PremiumAhead of Kadhalikka Neramillai release, here’s how Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi perfected the romance genre with Vanakkam Chennai
Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi's debut film Vanakkam Chennai was a romantic comedy, and with Kadhalikka Neramillai, the filmmaker will be returning to the genre
Last Updated: 01.36 PM, Jan 08, 2025
In the freshly released trailer of Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s Kadhalikka Neramillai, there goes a dialogue, “Why do you women bring up a feminist angle into everything?” The film might or not give an answer to the question, but certainly outside the fictional setting of the story, the answer can be only one, “Why not.” Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, who is known for her slice-of-life dramas with a heavy dose of romance, is back once again with Kadhalikka Neramillai, starring Nithya Menen and Jayam Ravi (stress on the order of mention), about a woman who gets pregnant, as she caught in a myriad of emotions and a generous serving of romance.
How Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi perfected romance with Vankkam Chennai
But for Kiruthiga, Kadhalikka Neramillai feels like her home ground, especially when her debut film Vanakkam Chennai is also a romantic drama. If Kadhalikka Neramillai is a journey of a woman caught in the web of complexities and feelings for a man, Vanakkam Chennai was about an NRI girl who comes to India as part of her photography competition. If there is a thread to tie these films up, it would be how Kiruthiga manages to craft stories about a woman’s journey that is not about her lover but her aspirations, in a world that is designed for a man.
In Vanakkam Chennai, starring Shiva and Priya Anand, Kiruthiga takes a comedic route to tell the story of the leads, Ajay and Anjali, who are forced to stay together under one roof, after a rental broker deceives them. In Kadhalikka Neramillai, however, the drama seems to revolve around Nithya Menen’s character as she is carrying a child, and opts for an unconventional choice for her situation. Perhaps, we do require a woman to be able to see women leading the romance genre.
Kadhalikka Neramillai: A myriad of emotions?
While romance may come off as a genre where it is not gender biased, the reality is not always that. Seldom do we get how a woman reacts and responds to situations, and mostly designated to be vilified for causing the men to be relegated to their soup boy era. However, Kiruthiga’s film Vanakkam Chennai begins with the journey of a woman, primarily driven by her passion (which is not a man in this case) to win a competition. Similarly, from the trailer of Kadhalikka Neramillai, it is clearly shown to be the journey of Nithya Menen’s as every frame opts to picturise what her character is going through, and what impact people around her create on her.
Kadhalikka Neramillai also comes as a breath of fresh air so far, given how the film’s trailer chooses to derive its drama from emotional battles rather than the external antagonist that has become typical for Tamil cinema. It is too early to make assumptions on if Kadhalikka Neramillai will (not) capture the hearts of the audience, but for now, Kiruthiga begins on a strong note, with a talented cast, the magical score of AR Rahman, and teasing a mature love story that Tamil cinema has been lacking for long.
If you are interested in revisiting Vanakkam Chennai, the film is available for streaming on the SunNXT app and OTTplay Premium. Meanwhile, Kadhalikka Neramillai will open in cinemas on January 14.