Production: AGS Entertainment, Kalpathi S Aghoram
Cast: Atharvaa Murali, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Priya Anand, Raai Laxmi
Direction: Yuvaraj Bose
Screenplay: Yuvaraj Bose
Story: Yuvaraj Bose
Music: GV Prakash Kumar
Background score: GV Prakash Kumar
Cinematography: Gopi Amarnath, R. B. Gurudev
Dialogues: Yuvaraj Bose
Editing: TS Suresh
Stunt choreography: Kanal Kannan, William Ong
Lyrics: Thamarai
PRO: Nikhil
After creating a unique place for himself with Paradesi, Atharvaa is back with Irumbu Kuthirai, directed by first timer Yuvaraj Bose. We get to see Atharvaa as a Pondicherry based youngster working part-time as a pizza delivery boy. Like all film heroes, he falls in love and pursues his girl with much passion. The turning point in his life is through a second-hand Ducati bike which he is forced to buy. How he handles the events that unfold, is the film's plot, stretched over just 2 hours.
The film travels at a sluggish pace for the most part and moves into the next gear only during the final sequences.
Atharvaa looks handsome, his physique and intensity are admirable. But the movie lets him down, one must say. Devadarshini being cast as Atharvaa's mother is an interesting choice and she performs with her typical spirit. The crowd welcomes Johnny with a huge cheer and we get to see him for the most part as a mean baddie, who flexes his muscles.
Priya Anand sports some really lovely costumes and is at her cute best as the quintessential romantic interest. The lead pair looks good together, though their romance segments have nothing new to offer. Raai Laxmi and Jagan as Atharvaa's friends provide the eye-candy and comedy quotients, respectively. The dubbing voice for Raai doesn't suit her personality.
Dream song sequences are becoming really dated, what with Tamil cinema looking to move forward, breaking free of such template elements. Irumbu Kuthirai is packed with such songs and even though the visuals are pleasing to the eye, they are a dragging exercise for the viewer. The placement of all the numbers only makes it worser, with the item number 'Pondicherry' being the film's lowest point. Do filmmakers still believe that such numbers with a glamorous lady on board would lure in audiences to theaters? What's the point of such song and dance routines?
Among G.V.Prakash's songs, 'Penne Penne' and 'Ange Ippo Enne Seigiraai' make an impression despite the poor placement, while his RR, for the biking sequences and the other pensive moments, is competent.
The viewer's intelligence is truly taken for a ride when the Irumbu Kuthirai team assumed we would believe that the action is taking place in Pondicherry and Kerala, when it is clearly evident that they have shot somewhere abroad (Italy is reportedly the actual scene of action).
The film's grandeur is apparent in the well-shot racing finale, even though the sudden changes in terrain and the lack of continuity are jarring. Gurudev takes the credit for the film's visuals. Pondy and all the other places which we are supposed to believe as Pondy, have been showcased at their best.
2.0/5.0
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