Idli Kadai movie review: Dhanush cooks a comfort watch, much like a simple yet staple homely meal

Idli Kadai movie review: Dhanush’s film explores homecoming, legacy, and choices between ambition and roots. With heartfelt moments, layered characters, and melodrama, it’s a warm tale yet flawed

Idli Kadai review

Idli Kadai plot:

Murugan (Dhanush) leaves his village Sangarapuram, and father Sivanesan’s (Rajkiran) humble yet iconic idli eatery to pursue his dreams. Years later, Murugan, who now works for multi-millionaire Vishnuvardhan (Sathyaraj) and is scheduled to marry his daughter Meera (Shalini Pandey) in Bangkok, gets a news from back home, making him revisit his village. But the homecoming isn’t pleasant, and his father’s legacy is at stake.

Idli Kadai movie review:

In Dhanush’s fourth directorial Idli Kadai, it may be all about homecoming and celebrating legacy over worldly achievements, but the actor-director does not necessarily preach it. In one of the earlier scenes in Idli Kadai, a film which is sets up its simple abode at Sivanesan’s roadside idli eatery, Sivanesan says that everyone after a certain age has to fly towards the direction they want. It is not a comment to rebuke or chide his son Murugan’s wish to chase after big ambitions, but to stay put to his own and preserve the legacy that he has built with his eatery. Through the course of Idli Kadai, Dhanush,, the director, plants simplistic yet profound moments but when he takes up melodrama to move the story, the film faces some hiccups, much like the protagonist faces during his homecoming.

Also read: Idli Kadai 2025: Release date, cast, plot, OTT partner, runtime; Everything to know about Dhanush's next film

After helming romantic drama Pa Paandi, actioner Raayan, and Gen-Z catering Nilavuku Enmel Enadi Kobam, director Dhanush comes with Idli Kadai in which he plays the protagonist, a type of character that Dhanush excels at – a vulnerable common man who has shades of innocence and integrity. But as much as his Murugan gets due importance in the screenplay, there are also tiny elements that get planted, which may not be your stereotypical whistle-worthy moments, but invariably get a couple of hoots and cheers. Sivanesan’s habit of not charging children who pursue education and that getting a payback years later, a calf’s acceptance of the protagonist, or even the final shot that ends on a humorous note, pretty much makes Idli Kadai a film that you can enjoy while keeping your heart light of emotions.

Also read: Idli Kadai star Dhanush clarifies on how he struggled to buy idlies when his father is a filmmaker

But to balance, Dhanush also makes sure that the world is not single-dimensional from the perspective of Murugan alone. Meera, whose marriage is at stake after Murugan’s departure, constantly asks her father if they are bad people. Even as she understands that she is at a crossroads with Murugan and his life, Meera’s character gets a certain depth and we understand her to an extent as much as we do Kayal (Nithya Menen), a childhood sweetheart of Murugan, for whom romance is not just about being during rosy times alone. In Idli Kadai, there are some tertiary characters as well, like how Vishnuvardhan’s staff understands better than him to control his brattish son Ashwin (Arun Vijay), or Ramarajan (Ilavarasu), who is sent along with Murugan to India to bring him back. A shot of him visiting his family now that he is in Tamil Nadu, may not have found purpose to the real story, but its presence and inclusion talk about how Idli Kadai is not just the story of Murugan. It is heartwarming when tertiary characters are not merely treated as characters but people who have lives of their own.

Idli Kadai, in many ways, can be said as a spiritual sequel to Pa Paandi. Not that their genres are the same or both features Dhanush and Rajkiran, but it is all about reconnecting with one’s past. It is about trying to relive moments, but in many aspects, it also fails to recreate the charisma of it. At the same time, Idli Kadai falls to melodrama, and the second half has plenty of moments that succumb to it. Even as the film avoids any city-bashing, Idli Kadai falls into the stereotypical milking of the emotional past and legacy.

It can make you feel guilty of choosing to fly away, and what the burden of legacy can make one do, if generations do not have the same tastes and talent. What if Murugan never wanted to toil under a makeshift eatery or not even find enthusiasm in culinary? Idli Kadai also faces the characterisation of a weak villain, even as Arun Vijay uplifts his character with performance. The spoilt son of a multi-millionaire taking efforts to go after a simple man and his ego tripping him all the way long, a father who has built an empire, unable to take a lesson from his son and swaying to his wishes, come off as convenient choices in Idli Kadai. Even as the screenplay gets you going and some little moments planted through the runtime get you back rooting for it, the flaws are visible and negligible if you wish to be kind.

Idli Kadai movie verdict:

Nevertheless, Idli Kadai is a film that can be enjoyed while you blissfully watch it for its moments. Much like the taste of hotly prepared food can vanish once cooled down, Idli Kadai too lives in its moments. It is up to you if you choose to gulp the food while it's hot, or wait until it cools down to savour the realness that comes with some disproportionate ingredients.

FAQs

Q. Who is the director of Idli Kadai?

A. Dhanush is the director of Idli Kadai.

Q. Will Dhanush and Nithya Menen reunite for upcoming movie Idly Kadai?

A. Yes, Dhanush and Nithya Menen reunited for Idli Kadai after Thiruchitrambalam.

Q. Is the Idli Kadai movie postponed?

A. Idli Kadai released on October 1 in theatres.

Share