'Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal' review: Why, Vignesh Shivan? Just why?
Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal got released on Thursday on the birthday of its co-lead Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Now, the film's title translates to "two love, on the go..." but after watching the movie, we felt that we should just let it go. And what's the most disappointing part? The director's overconfidence that his film will work since it has a starry cast. Here's our review.
Rambo (Vijay Sethupathi) is generally an unlucky man. It's almost like he's married to "bad luck." Then we have Kanmani (Nayanthara), who is looking for a suitable match. She has two siblings. The third piece in this triangle is Khatija (Ruth Prabhu). She comes from an affluent family and is in an abusive relationship with Mohammed Mobi (S. Sreesanth). What happens when they meet?
The film has been presented as a modern-day love story, but it's quite the opposite. Picture this: Rambo falls for both Kanmani and Khatija at the same time. He doesn't let them know of each other. But, when they do, he pretends to suffer from mental illness so that the two ladies stay with him out of empathy. This is such a frequently-used trope!
As far as the screenplay is concerned, Rambo's lousy backstory, repeated dialogues, and loose sequences make the entire film a dreary watch. Coming to the performances, Sethupathi has hardly executed his part. His lines are long and he simply utters them. We felt pity for the exemplary actor in him. Perhaps he gave up on the film altogether, and we get why.
Nayanthara and Ruth Prabhu's performances make Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal somewhat tolerable. Even though the Vignesh Shivan-directorial is sub-par, the plot throws plenty of opportunities for the film to take flight. But it never does. Also, it hurts when a new-age filmmaker like Shivan falls prey to the taboos long broken in Tamil Nadu. For instance, widows in this film are clad in white sarees!
Also, one of his leading ladies, shown as self-sufficient and independent, readily offers 50 Sovereign of gold as dowry for anyone who would marry her. Which age are we living in? Well, in short, nothing has worked in favor of the film and you may give it a royal miss. And, if you like Shivan, the film may just upset you. Verdict: 1.5 stars.
