Anusha Sundar

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When a puppy becomes a source of hope for a young autistic child and, at the same time, a symbol of greed for corrupt politicians, Lucky The Superstar hints at subtle philosophical layers. Unfortunately, these ideas remain largely underdeveloped, making the film one that neither strongly impresses nor actively disappoints.

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There is also a noticeable tension in the film's writing between portraying flawed characters authentically and ensuring every social debate reaches a politically correct conclusion.

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Youth is fun when it wants to be. With the whole narrative taking place during the school days, precisely high school, Youth taps into the benefit of being innocently unaware. The film shows some good writing instincts when Unnikrishnan says he values his wife more than his son at a critical point. As much as this simple dialogue carries great depths, the film’s overarching and concluding ideas are yet to become fully mature, making Youth an incomplete entertainer.

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Thadayam sets out to be a crime drama and have its own flavour to it, with its period setting, peculiar killings and detailed protagonist. But somewhere it loses focus and becomes a preachy lesson with its sudden want to take up social responsibilities.

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A movie set turns scary house turns haunted palace is the one-liner of Aghathiyaa, a film which brims with special effects and animations at almost every frame you pause. Filled with almost all the hues and shades of colours, and graphics, Aghathiyaa is a film that specifically changes tastes depending on what age group you fall under. If you have a child-like curiosity to get carried away with visual spectacles and colours keep coming, Aghathiyaa is a treat that way. But if you have consumed enough by worldly knowledge and look out for some logic and screenplay that offers more than just beautiful frames, then Aghathiyaa can be a shallow story of English medicine versus Siddha medicine.

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Anusha Sundar of OTTPlay gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Bottle Radha is a decent drama that is equipped with highlighting performances.

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Freedom makes little to no impact with its forced storytelling, unimpactful characterisations, thus making it a forgettable film on an important incident.

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It is with a genuine heart the film travels with. It may come across for saying profound ideas of purpose of human life and redemption, but it doesn’t make much effort to gain calibre in presenting the ideas as strong as it wants to talk. Or more to say, often gets too indulgent in portions that may not contribute.

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The series also talks about multiple cases; from that of insurance crime to forced egg donation. But the series lacks a certain rhythm to keep audience edge of the seat, as it merely feels like an arc that keeps shifting its centre point. But back to its holistic picture, Good Wife is all about the case in focus; Gunaseelan’s corruption and bribery, which seems to take back seat now and then. As much as we are made to given importance to Tarunika’s pain of being cheated on by her husband, it seems like the character had given it an easy pass to him who seem to have little to none to make amends for his betrayal. There are certain heavy and fresh issues the series deals with, which makes it wise for the long-form format.

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Love Marriage is a middling narrative which majorly scores for its neat execution and good performances. It is honest in its making and source material, but lacks in giving anything beyond that. Sure, it is a film that you can watch with your families, feel not dejected, and perhaps come out with a smile. But surely it could have explored a lot more by going into the depths of intricacies that a local roots could have offered.

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Essentially a road-trip drama, in director Ram’s world of Paranthu Po, the simplicity and goodness weigh over the evil and luxury. For every doubtful biker who looms over a lonely woman taking the road less travelled during night, there is an auto-driver who seeks to offer her a ride without a bargain. For every rich and privileged parent who could afford a massage chair at a farmhouse amid the nature, there are humble ones who seem to provide happiness to their son by just being together, surrounded by sunflowers, trees, and ponds. Paranthu Po is that film which makes you think to be as yellow and bright as sunflowers even as life may give lemons. It is that film which tells even learning to go downhill is a new learning, and when a child does that on his own, the parents can be proud and smiling. There are so many such nudges, and Paranthu Po brings together such little instances to not only release Anbu from being caged in his urban apartment home, but also puts back a big grin on our faces by asking us to relive in the nature once in a while.

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Aan Paavam Pollathathu is a fairly entertaining watch if you take gender politics out of question. But for a film like this, which wants to put itself in a politically correct position, there is no leeway for the mistakes it makes. Aan Paavam Pollathathu, which gets a good making and laughing bits on point, has thinking to do before showing where its loyalty lies. There is no correct answer to who is greater, Sakthi or Sivan. But there are plenty of arguments to make if you say Thiruvilaiyadal is a one-man show.

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There goes a phrase, ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. And that perfectly fits for Sundar C’s films that are no short of being commercial potboilers. His films might not stand out as proficient examples of exemplary filmmaking (not including Anbe Sivam here), but it cannot be ignored either. Sundar C quiet understands what a gripping narrative and interesting screenplay can do to a film, even if it can be weaker on the story side. And that is exactly what makes Sundar C’s film a crowd favourite. There is something to take home; it might not be the story or any specificity in parts, but the whole feeling of what the film made you feel. Gangers too is no different. It is a film that you shouldn’t be analysing for the brain rot, but one that you should just take for the laughs it gives in portions.

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Lijomol easily gets to the do heavy-lifting and it works brilliantly to the film’s favour.

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While the screenplay takes a slight hit post-interval, and the laughs reduce, the drama takes over. But Kudumbasthan is quick to turn its finale very much like one of those Crazy Mohan-Kamal Haasan film climaxes, that it almost feels comfortable to go back laughing, not at the characters but at the film. Kudumbasthan may tend to leave some arcs mid-way, one being Manohar’s equation with his wife and his professional side, but for the film to have the heart at the right place, the family drama makes it to the solid start for Tamil cinema this year. Manikandan scores once again big time with Kudumbasthan with its clean comedy, witty writing, and light-heartedness it comes with. But that’s not all about it. The film knows how to use artists to their strengths, and that makes Rajeshwar a filmmaker to look forward to.

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