Nirangal Moondru

This movie starts with an interesting title sequence and hyperlink of characters. The screenplay relies on revealing of the plot and interlink of characters for keeping it tight and engaging. But what misses is it does not keep you on edge of seat. You are not looking for how this is gonna end, but rather why it happened this way. And, the last part is not that emotional and the intercut could have been much better ending in a Nolaesque way with title appearing last.

The emotion purely relies on the last act where the characters interact for the very 1st time together and as an audience you cannot connect it. That's the big drawback for this movie which could have been better.

This movie tells a simple story using a hyperlink screenplay, starring Atharva and directed by Karthick Naren.

In the first half, the film introduces three different storylines, each shown with a different color. From the first scene to the interval, I thought it was good. Each story had a clear goal and conflict, and the characters were well-developed and connected to the main story. The way the stories linked together felt natural, and the use of retro songs in key moments was effective, especially in a scene where Atharva is shown on drugs-the visuals were impressive. I really admired the creativity behind that.

The first half ended on a high note, but the second half wasn't as good. The way they introduced the characters and their goals was strong, but they didn't follow through in the second half. The imaginary scenes were interesting at first, but after a while, they felt overused. It seemed like the writer rushed through a lot of things in the second half, which weakened the story.

Overall, I liked the first half of the movie, but I didn't enjoy the second half as much. It's still a movie you can watch with your family.

The production was good, though. If the writing had been a little stronger, the movie could have been much better. Who knows? It might have turned out differently with a bit more effort.

Nirangal Moondru delivers a captivating first half, though it's slightly marred by a few cringy comedy moments. The use of retro Tamil music adds charm, but the reverse-played action sequence feels more like a stylistic choice aimed at trippiness than serving any real narrative purpose.

Sarath Kumar and Rahman shine with their solid performances. Sarath's well-defined character arc and his portrayal of a police officer are standout elements, while Rahman's role adds unexpected depth to the story. Atharvaa does a commendable job, and the actor playing the schoolboy is noteworthy as well.

The script is well-written and showcases the director's potential. A strong effort overall!

I feel this film is underrated. Useless crap films get more ratings.

Its non linear story telling is suspenseful to the end. Dont judge the book by its cover.

A good film after Dhuruvangal Pathinaru for Karthik Naren.

A well made film with good performances by the entire cast. Unexpected twists in the climax.

The drug portions are a bit drag. Otherwise a tight screenplay. No unneccesary side plots. Music is good. The stunt portion in reverse mode is a different attempt.

Overall a thrilling experience with a good message. Watch with no expectations, its a good watch.

Do watch if you are a fan of non linears!

Karthick Naren hasn't been able to live up to the high standards set by his debut effort D16, yet I'd say this is miles ahead of anything he has churned out as a filmmaker since then. Hyperlink cinema seems to be his forte, as Nirangal Moondru also has a very intriguing first half (except for some cringy comedy). The usage of retro Tamil music is cool, but the random insertion of The Weeknd's Blinding Lights felt pretentious. So does the action set piece that plays out in reverse, serving little purpose other than to fuel the trippiness.

Jakes Bejoy scores 80% of the film in spectacular fashion, but the remaining 20% sounded like generic patchwork; thankfully those are for less consequential scenes. Performances-wise, Sarath Kumar and Rahman are solid, while Atharvaa is alright. The conclusion (i.e. When all the dots connect) is far from convincing and leaves you on an emotionally neutral note. All that said, I'm not entirely giving up on Karthick Naren as a writer-director just yet. There's more (good stuff) to come, I hope.