Eeram combo of Aadhi, Arivazhagan and Thaman return with a competent thriller on the theme of ‘sound’. Down goes our Sabdham Movie Review.

Director Arivazhagan’s films have always offered something different, as they have come with unique genres to their name. Bringing back the Eeram combination with Aadhi and Thaman, the director has arrived with his next film Sabdham, which is a ‘sound’ thriller that focuses on its theme of having sounds and music coming as the core connect for the film.

Sabdham starts off by introducing the horror of how eerie sounds and unusual hearings can lead a person to death, and Aadhi comes in as Ruben, a paranormal investigator who solves the case. The first half of the film is narrated as a crime thriller where the focus is on how the murders took place and how it all culminates into the possession and action of the ghostly forces. The interval block, which is the best sequence in the film, is carried out superbly, with some never seen before ideas and is executed with sound, visuals and camera work on point. In the second half, the film moves deeper into its storyline and we get to know the character of Simran and how she is embedded into the proceedings. The film lands some emotional instances here and though we are not entirely invested in it, the narrative is pretty neat. Except for the climax which is all over the place, Sabdham is a neat film that is technically solid in every department.

Aadhi does a great job of maintaining the seriousness of the character, and he also holds his mannerisms and accent very well. The film has good performances from Simran and Lakshmi Menon, but Laila is a complete misfit.

Thaman has done an excellent job with the music, which is in stark contrast to his other films. The cinematography by Arun also deserves big praise.

On the whole, Sabdham is a good thriller that will satisfy fans of the genre, but it could have been even more if Arivazhagan did not force one too many elements into the screenplay.

Sabdham Movie Rating: 3.25/5

News Credits: onlykollywood.com

The nuanced, heartfelt drama explores queerness, identity, and acceptance through sharp writing, irony, and well-etched characters, delivering a powerful yet sensitive take on love’s universality

Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai (3.5 / 5)

For years, Tamil filmmakers have relied on the bike ride as a visual representation of two people falling in love—so much so that it has become a cliche. Yet, perhaps the cleverest choice of director Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan in his latest drama Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai (KEPU) is to use the trope to show his lead queer couple fall in love. Paired with Uthara Unnikrishnan’s evocative rendition of ‘Theeyai,’ the scene beautifully reinforces the film’s core idea—that love, in all its forms, is indeed for everyone. Set almost entirely within the confines of a single house and unfolding through seven characters, the film delves into sexual identity without slipping into didacticism. It creates space for a much-needed conversation—one that feels urgent, intimate, and deeply relevant.

Cast: Lijomol Jose, Anusha Prabhu, Rohini, Vineeth, Kalesh, Deepa

Director: Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

In Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai, Sam (Lijomol) confides in her mother, Lakshmi (Rohini), about being in love. Unlike most Indian parents, Lakshmi is more than ready to welcome her daughter’s ‘man’ with open arms—until she learns that Sam’s partner is a woman. What follows is a series of layered conversations on queerness, sexual identity, and individuality, making space for a deeper, more nuanced discourse.

Jayaprakash could have taken the straightforward route with KEPU, but instead, he chooses to shape his characters with irony. Lakshmi, a motivational speaker with a presence on YouTube, is not able to apply the messages of love she preaches to the public to her own daughter. In one scene, her ex-husband Devaraj (Vineeth) says with a sneer, “Penniyam nu pesi pesi un ponna epdi valathirka paaru,” blaming her progressive upbringing for their daughter’s choices. Yet, despite having little involvement in Sam’s life, Devaraj still asserts that he will not “allow” her to be in a relationship with another woman. Meanwhile, Mary, the housemaid played by Deepa, comes from a less privileged background yet is one of the first to truly understand Sam’s love. These ironies, woven throughout Kaadhal Enbadhu Podhu Udamai, add layers of complexity to the characters, making their actions—and the film’s messaging—feel all the more compelling.

While KEPU isn’t the kind of drama one expects twists and turns from, its sharp writing ensures it never slips into sermonising. Jayaprakash takes his time setting the conflict in motion, building a world that is tense yet laced with humour—often making us uncomfortable, but also offering well-placed comedic relief. Kalesh, who plays Sam’s best friend, Ravindra, embodies the role of an ally to perfection. Stuck between Sam’s inability to tell the truth and Lakshmi’s assumption that he is her boyfriend, Ravindra communicates volumes through minimal dialogue and impeccable facial expressions. So, when the film reaches its crescendo with the big revelation, the payoff feels truly earned.

