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NEEK Movie Review: Dhanush's third directorial is an experimental film with a tried-and-tested formula
Planning to watch Dhanush’s third directorial Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam in theaters? Read Pinkvilla’s review of the romantic comedy flick for further insights!
Name: Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK)
Director: Dhanush
Cast: Pavish Narayan, Anikha Surendran. Mathew Thomas, Rabiya Khatoon, Priya Prakash Varrier, Venkatesh Menon
Writer: Dhanush
Rating: 2/5
Dhanush’s third directorial venture, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, or NEEK for short, is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated Tamil films to come out this year, so far. The film is a coming-of-age romantic comedy that features a young ensemble cast including Pavish Narayan, Anikha Surendran, Mathew Thomas, Priya Prakash Varrier, Rabiya Khatoon and more in crucial roles.
The film finally hit the silver screens on February 21st, with fans all over the country heading to watch the film. But does NEEK really live up to the hype? Let’s discuss it!
The Plot:
NEEK follows the tale of a young Prabhu (Pavish Narayan), who is in his early twenties. It is revealed at the very beginning that Prabhu had gone through a breakup the year prior, and his parents were forcing him into an arranged marriage even before he had moved on. However, as things would have it, the bride that his parents had chosen, Preethi (Priya P Varrier), turned out to be a school friend.
Prabhu narrates his love story to Preethi and reveals the cause of his breakup. She convinces him to confront his past in order to move on from it and persuades him to go to Goa for his ex-girlfriend Nila’s (Anikha Surendran) wedding. The events that unfold during the wedding form the crux of the story. The film also includes an eventful arc for the other side characters as well.
The Good:
The first thing that one would notice while watching Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam is the wonderful cinematography by Leon Britto. Not only has the cinematographer chosen a brilliant color palette, but the beautiful shots as well as the nonchalant camera work make it seem as if the audience were with the cast at each point of the film.
Going in tandem with the film’s cinematography is the editing work by Prasanna GK. The editor had also collaborated with the VIP actor in his previous directorial venture, Raayan, which came out in 2024. Prasanna has successfully managed to weave the story together in such a manner that each character has its own importance and has used editing as a seamless means of communication.
Furthermore, the music by GV Prakash Kumar deserves a special mention as well. The musician has breathed life into NEEK with his songs as well as the scores. There is no doubt that the music elevated each scene to a whole different level.
The film’s art department, which includes production designer Jacki, costume designer Kavya Sriram, as well as art director Murugan, deserves a special mention as well. Each set has been skillfully crafted and brings the director’s vision to life.
Last but not least, the writing by Dhanush is one of the biggest positives in NEEK. While the dialogues were, arguably, not up to the mark, there is no debate that the story structure that the actor has created added something fresh to the story. Each character had an importance and had something to offer to the story. The film’s crisp runtime turns out to be a positive as well.
Furthermore, as a writer, Dhanush has successfully broken several rom-com tropes that existed in Tamil cinema, and that too as hilariously as possible. The comedy scenes in the film are sure to tickle your funny bone as well. The film also proves that Dhanush, as a director, is quite dynamic and is able to easily shift through various genres, as is visible from his previous directorial ventures and NEEK.
The Bad:
While the film has been structured in an entertaining manner, the film’s storyline in itself falls short of the mark. The film was released with the tagline “A usual love story." That statement does hold true; however, it does leave the audience wishing that there were some things that had been done differently.
Each scene, the storyline, and to some extent even the dialogue were quite predictable. Furthermore, it seemed like the director was trying hard to cater to the younger generations in his audience, to the extent that the attempts feel absurd at times. The film felt like a film from the early 2000s; however, the character arcs had not changed one bit.
In fact, once the film ends, one is left with the thought that the film’s central conflict could have been solved had the lead characters figured out a way to just communicate with each other. Now, if this was the makers’ idea of how the youth in their twenties behave, then I believe some ground-level research was pending.
Another major flaw in the film was the dubbing. It was evident that each dialogue had been dubbed, with the actor’s lips saying one thing and the dialogue saying something else. This is evident right from the get-go and could possibly be an irk to the viewers. Additionally, the Easter eggs, as well as the dialogue in the film, also feel out of place at most points in time.
While it could be argued that the makers had promised “a usual love story," the fact remains that even the most cliched story, when told in an interesting manner, can turn into an exciting story. NEEK felt like the director was trying to tell the same story that has been told time and again, but bringing certain stereotypical portions to a more positive trend.
Moreover, the fact that Dhanush decided to make a romantic comedy flick with fairly newcomers is something that deserves praise. However, the director has time and again proved his capabilities as a filmmaker, and NEEK seems to fall short of being his best. The attempt to reach the younger audience just seemed to be an overreach, without sufficient understanding of the youth mindset of the day.
The Performance:
One of the biggest attractions of NEEK right from the time it was announced was the young, star-studded cast. The film stars Dhanush’s nephew Pavish Narayan in the lead role. The actor is quite reminiscent of Dhanush from the 2000s, both in terms of dialogue delivery as well as mannerisms. This is both a boon and a bane, as while it is fitting for most parts, the similarity in mannerisms often gives off the feeling that the scene is something that the audience has seen before.
Anikha Surendran plays the female lead in the film, named Nila. The young actress does a wonderful job portraying her character, who is a cute rich girl who falls in love with a middle-class boy. The mental distress of the character was clearly visible in the way Anikha portrayed the character; however, her dialogue delivery felt amiss at times.
However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Mathew Thomas and Priya Prakash Varrier gave their best performances in the film. Mathew, who plays the protagonist’s sidekick, brought in a dose of comedy in each scene and brilliantly portrayed the character of Rajesh. The actor’s charm and wit shine through in each scene.
As for Priya P. Varrier, she plays the prospective bride of the protagonist, named Preethi, who convinces him to confront his past. The actress, though she had limited screen time, portrays her role beautifully, playing a mature, understanding woman who is conscious of the difference between love and marriage.
Other actors, including Rabiya Khatoon, Venkatesh Menon, Aadukalam Naren, Saranya Ponvannan, R. Sarathkumar, and more, have done a brilliant job in their respective roles as well.
Check out the film’s trailer below:
The Verdict:
Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam is the usual guy-meets-girl love story but from a Gen-Z perspective. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the film is an experimental project by Dhanush, but using the tried and tested formulae that have been passed down for ages.
That being said, NEEK might not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re just looking for a fun theatrical experience or the usual romantic comedy films but in a different setting, then NEEK is the perfect film for you.
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