In Naane Varuvean, Dhanush, as a writer, tries to cover up the flatness in the story by uniquely placing the conflict. And with Selvaraghavan’s eccentric style of filmmaking, the storytelling becomes much more visual than verbal. Yes, there are areas where the movie takes too much cinematic liberty to make things convenient for the story. But overall, Naane Varuvean is a movie that managed to elevate a basic story to an extent through its craft.
Prabhu is this family man who has a wonderful family comprising his wife and daughter. His daughter, Satya, is very much attached to him, and at one point, she behaves very oddly. After consulting her with a psychiatrist, Prabhu realizes that some supernatural elements are involved in the whole thing. What is that supernatural power, and how Prabhu’s past has a connection with that is what we see in Naane Varuvean.
The idea here is to make a basic revenge story look layered by exploring a dark character. The Prabhu character and his daughter getting possessed is only a build-up to the core story. The movie is actually built around Prabhu’s twin brother Kathir. Kathir and Prabhu are no longer in touch, and it has a lot to do with the horrendous character of Kathir. Selvaraghavan, who likes to play with gray and strange characters, finds his excitement in the second half. Selvaraghavan treats that character in a way that a real Kathir feels more petrifying than any other possessed character on screen.
Dhanush plays Prabhu and Kathir, and he ensures that both have distinct characteristics. From voice modulation to the overall attitude, he works on the tiniest details of each character to deliver a convincing performance. Hiya Davey, who played the role of the daughter Satya was really good at pulling off the dual shade of her character. Indhuja Ravichandran and Elli AvrRam were fine in their respective roles. Prabhu, Yogi Babu, and Shelly Kishore are also there in the minimal star cast.
The filmmaking sensibilities of Selvaraghavan, which are very much visual-oriented, help Naane Varuvean create that eerie ambiance. Towards the interval block, you have a crucial scene, and Selvaraghavan soaks it in his typical red color lighting. When the story shifts to those misty hills, a sense of coldness is achieved through the color palette. Omprakash uses the landscape very effectively to create that spookiness. The staging is done in a very theatrical way for many scenes. The music from Yuvan Shankar Raja was fine, and the Veera Soora track stays with you for its heftiness.
With a script that manages to connect all characters along with glances of signature Selvaraghavan elements in craft, Naane Varuvean is neither remarkable nor boring. Clocking at two hours and two minutes, even if you are not a fan of Selvaraghavan’s wackiness, Naane Varuvean won’t test your patience.
With a script that manages to connect all characters along with glances of signature Selvaraghavan elements in craft, Naane Varuvean is neither remarkable nor boring.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
