Hiphop Tamizha's Aadhi's Anbarivu is now out on Hotstar. Right from the trailer the story of the film was quite obvious - Two brothers separated by circumstances strive to bring the family together. Even the beats of the screenplay are similar to films that we have seen before. But still the film works thanks to the setting and some good casting choices.  

Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi acquits himself quite well especially as Anbu. He has quite a good time as the angry young man that we all adore especially in the fight sequences. The brain and brawn differences is formulaic but still works.

Napoleon is fantastic as the patriarch of the family. It felt as if the actor has never been away from Tamil cinema in all these years. A properly fleshed out part which reminds us of those grumpy stubborn elders in our own family who refuse to let go of the past. 

Sai Kumar and Asha Sarat shine as parents who are forced to choose between love and self-respect. Hoping to see more of them in Tamil cinema in the future. Renuka, Dheena are adorable despite having limited screen time. The female leads Kashmira and Shivani Rajashekar roles were very limited.

The surprise casting - Vidharth as villain Pasupathi looked unique. He is relentless in a character which is similar to Mahabharata's Sakuni. Vidharth has always been consistent irrespective of the outcome of the film. Pasupathi from Anbarivu is no different. He makes us despise him quite easily.

Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi has a ball with regard to the BGM of the film which elevates all the mass moments of the film. The melody songs of the film worked out better. It felt so good to hear a song in SP Charan's voice.

The cinematography by Madhesh Manikam brings out the contrast between the rustic charm of the village and posh atmosphere of the canada, good work.

There are a couple of negatives too. The film is a bit of stretch with a duration of close to 2 hours 48 minutes. A shorter runtime could have benefitted the film immensely. The lack of comedy is another minus. A few more comic sequences would have been engaging. The cliches work in some parts, at other places it feels tiresome.

Aswin Raam makes a decent debut despite the tried and tested template story line. The way he has handled a star-studded line-up is commendable. He gives each of them their moment of glory in the film.