Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, Dhanush's latest directorial venture, billed as a Gen Z rom-com, is a cinematic trainwreck so excruciatingly bad it's almost fascinating like watching someone trip over the same rock for two hours straight. Released with modest hype thanks to Dhanush's name and a colorful trailer, this film doesn't just disappoint; it actively offends your senses with its terrible acting, incoherent script, and a cringe factor so high it could double as a torture device. If the goal was to capture the spirit of modern youth, *NEEK* instead proves how painfully out of touch its makers are, delivering a bloated, embarrassing mess that's neither funny nor romantic.
The plot, if you can call it that, centers on Prabhu (Pavish Narayan), a mopey chef still reeling from a breakup with Nila (Anikha Surendran). Enter Preethi (Priya Prakash Varrier), a girl his family wants him to marry, and cue a love triangle so lifeless it feels like it was scribbled on a napkin five minutes before shooting began. What follows is a string of contrived misunderstandings, awkward confrontations, and a climax so predictable it's insulting-Prabhu crashes a wedding, there's yelling, and everyone hugs it out. It's the kind of lazy storytelling that makes you wonder if Dhanush lost a bet and had to direct this with his eyes closed. The film's tagline, "A Usual Love Story," is depressingly apt-it's usual in the way stale bread is, offering nothing fresh, nothing clever, just a reheated pile of clichés that collapse under scrutiny.
Let's talk about the acting, because it's the rotting cherry on this rancid cake. Pavish Narayan, making his lead debut, is a disaster. He looks like he wandered onto set by accident and was too shy to leave. His performance is a masterclass in monotony-every line delivered with the same blank stare and flat tone, whether he's confessing love or burning toast. You'd think heartbreak would spark some emotion, but Pavish plays Prabhu like he's reading a grocery list, not living a crisis. Anikha Surendran as Nila is equally abysmal, sleepwalking through her role with all the charisma of a damp sponge. Her attempts at sass or vulnerability fall so flat you'll wonder if she even read the script-or if there was one to begin with. Priya Prakash Varrier, stuck as Preethi, fares no better; her wide-eyed innocence feels forced, and her chemistry with Pavish is so nonexistent it's like they're in different movies. Even Mathew Thomas, playing the comic-relief friend Rajesh, overacts to the point of exhaustion-his shrill delivery and frantic mugging might've worked in small doses, but here it's just noise in an already chaotic mess.
The script is a dumpster fire. Dialogue meant to sound hip and Gen Z-friendly-"Bro, chillax, she's just not that into you"-lands like a middle-aged uncle trying to meme his way into a TikTok trend. It's not quirky; it's humiliating. Scenes drag on with no purpose-like a 10-minute bit where Prabhu gets drunk and rambles about love, only for the camera to linger as if it's profound instead of pathetic. The humor is DOA: a gag about a mistaken phone call goes nowhere, and a "funny" fight at a wedding is so poorly staged it's more sad than slapstick. Dhanush's direction feels phoned-in, with pacing so sluggish you'll check your watch, only to realize there's still an hour left. The visuals-bright colors, slow-mo shots-try to dazzle, but it's lipstick on a pig. G. V. Prakash Kumar's music is the lone semi-bright spot, with a couple of toe-tappers, but they're wasted on scenes so awkward they kill any vibe.
The cringe peaks in moments that aim for heart but hit pure cheese-like Prabhu's teary plea to Nila, which feels less like a rom-com beat and more like a soap opera reject. The film's attempt to reflect Gen Z culture is a caricature, all shallow slang and forced "relatability" that reeks of a boardroom pitch gone wrong. By the time the credits roll, you're not relieved; you're annoyed you sat through it. *Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam* isn't just bad-it's a tedious, poorly acted slog that insults your time and intelligence. Dhanush has done better; this feels like he didn't even try. Avoid it like you'd avoid a drunk ex at a party.
ABSOLUTE DISASTER.
