, even as connected, are still hanging loose for not having a solid purpose of existence. Nirangal Moondru is interesting when it attempts to explore the darker side of these men; a corrupt cop being a doting father, and a benevolent professor having a dark shade. But these come as fleeting yet crucial moments only during the climax, it does not give enough breathing space to acknowledge the depths. Neither does the film capitalize on what it sets out to be nor do we understand the grey shades better. There are also some filming choices, like that of a single stunt shot played in reverse, which raises the question of its placement.

Also read: Nirangal Moondru director Karthick Naren Interview: I was conscious not to break the trust of senior actors

Nirangal Moondru sets out to be a film that wants to explore the human psyche. But with some disjoined pieces of narrative, and a hyperlink screenplay, falls short of being an intriguing thriller with a deserving payoff.

Nirangal Moondru verdict:

Karthick Naren’s home ground being a non-linear screenplay, finds a place in Nirangal Moondru too. However, the story lacks depth and with no solid emotion to get hooked on, the film turns bland and colorless, despite aiming higher.