Nooru Kodi Vaanavil Review: Outdated, Amateurish Romance

Nooru Kodi Vaanavil fails to impress

BOTTOM LINE
Outdated, Amateurish Romance

PLATFORM
ZEE5

RUNTIME
2Hours

What Is the Show About?

Vinoth, a television show producer who relocates to Goa, meets Fenny, an aspiring host. Fenny takes up the job to fund the medical treatment of her boyfriend, Richie, who is in a coma. As Vinoth and Fenny develop a deep connection, their budding romance runs into a complication when Richie suddenly regains consciousness.

Performances

Both leads, Harish Kalyan and Siddhi Idnani, seem clueless in their roles. Yet, they make for a lively on-screen pair who deserved far better material. Meanwhile, several seasoned actors, including Kovai Sarala, Thambi Ramaiah, Chinni Jayanth and Sampath Raj, are saddled with completely thankless roles.

Analysis

Director Sasi is something of an oxymoron in an industry where storytellers are in a hurry to turn themselves into brands. He does not call attention to himself. Every few years, he releases a film, disappears from the scene, and leaves everyone guessing about what he might attempt next. Then the cycle repeats. Yet, every time he makes a comeback, there is a certain curiosity surrounding his work. He enjoys credibility, carries an air of mystery, and remains thoroughly unpredictable.

Months after his refreshing Nooru Sami, his long-delayed project Nooru Kodi Vaanavil, which went on floors in 2019, has finally found a home on ZEE5. Headlined by Harish Kalyan and Siddhi Idnani, the film, unfortunately, is everything one might expect from a project that has remained in the cans for years. Not only is it out of sync with the times, but it is also perhaps the filmmaker’s most amateurish work to date.

The story is exhaustingly familiar. After television show producer Vinoth John is denied a promotion despite consistently delivering results, he shifts base to Goa in a bid to reclaim his sense of worth. On the lookout for a fresh face to host a new show in a state where he has barely settled in, Vinoth crosses paths with Fenny, a Tamil girl. Though initially reluctant to take up the offer, she soon proves to be a hit with viewers, and the show gets off to a flying start.

Here comes the real twist: Fenny already has a lover, who is currently in a coma. Just as Vinoth and Fenny decide to take their relationship forward, destiny has other plans. The film stumbles through a series of roadblocks and misunderstandings in its attempt to resolve this romantic conflict, eventually culminating in a crushingly dull happy ending.

The plot feels straight out of an 80s or 90s melodrama, but without an iota of the emotional depth, strong performances or memorable music that made films from those eras special. People fall in and out of love faster than they switch phones. Beyond the central romance, Vinoth, who was raised by a single mother, also has ‘daddy issues’ that shape his ideas of trust and care in relationships. None of this, however, makes much of an impact on the viewer.

What could have lent some emotional weight to the proceedings is the love story between Fenny and her childhood sweetheart, Richie. Yet, right from the outset, their relationship comes across as a one-sided affair, with Fenny going out of her way to win him over. That imbalance only makes Richie harder to root for, because he is a flag-bearer of conservatism, a control freak who tries to dictate Fenny’s career choices and, thankfully, slips into a coma following an accident.

The television backdrop is equally superficial. Beyond the usual glimpses of corporate hierarchy, there is hardly anything authentic or fresh about this setting. The film works briefly when Vinoth and Fenny slip into their short-lived romance, but the family dynamics on either side fail to generate much interest. The humour does not land, the crucial scenes are emotionally shrill, and even a two-hour runtime feels like an endurance test.

The narrative only makes matters worse with Richie’s recovery, giving us yet another reason to be annoyed. Beyond the fact that they are the protagonists, there is nothing remotely interesting about Fenny and Vinoth. The film eventually wraps up with a thoroughly cringeworthy climax. Every other sequence makes you wonder whether Sasi ever had his heart in this project at all or was completing it out of obligation. Nooru Kodi Vaanavil is a pain to watch. There are no two ways about it.

Music and Other Departments?

Sid Sriram’s Po Podhum Po is the pick of the lot in Siddhu Kumar’s otherwise okayish album. Prasanna S Kumar’s portrayal of a less-touristy side of Goa goes beyond the usual visual conventions and lends the film some freshness. A fair amount of footage seems to have been pruned from the current edit, leaving one to wonder whether more effort could have gone into preserving the film’s context.

Highlights?

Bits and pieces of the music and the cinematography.

Drawbacks?

An outdated story, a poor screenplay and a complete lack of emotion.

Did I Enjoy It?

Not at all

Will You Recommend It?

Even if Sasi’s filmography tempts you to give this one a chance, resist the urge.

Nooru Kodi Vaanavil ZEE5 Movie Reviewed by M9 News