Review Overview
Performances
Screenplay and Direction
Technical Aspects and BGM
A passable drama!
Though Oru Naal Koothu is not a great drama, it is sufficient enough to make you care and invest in its characters for a fair part of the running time. Director Nelson has lucidly explained how materialism and patriarchy have ruined our marital system and subjugated women with these three parallel stories, but there is no denying the fact that his presentation is underwhelming.
Cast: Dinesh, Miya George, Nivetha Pethuraj, Karunakaran, Bala Saravanan, Charlie, Ritwika, Ramesh Thilak & others
Cinematography: Gokul Benoy
Music: Justin Prabhakaran
Editing: Sabu Joseph
PRO: Johnson
Written & Directed by: Nelson Venkatesan
Produced by: Kenanya Films
Release Date: 10-06-2016
Run Time: 02:14:00
Director Nelson Venkatesan’s Oru Naal Koothu is a relatable drama that revolves around three women characters. However, their struggles to indulge in a healthy marital institution are told through a lackluster narration that fails to cohere as a successful and effective drama.
Lakshmi (Mia George), a mid-town, reticent girl from Trichy, is in her late 30s, waiting to get married. Her father keeps dismissing prospective grooms for different reasons. Lakshmi is trapped in the clutches of her hidebound father (Nagineedu) and fights apathy throughout her life. Mia George looks like a tailor-made choice for this role and she has done complete justice to the character. However, the closure of her role is under-cooked especially when she finally decides to rebel against her strict fundamentalist father.
Susheela (Ritwika) is a radio jockey, who, after several attempts through matrimony portals, finally lands a suitable groom and gets engaged. However, she gets to cope with the disconcerting decision made by her would-be, whose ambivalent thoughts to tether himself into the marital system is portrayed artlessly.
Kavya (Nivetha Pethuraj), a strong-headed and soft-hearted IT professional, makes every effort to take her relationship with Raj (Dinesh) to marriage, only to be let down by him every time. Raj hails from a middle class household and he is quite worried to approach Kavya’s father owing to their affluent family background. Kavya is trapped between the needs of her unpleasantly overpowering father and the in escapable personal commitments of Raj.
Director Nelson has lucidly explained how materialism and patriarchy have ruined our marital system and subjugated women with these three parallel stories, but there is no denying the fact that his presentation is underwhelming. What makes the film admissible is the fine performances of the female characters. While Ritwika shines in her role as Susheela, Nivetha Pethuraj, who mouths her lines perfectly as Kavya, is a great find.
The film is principally shouldered by the delightful background score and songs of Justin Prabhakaran, who livens up even the most mundane scenes to bearable ones. The supporting cast in Ramesh Tilak, Karunakaran and Charlie have done justice to their roles that help move the story forward.
Despite the identifiable characters on screen, director Nelson’s story-telling comes across as amateurish thanks to the perfunctory twists and turns with which he steers the three stories forward. The relationships showcased on screen are honest and human, but the screenplay needs more muscle to make it an engaging watch. The comfortably contrived third-act which comes up with a bevy of twists is certainly a let down.
Though Oru Naal Koothu is not a great drama, it is sufficient enough to make you care and invest in its characters for a fair part of the running time.