Jayaprakash ensures that well-placed comedic breaks keep the heavy dialogues from feeling monotonous. KEPU doesn’t just stop at spreading awareness—it goes beyond. Many of us aspire to be allies but often struggle with doubts or simply don’t know how. The film beautifully navigates these nuances. Take Ravindra, for instance. We see that his journey to allyship was gradual, and even now, there are remnants of internalised homophobia within him. In another scene, the well-meaning yet naive Mary innocently asks the couple how intimacy works between them or who plays the “husband” in the relationship. Instead of taking offence, the couple patiently clarifies, reinforcing the idea that open conversations are key to clearing biases. KEPU doesn’t shame anyone for their ignorance or for taking time to understand sexual and gender identity—and that might just be its biggest strength.

The film isn’t afraid to venture into dark spaces, shedding light on what the Indian alternative to Western conversion therapy looks like. Yet, within its two-hour runtime, the film delivers a much-needed lesson to parents—without ever sounding patronising. A key reason this works is Jayaprakash’s spot-on casting. As Lakshmi, Rohini beautifully captures the internal turmoils of a mother and the double standards of many in society who mask themselves as progressive people. In a single moment, she shifts from being a warm, supportive mother to a fiercely resistant guardian, convinced that her child needs “saving.” Lijomol and Anusha are apt as Sam and Nandhini, justifying Jayaprakash’s decision to entrust them with the lead roles. Kalesh and Deepa, although supporting characters, shine as Ravindra and Mary, as they bring light-heartedness to the story, while also being strong allies with strict fundamentals. Vineeth, with his unsettling calmness, adds another layer of tension, completing an ensemble of brilliant performers who bring this nuanced drama to life.

KEPU is replete with metaphors—be it the butterflies symbolising transformation and personal growth or a shot of the lead couple running freely so others like them can follow, shedding their masks along the way. The film does not resort to the illusion that a single conversation can turn opposers into allies. But it does affirm that true love never wavers, no matter who you are. In the end, it reiterates that just as a parent’s love remains unwavering despite imperfections, love too knows no bounds—it transcends gender, fear, and prejudice, standing tall in its purest form.

News Credits: Cinema Express

Dhanush brings up a youthful film that holds in interest for most parts! Below goes our NEEK Movie Review.

NEEK Movie Rating: 3.25/5

As much as Dhanush is exciting as an actor, he is also trying his best to build his Wikipedia page as a director. Right after the rustic and bloody Raayan comes a stark contrast in the form of NEEK, which is a freewheeling and cheerful entertainer tailor-made for audiences who are on the lookout for happy films.

On the lines of youthful entertainers which are few and far apart in Tamil cinema, Dhanush lands NEEK right in the middle of a friends group, and how they come together to work out their problems, misunderstandings, familial issues and more. NEEK drives itself forward in the first half with the comical pair of Pavish and Mathew Thomas, how the concept of marriage introduced to them and how their friendships are affected by the relationships they get into. The film moves at its own pace with bright and effective production values supporting it, and we also get benefited by the ensemble cast who aren’t great but they keep coming in with good contributions here and there. The first half ends on a very emotional note, and from there on, the second half takes over and keeps the ball rolling with interesting situations between the characters at regular intervals.

As much as NEEK is colorful, thoughtful and funny, it is not as consistent as we expect the film to be in terms of its engagement factor. The film is not as relatable as it should be, as it still feels too high class for the storyline that it has, especially the side of Pavish and his characters. However, Dhanush ensures that he has some cool situations in the film to deal with, and keeps the momentum going.

The cast of NEEK are carefully handled, and it is led by Pavish who is a good find. The film though is led on big time by Mathew Thomas who has a great role to play and completely takes care of the comic portions. The plus point is also with how Anikha is an efficient fit, while Priya Varrier is very good in her part, in addition to Ramya Ranganathan doing well in her role. Sarathkumar’s extended cameo is also an important part of the storyline, and it is carried out well.

