Saba Nayagan Review: Ashok Selvan's bromance comedy will have you chuckling non-stop

3/5

Saba Nayagan Story

Aravind, aka Saba (played by Ashok Selvan), is a huge romantic at heart. When he gets arrested by cops for drinking and creating a public nuisance, he finds himself narrating the stories of his heartbreaks to police officers. From how he couldn't confess his love to his school crush to getting cheated on during his college days, Saba narrates it all. Does he finally succeed in finding love? And what happens next? 

Saba Nayagan Review

While there have been movies in which the leading man speaks about his love life, what is different about Saba Nayagan is the climax. In his debut film, director CS Karthikeyan has transformed the usual story of heartbreak into something entertaining. Ashok Selvan’s is charming and hilarious and this has the audience hooked on his story. What works for the film are the witty narration and one-liners. The romantic parts may not impress you and you will find yourself yearning for quick-wit exchanged by the cops or Saba’s friends, who mock him. 

Also read: Pon Ondru Kanden - What happens when Ashok Selvan, Vasanth Ravi and Aishwarya Lekshmi are caught in a love triangle?

The film delves into the dynamics between Saba and his friends more interestingly than it does between him and his lovers, making Saba Nayagan more of a bromance comedy than a conventional rom-com. SS and Dinesh (played by Arun Kumar and Jaiseelan Sivaram, respectively) relentlessly try to stop Saba from falling in love over and over again and hurting himself in the process. Their friendship stands tall as you see them supporting Saba even through his silly decisions and wrongdoings.

The way Saba narrates his love stories is also quite different, for there is no end to them. But humour is the biggest strength of the film. Throughout the two-and-a-half hours, the movie keeps you engrossed thanks to the one-liners, the pulling of Saba’s legs or the humorous situations his friends end up in because of his antics. In her Tamil film debut, Karthika Muralidharan has done an impressive job as Saba’s school crush. 

Although Leon James has done a good job at creating apt melodies that align with the theme, there are too many songs that seem unnecessary. Although in the last 20 minutes the film might appear to be predictable, there are a series of surprises that are worth watching. Overall, the film is an engaging comedy and a light-hearted watch that does not require much analysis. 

Also read: Before Saba Nayagan’s release, stream these 5 Ashok Selvan-starring films on OTT

Saba Nayagan Verdict

If you are in the mood for non-stop chuckles or unexpected twists, then Saba Nayagan is the film for you. From impromptu jokes to vibrant performances, it is a refreshing rom-com, or rather, bromance comedy, that you can watch on Disney+ Hotstar.

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