BOTTOM LINE
Sincere, Well-intentioned, But Dry
RATING
2.5/5
Story, Screenplay, Director: Krishnakumar Ramakumar
Cast: R Madhavan, Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan, Vinay Rai, Thambi Ramaiah, Aditi Balan
Music Director: Govind Vasantha
DOP: Aravind Kamalanathan
Editor: Bijith Bala
Producer: Varghese Moolan, Vijay Moolan, Sarita Madhavan & R Madhavan
Presented By: Varghese Moolan Pictures
Production Company: Tricolour Films, Varghese Moolan Pictures
Related Links: Trailer
What Is the Film About?
G.D.N. is a biopic of Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, a forgotten industrial genius from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The story tracks his life from his early days to old age, covering the events, inventions, and troubles he faced, as well as his personal relationships with his wife and friends.
Performances
Madhavan, essaying the role of GD Naidu, is in fine form, living the part. It is not just a physical transformation achieved through prosthetics; a lot is going on in the body language and expressions. The dubbing in Telugu should have been better, though, as the smaller nuances are missed in translation.
Madhavan has been on a dream run, performance-wise, delivering exciting acts back-to-back. GD Naidu adds another feather in his cap. The actor neatly depicts the genius’s forever-curious nature without becoming overbearing. The dramatic moments, too, are never overdone, and everything feels grounded despite the scope for going overboard. It’s the contained expressions covering all the emotions that make the act memorable.
Dushara Vijayan is excellent playing the wife of the legend. The actress manages to hold her own in a movie dominated by the male lead. Whenever she gets the chance, she impresses, be it in the funny or dramatic moments.
Priyamani has a relatively smaller role, almost like an extended cameo. She is reliable and brings the much-needed dignity and authority to a brief but key moment in the story.
Analysis
Krishnakumar Ramkumar writes and directs G.D.N. It is a biopic that covers an entire lifetime of an illustrated person who has done so much for the nation.
The challenge, usually, with a film like G.D.N is to make it engaging. There is a huge amount of content available at disposal which could make presenting it in a proper cinematic way challenging. The writer-director tries his best to balance both: be cinematic (with drama and all the other emotions) while also covering the man’s various inventions and genius.
The movie immediately takes us into the world and mind of GD Naidu in the opening segment, where we are shown the man’s younger days. The way he looks at various things practically and his leadership qualities are neatly portrayed.
However, in the middle segment, the narrative becomes dry and boring for a casual viewer, as too many things pass one after another. Each event holds significance, but they feel episodic. One has to be really tuned in; otherwise, many things might pass.
But more than that, the movie’s core drama and conflict contribute to the dry feeling. The British conflict, backed by an Indian competitor angle, isn’t presented strongly. We understand it, but the details don’t register. It is further enhanced by the main antagonist, Krishnan (Jayaram).
A lot is going on, and each time the hero comes out on top. The ending exchange registers, but the process reaching the end misses the spark to make the whole stretch exciting. We can feel this most around the interval block mark, where the actual bang is neat, but the stretch leading up to it doesn’t provide similar excitement.
The second half also maintains the same momentum as the first. There are parts featuring drama that work well. And that is the mainstay. The various achievements pass by after a point, and the narrative holds only at the dramatic moments. In this process, the final half hour is the best part, where the most drama lies.
The various conflicts come together to create the right excitement and culminate properly in the end, leaving a high. The husband-and-wife drama and the conflict with the system are well integrated. The conversation at the very end gets a little preachy, but the message is delivered along with elevating the icon.
Overall, G.D.N. is a sincere and honest attempt to present a forgotten legend. The narrative feels a bit flat at times, but it gets the beginning and ending right. The performances and the inspiring story make the biopic a decent watch even to those who have no clue about the person.
Performance by Other Actors
The movie has good casting comprising known and relatively new faces. The actors playing the younger versions of a few key characters do a good job of maintaining the intensity, which the seniors later continue. Jayaram easily stands out among the many faces. His character is the driving force behind the drama in the middle segment, and he is adequate, as he always has been. Sathyaraj gets a strong supporting role and delivers.
Karunakaran feels wasted initially, but he has his moment towards the end. Thambi Ramaiah goes about his usual way, whereas Vinay Rai feels wasted. The rest of the cast too is fine in the small roles given to them.
Music and Other Departments?
Govind Vasantha’s songs don’t register much (in Telugu dub), but the background score is good and elevates the proceedings, creating the right tempo and mood. The cinematography captures the feel of the pre-Independence era well. The editing is okay. The production values are grand.
Highlights?
Madhavan
Performances (in general)
Casting
Beginning, Interval, Ending
Drawbacks?
Feels Dry And Boring In Parts
Length
Gets Into Preachy Zone At Times
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, as someone who has no idea of the man, the movie presented a lot of content to process and be interested in.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but the presentation, while aimed at a larger audience, is also confined to a region and its people. It needs to be kept in mind.
G.D.N Telugu Movie Reviewed by Kalyan
