‘Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam’ movie review: Mathew Thomas steals the show in Dhanush’s rocky rom-com

Apart from Prabhu and Nila’s love story, there’s also Venky and Sriya’s on-and-off relationship. Rajesh’s status is the perfect example of calling a relationship ‘complicated’ and Anjali, seeing the plight of Prabhu at Nila’s wedding, develops a soft corner that blossoms into something more. Thrown into the equation are the seniors played by Sarathkumar, Aadukalam Naren and Saranya Ponvannan who do a fine job of pulling the youngsters as well as the film back on track when they go sideways.

And hitches are aplenty in NEEK with the glaring one being the lead pair. Dhanush’s nephew Pavish, in his debut outing, struggles to fit in, like his character in the film. Be it the emotional stretches where the character’s vulnerability shows up or the “mass” moments when this middle-class boy tackles his girlfriend’s rich dad, his acting prowess — or the lack thereof — makes it difficult for us to root for him. When he’s not mimicking Dhanush, he tries to get cover behind a pair of dark sunglasses. Anikha, as the female lead, is seen mostly reacting to her circumstances, with little agency.

A still from ‘Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

It’s Matthew Thomas, the most experienced of the young crop of actors in NEEK, who ends up as the show-stealer with a stellar performance. Breaking the age-old stereotypes affiliated with the character who plays the hero’s friend, Dhanush etches Matthew’s Rajesh with gravitas and the actor pulls it off effectively. The rest of the young cast have their fair share of sequences in which they shine.

Another takeaway from NEEK is how Dhanush laces the film with his love for films of the bygone era with a pinch of his own life. The lead character’s name happens to be Dhanush’s real name, Venkatesh Prabhu, and just like the actor’s initial wish of turning a chef, Prabhu too plays one. Rajesh’s phone ringtone is ‘Oodhungada Sangu’ and his dog is named Harry Potter, a direct reference to Dhanush’s Velaiyilla Pattathari, and Prabhu’s house looks eerily similar to the one from VIP, making one believe that Saranya playing the mother in both films is anything but incidental. There are references to AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraja and Dhanush even uses the ‘Ithu Enna Maatram’ track from 7G Rainbow Colony as a hat-tip to his brother. Speaking of music, GV Prakash, who is on a roll, does a wonderful job and so does Leon Britto whose camerawork adds a colourful gloss to NEEK.

The film is a light-hearted romance and like a double-tipped cupid arrow, it has its pros and cons. Without delving deep into any of the myriad sub-plots, the film maintains a painful distance from the proceedings and its repercussions sink way after we leave the theatre premises. For instance, what happened to Prabhu’s pragmatic pops or the chirpy mom who loves conversing in English? We’ll never know. Similarly, NEEK leaves us wishing we got to know more about Preethi, Prabhu’s prospective partner, who happens to be the most mature one of the lot.

Dhanush tries to subvert cliches, like when the gang runs away from what could have been an action sequence or not villainising Nila’s groom. He also amps up the comedy factor, like the bromance between Prabhu and Rajesh, which works brilliantly in some stretches. But despite some intriguing moments, NEEK has its fair share of flaws thanks to convenient writing and underwhelming performances. NEEK might be Dhanush’s weakest directorial but has enough to show glimpses of his prowess as a filmmaker and given that his next as a director is titled Idly Kadai, let’s hope he’s cooking something more appetising.

Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam is currently running in theatres