Cast: Kalaiyarasan, Sshivada Nair, Janani, Balasaravanan
Direction: Rohin Venkatesan
Mumbai: ‘Adhe Kangal’, directed by Rohin Venkatesan, is a realistic and believable thriller that utilizes the wits of the main characters to keep the audience engaged. Clocking at around 2 hours, the movie has a host of characters who all play an integral role in completing the story.
Varun (Kalaiyarasan) is a visually impaired chef who runs a successful restaurant. His life and social circle is quite simple: there are his parents, and then there’s Sandhana (Janani) - a journalist friend of his. She has always had a liking for Varun, but on a fine day, in walks Deepa (Sshivada Nair) - a customer who asks for his help. Deepa has the looks and feels necessary for a romance of sorts to bloom. In debt and in dire need of money, Varun agrees to finance her current situation, relieving her of much stress. But then fate intervenes and Varun meets with an accident. Furthermore, he even gets his vision back and finds that Deepa has gone missing without a trace at all!
Days go by and Varun is unsuccessful in finding her. Given that life has to be lived forward and reviewed backward, Varun assents to marry Sandhana. With the wedding soon approaching, a predictable hitch of sorts appears: word has come that Deepa is alive and has been kidnapped by her lenders! Thus begins a game of chess between the hero and the villain, which also marks another chapter in Varun’s irregular life. Will she be saved? How smart is the criminal in getting what he wants? These questions will keep you engaged for the remainder of the film.
‘Adhe Kangal’ does a good job in containing itself to the boundaries set. Rohin has kept up a constant pace throughout, has utilized humour via Balasaravanan, and has given both the heroines a job to do in forwarding the story. Kalaiyarasan has given an equally compact performance to match the script. Sshivada as his romantic interest is a lot more than your typical Kollywood heroine. She delves right in and brings her character to life. Janani looks pretty and delivered what was expected out of her. Balasaravanan has done their part as well. Though it unfolds leisurely in the first half, post interval it picks up momentum.
Ghibran’s musical experience is an asset. ‘Adhe Kangal’ is not the type of film that would have you marvelling at the technicalities, but the pictures exude a confidence of sorts that would leave you satisfied.
