Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren - Saying The Verdict Today Itself!

When you are visiting a concept or an idea or a software after a long while, it's always better to have a peek at the FAQs or brush up on the basics so that even the latest update is covered in it.

I shall elucidate it further to uncomplicate what I have said above.

For instance. Say - You are logging into Facebook after a lengthy hiatus due to any number of reasons. 

Instead of being like a deer caught in the headlights and completely at sea (when you are on land - Bad Joke!), it would be highly wise and extremely sensible just to click on their FAQ section to have a quick scan as to what are all the recent changes that have been made since your I-don't-know-when last and current visit. 

This will not only save ample time (as you will be wasting it by fiddling with the various features without knowing or being aware how many you have explored/not yet discovered) but also makes you exactly understand how the product's capabilities could be effectively utilized so that you can improvise besides the given benefits as intended by the provider..

How does my above reference fit in with the movie at hand?

Well.

Had the director showed a little bit of commitment and did his free-flowing investment into watching and re-visiting movies like Ullathai Allitha or Avvai Shanmughi or Kalakalapu, he would have known that it's immensely possible to make a great comedy even if it is devoid of a core story or socially-inclined message through humor. 

More importantly, he would have understood that the humor element must be spread throughout the film like evenly distributing the jam on bread than being in patches like bumpy potholes on a highway road.

No doubt that Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren (ONNPS) has terrific smiles, waves of laughters, big guffaws, and clap-worthy scenes. 

But, the major snag with the movie is the drag, especially in the second half. More than most of the scenes were silly and ridiculous to such an extent that I was feeling really sorry for the much-talented and versatile Vijay Sethupathi (VS) to have accepted the role even though he has done more than enough justice to it.

Yes. It was a completely new and different avatar that we haven't seen him before. And, once again. He has managed to pull it off with aplomb and his own inimitable style - like his poker-faced and deadpan wry one-liners, his awesome body language when he walks as the Head of the Tribe or his various shades of expressions throughout the course of the film. 

Simply fantabulous.

But, with the continuous high-pitched screams from the other sidekicks that were going into my head (Not sure about the rest of the audience!) like a drill into a wall and the protracted what-the-hell-is-happening-here-screenplay was like a macaronic traffic congestion when the lights don't work. 

If the shrieks, yells and the intensity of the loudness had been dialed back, it would have been a decent outing despite the Dinosaurized Modernized storyline (with clusters of slapstick and situational humor) and horrible songs.

Speaking of the music, it would have been better if there were no songs in the first place. Barring one melodious song in the first half,  even Yama Dharmaraja would have driven away with his buffalo if at all he has the chance to hear them. God-awful.

The fresh heroine face (for Kollywood!) was cute in some places, pretty at certain places, vivacious at still others and criminally innocent as demanded by the script. 

You should also give it to Gautam Karthik as the happy-go-lucky chap and also for playing second fiddle to VS. After being a hero in many a movie, you should have real guts to get beatings and bashings in the climax from the goons. 

However, his hyper-effervescent nature gets into your skin and pushes you to the limits of maddening infuriation at few places. All you can do is give a deep suspiration in those instances. Whether that was exactly how the director expected and desired from him or not, he will only know. 

The director has tried something new particularly with the Planetary-esque introduction about the multi-verse, then slowly receding to other galaxies, our own Milky Way, Solar System and then finally pinpointing to the remote village in Andhra. 

It was fantastic to have such a thought process instead of merely stating "A remote village in Andhra Pradesh". Needless to say, the opening had the hallmark for the movie to be something radical. Free or not - I don't know. Terrible Scientific Pun!

While we are the topic of Andhra Pradesh, I was really puzzled as to why there were no subtitles for the conversations when they were in Telugu - Second half had a preponderance of such dialogues.

For those who understood the language, it was a non-issue.

But, for those who don't know it like me (Could be many in the audience!), it was like watching the sound waves being compressed into crests and troughs and coming out of their mouths in an unintelligible form. 

To make it clearer, it was like watching a Korean movie without subtitles.

All said and done, ONNPS had the good intent to be a nice comedy frolic with the rich talent as VS in the lead role. Sadly, that wasn't to be the case.

Doesn't it make you laugh?

Yes. It does. In a fantastic way.

At the same time, there were many moments where it was cacophonous and exasperates you to the tipping point of when-will-this-absurdity-get-over.

Since it is the director's first exploits, I am sure he will come back strongly. 

If he learns from his mistakes.

Verdict:
If you can just bear and endure the harshly ear-piercing loudness and annoying 'kaatu mokka' scenes, then you will definitely enjoy this movie. 

Wrapping it up by saying that the director deserves a good pat on the back for coming up with a novel idea that sets it apart from other commercial films - the kind of experimental movie like Kollywood's first spoof 'Tamil Padam'.

My only disappointment was that it could have been way better than what was shown.

PS:

I did not understand one simple thing.

Why should Gautam and his friend travel all the way to Pondicherry when they could have given a call to the heroine's mom to convey about the kidnapping (okay - Adultnapping! - Pathetic Joke!) by getting the number from her friend by being in Chennai itself rather than making a tedious journey to Pondi and then to the village? 

Anyone (whoever has seen this flick!) who understood it, please do leave your reply in the comment below.

But, the most probable answer which the director could give is that they wouldn't have wanted to freak out her mom or that her mom might think that someone is playing a prank on her.