What Is the Story About?
Karthik (Bharat) run a tea plantation in Kodaikanal and is busy looking at its business deals. He has little time for his wife and daughter. Karthik also has a business partner Shiva who helps set up the enterprise in the first place. Meanwhile, he joins a youngster Guru at the request of his distant acquaintance.
A chain of events takes place when one day Guru sees something unexpected in Karthik’s house. What Guru saw and where the lives of all the people end, is the basic plot of the movie.
Performances?
Bharath once again shows that he is a decent performer, mostly let down by the scripts. Naduvan is no different for him. Even in a poorly written role, he shines whenever the opportunity arises. He does his part sincerely. There is nothing much to add to it.
Analysis
Sharran Kumar directs Naduvan. It is a hybrid genre-mixing thriller and drama in equal portions with a bit of dark comedy thrown in, as well.
The story of Naduvan is simple, but Sharran makes it convoluted with multiple characters and mixing up of half-baked ideas. Set in a picturesque location, the movie stars with a glimpse of a gruesome murder. It then shows the hero waiting to kill someone. And then, the whole thing cuts a family drama.
The small family comprises of father, mother and daughter. Bharath essaying the role of a father, is given a slightly mature look. He is suitable for the part. Coming to the family story involves an age-old busy husband ignoring the wife to earn money cliché. We know the wife is unhappy, and it would lead to something.
The ‘something’ is revealed through another character Guru. It is routine within a family drama space where the husband has no time for the wife. All this is fine, but one is still wondering about the opening bits. The interval too is completed while the wonderment continues.
The link to the start finally happens in the second half. Both the incidents are connected to Guru and his small gang. However, by the time everything is connected, it is too late. So much routine content has passed in between.
We only continue to watch to see where the whole thing ends due to a police character. It leads to an exciting pre-climax and climax. The execution could have been better, though.
Overall, Naduvan has good casting and background score. But, it falters on the story and screenplay departments. The half-baked ideas and execution with confused writing further mar the impact of the thriller. Give it a try if you like the thriller genre and want to see something, even if it’s half-baked.
Other Artists?
The good thing about the film is the casting. Each actor looks apt for the part, which adds to the intrigue given it is a thriller. But, everyone suffers from poorly written roles that lack a proper arc and conclusion.
Aparna Vinod is the weakest of the lot. She is the most inconsistently written character. The sudden change in her role looks so abrupt and fake. Gokul Anand is decent, but it is a one-dimensional part that ends before it could shine. Among the rest, there are a couple of known faces essaying the roles of Guru and Palani. The latter is wasted big time. The former suffers the same fate as Gokul but gets a slightly better character arc.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Dharan Kumar is alright. The songs come at the very start. They help in establishing the space and characters. The background is more effective than them. Yuvaraj is the cinematographer. He has captured the locations from the hill station beautifully. Sunny Sawrav’ editing could have been better. The writing is standard fare and lacks any depth.
Highlights?
Climax
Short Length
BGM
Drawbacks?
Half Baked Characterisations
Too Much Time To Take Off
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, Very Few Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservations
Naduvan Movie Review by Binged Bureau