Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK) Movie Review: Dhanush's 'usual' love story with hilarious one liners moonlights as Gen Z drama

3/5

Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam NEEK movie plot:

After meeting at a party, and several meet cute scenarios, culinary student Prabhu (Pavish Narayan) and Nila (Anikha Surendhan) fall in love with each other. Even as all seem to have gone well between them, a family situation makes them part ways. Life forces them move on, until Prabhu decides to attend Nila’s wedding.

Also read: NEEK team interview: 'Dhanush sir has taught us subtle acting and its importance' 

Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam NEEK review

“I can’t believe she is getting married,” says ex-boyfriend Prabhu while witnessing the love of his life tying knot right in front of his eyes. The scenario might warrant for a heart wrenching music, and perhaps for the audience to shed a tear or two. But when the world is set in Dhanush’s ‘usual’ love story, and Gen Z dominates the screen, Prabhu and his woes turn comical. Now, it is up to you to buy into the non-seriousness of Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK) and enjoy it or be completely dismissive about the quips it evokes to point out the silliness of the film. For most, I did the former, and when seen as a no-frills story, NEEK does its job good.

NEEK’s characters work on practicality more than anything else. When Prabhu’s current marriage alliance Preethi (Priya Prakash Varrier) is told of his back story, she clearly understands the difference between what is the practicality of marriage wants and dreaminess of love stories. She knows that the former matters most, and doesn’t get affected by emotional aspects. Similarly, when Nila remembers her late mother for a second and talks about missing home food, NEEK takes only a moment or two to dwell on the fact and is quick to move on, perhaps very much like today’s generation? But that’s a topic to talk about for another day.

Having said all this, Matthew Thomas’ Rajesh as Prabhu’s friend, and sidekick who very much has the cliched role as hero’s friend put through all the circumstances, gets the best lines in NEEK. There is no denial that Matthew Thomas does most of the heavy lifting, as his portions keep the laughs coming. He is that friend who bears the brunt of his friend’s love, that scapegoat who is made to test the waters first, and also that friend who has an emotional secret that plays the second fiddle in the story, but becomes lifeline to NEEK.

Also read: Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam trailer OUT: Dhanush crafts a ‘usual’ love story for Gen Z audience

NEEK’s ensemble cast, much like its posters, is fresh and partly known. It is undeniable to avoid seeing Dhanush himself in Pavish who almost pulls off a boy-next-door in his clean-shaven look. Anikha Surendran as Nila, Venkatesh Menon, and Rabiya Khatoon as Ravi and Shriya respectively play their parts well, even as it doesn’t go unnoticed to see Anikha miss a note or two when it comes to an emotional scene. Meanwhile Ramya Ranganathan as Anjali, gets a solid few seconds to show her dancing prowess in Golden Sparrow song.

After romantic comedy Pa Paandi and gangster drama Raayan, Dhanush’s third directorial NEEK is definitely is very different from his other two outings. While Dhanush might have a long way to go as a director, there is an undeniable freshness he brings to the table, be it with choice of starting the film with a song, or making sure that you cannot draw a similarity with his previous sets of wielding the megaphone. He taps into the potential of his youthful cast, at the same time, gives an easy solution for Ilaiyaraaja Vs AR Rahman debate, sampling on how today’s generation would solve matters.

NEEK does have its own demerits, one being its inconsistency in certain parts. There are moments that you may partially relate or not at all. An example being, parents of groom choosing not to come to wedding just so that the bride who has lost her parents, do not feel alone. NEEK wants to be both Gen Z friendly by showing how friends surround a wedding at the same time, play to the gallery with an emotional setting. There are few missteps in NEEK, but Dhanush keeps the engagement factor high, making the film enjoyable for the casualness it comes with. Considering how the film, despite its multiple character setup, does give enough and more for each character to play their parts, NEEK is a decent starting point for Tamil cinema to cater to the latest generation of audience.

Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam NEEK verdict

Dhanush, in his third outing with NEEK, is to be appreciated for trying to tell different stories as a director. Even as the film may have some middling parts, NEEK is that one enjoyable, no-frills entertainer that delivers exactly what the director promised you with --- “jolly-ah vanga, jolly-ah ponga”.

Stay tuned to OTTPlay for the latest updates on everything about films, OTT shows and the world of entertainment.