After debuting with a successful horror outing Demonte Colony, director Ajay Gnanamuthu returns with a psycho-thriller Imaikka Nodigal, produced by Cameo Films. This film has Nayanthara, Atharvaa and Anurag Kashyap in the lead roles with Vijay Sethupathi in a supporting cameo.
Imaikka Nodigal, in short, is a game of ego. It is all about the cat and mouse game between Anjali (Nayanthara), her brother Arjun (Atharvaa) and a psychotic villain played by Anurag Kashyap. Though, the basic plot doesn't end there. Watch the film to find out more!
To discuss the technical aspects first, RD Rajasekar, the cinematographer has done a good job with the visuals as the lighting and frames are interesting and they don't seem tacky at any point. For a film that runs for 2 hours and 50 minutes, we expect the film to not allow us to blink (Imaikka Nodigal, isn't it?). But, the romance portions in the first half involving Atharvaa and Raashi Khanna seems to be purely a commercial fit in a plot that genuinely has a lot to offer. However, except for the crispiness that isn't projected, Bhuvan's edit pattern is neat. Some action sequences don't seem to fit into the logic box, but since they have been shot in a compelling manner, it passes off.
Hiphop Tamizha is one of the positive additions to this film as his songs have already worked wonders (though they are unfortunate misfits in the screenplay). His background score is worth a mention as it adds a lot of value to the thrill in the screenplay. However, a few moments could have worked well if silence was used effectively.
Ajay Gnanamuthu has instilled various sub-plots into Imaikka Nodigal. The screenplay, however, could have been tighter and uncompromising in terms of commercial aspects. Way too many flashbacks with some predictable hints spoil the fun at parts. His attempt to portray Anurag Kashyap as a menacing villain works! But somewhere, we might feel like we've gotten used to such a characterization earlier. The dialogues are advantageous to this film and they work well.
Coming to the performances, Raashi Khanna looks pretty and puts up a decent show. Atharvaa showcases a lot of maturity in his portrayal of the character. Nayanthara doesn't miss out on utilising every little opportunity to prove why she is the ultimate lady superstar. She has different shades to her character and aces every one of them. Vijay Sethupathi appears for a very short while as Nayanthara's husband, but he never ceases to bring that little element of joy and emotion to the story.
Expectedly, the show stealer happens to be Anurag Kashyap. Without divulging too much into his character, all we can say is that he is an interesting addition to our recently built list of psychotic villains. He speaks with his eyes and convinces us that he could be deadly. His performance is only 50% of the job, but director Magizh Thirumeni who has dubbed for Anurag can gladly take the remaining 50% of the credit. His robust voice coupled with Hiphop Tamizha's intimidating background score, adds significant value to the villain's characterization.
Overall, ignoring intricate logical details and some functional romantic scenes and predictability, Imaikka Nodigal could work for the impressive performances and well-made sequences.