Slightly absurd thoughts can either become annoying ones or sometimes harmless fun rides. Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, the new Vignesh Shivan movie, belongs to the second category. It is an idea that can easily go into that zone where you will find yourself doing facepalms. But with the right cast and less overdoing, Vignesh manages to keep it in a space that makes it a minimum guarantee popcorn entertainer.
Rambo aka Ranjankudi Anbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Oohoonidhiran is our hero. He has two jobs. He is an Ola driver in the daytime, and at night he is a bouncer at a nightclub. Rambo lived a jinxed life, and he always had this belief that nothing he ever wanted would happen. In an exciting turn of events, two women he met during the course of his two jobs propose to him simultaneously. How Rambo deals with this situation where he has to choose without breaking anyone’s heart is what we witness in Vignesh Shivan’s Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal.
Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal is certainly not a film that relies on unpredictability. The curiosity is more about how the characters handle such a situation than what will happen at the end. And the film works mostly because of how those situations are depicted on screen. Yes, the whole reality show gimmick was a bit too unnecessary. But that phase ends real quick, and the movie goes to its Khathija versus Kanmani plot. Even though the situations are kind of over the top, their humor is a bit restrained. Rather than opting for a Sunder C-level sleazy approach, Vignesh Shivan decides to create humor that will exploit his actors. The scene where Vijay Sethupathi proposes to both the heroines was just hilarious.
There is that natural likability to Vijay Sethupathi when he presents a character with his typical mannerisms. That outlook helps the movie enormously in setting the mood. His minimalism and the expressions during those fast dialogues were hilarious. Nayanthara as Kanmani and Samantha as Khatija both get this opportunity to portray humor. And they both were able to pull it off smoothly. Vignesh Shivan depended on the ability of these actors to create those witty moments to take the movie out of those cheesy patches.
A man justifying his decision to love two women at the same time can lead to some problematic depictions. But Vignesh Shivan uses the jinx factor smartly to take out that problematic aspect from the whole idea. Occasionally when the film slips into the personal space of its characters, the melodrama is there for sure. But Vignesh knows where to end it, taking the movie back to the fun zone. Anirudh’s music offers a wide variety of tracks, and almost all of them are memorable. The cinematography goes after the visually pleasing look and, at the same time, uses colors to give a distinctive look to each track.
Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal uses the potential of its actors fully to deliver a breezy comedy. It is not a story that will win you over because of its uniqueness. But the quirky humor that is maintained throughout the film makes sure that you get enough moments to laugh out loud.
With the right cast and less overdoing, Vignesh manages to keep it in a space that makes it a minimum guarantee popcorn entertainer.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