GV Prakash’s songs and score are a big advantage for the film – the chartbuster Golden Sparrow is superb on screen and the other songs are shot wonderfully.

News Credits: onlykollywood.com

Synopsis

Something special about Ashwath Marimuthu’s Dragon is how it never judges anyone in the film, neither when its hero makes wrong decisions, nor when a girl decides to reject a proposal or leave a man she deeply loves.

Critic’s Rating: 4.0/5

Dragon Movie Review : This Ashwath Marimuthu rollercoaster ride is fun & fully charged

Dragon Movie Synopsis: When Raghavan has 48 arrears to clear, he decides to take a shortcut to success. It takes him far, but doesn’t last long. Will he find a way back, or is a second chance just around the corner?

Dragon Movie Review: Something special about Ashwath Marimuthu’s Dragon is how it never judges anyone in the film, neither when its hero makes wrong decisions, nor when a girl decides to reject a proposal or leave a man she deeply loves. Of course, there is a lot of magic happening in Dragon, just like in the director’s debut Oh My Kadavule, however, the magic here rather stems from the cinematic liberties that Ashwath makes use of. In simpler words, there are just too many coincidences, and Raghavan (Pradeep Ranganathan) keeps finding easy ways to solve all his problems even when he repeatedly makes careless decisions. Although such coincidences test your patience, the emotional connection you feel with the characters and the spin in the roaring second half make the ride enjoyable.

Raghavan is a typical Tamil hero, who rules the college with his rowdy vibes (Hello Gautham from Sillunu Oru Kaadhal!), doesn’t study well, and is ungraduated (we are looking at you, Dhanush from Padikathavan) but besides his stubborn ego and cheating skills, he also happens to live in a world where from his innocent and caring parents and selfless friends to even the college principal or a random stranger — everyone is just too kind and supportive. But what makes this exaggeratedly kind world real is how the characters don’t blindly stand by his side; they advise or chide him before lending a helping hand. And with some tricks up his sleeve, he manages to crack both life and the corporate ladder.

In any other film, all of these would have stuck out like a sore thumb. But Ashwath’s magic wand — his interesting writing choices — make this an intriguing outing. For instance, simple choices like deciding to not show the love story of Raghavan and Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran) until it reaches the verge of breakup and then taking us through their cute romance through a sad song makes even the usual plot line interesting.

Just like in OMK, Raghavan finds an amazing friend and lover in Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran), who goes out of her way to keep him happy. But Dragon highlights that sometimes a missed chance is a missed chance. From the rainy nights hinting at a change to second chances and college friendships, both frames and characters remind you of the director’s debut outing, which works organically for his sophomore venture. Even the famous “Idhu ungallukku sonna puriyaadhu sir” dialogue makes a cameo. Apart from these, you also get hat tips to Premam, Simbu, and other films and actors, adding flavour to the comedy sequences. From roping in VJ Siddhu and Harshath Khan to all the interesting meta references, Ashwath has managed to cater to the youth in all possible ways. Speaking about such references, the film’s other big strength is the small but emotionally loaded dialogues — for example, “Oru thappu panitu easy ah kadantharlaam nu nenaikurom, but adhu thoratite iruku la” — that are written with care.

The casting, too, is simply perfect. Pradeep Ranganathan as Raghavan aka Dragon makes you empathise with him even as he repeatedly makes wrong choices. Anupama as Keerthi too is as expressive as always. Behind all the jokes and silliness the film paints the situations with, there is something deeper to look at. Do we regret our decisions? What if we go back to a place we didn’t want to be in the first place? Would we live a changed life? And a lot more questions that make the central plot firm and nuanced. The songs and the way they are woven into the narrative is also a great plus to the film.

If you remember well enough, a lot of coincides, magic, and second chances happen in Oh My Kadavule, too but the actual change happens in the characters’ real life, where every action attracts an equal and opposite reaction. In fact, this angle – where the film wanders into even a dreamy land but doesn’t lose touch with reality – is what made OMK relatable, emotional, and special. Retaining the same essence, Ashwath Marimuthu’s second outing is also a fun, emotional, and fully charged ride.

News Credits: Times of India