Leo Vision’s “Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom” (NKPK) is made by a team of newbies. The team showed promise even in promoting the film with innovative contests & catchy songs. Thanks to social media, the film got good visibility and even celebrities appreciated the same after the preview. The film’s protagonist, Vijay Sethupathi, had a superhit “Pizza’ for his last release. All this worked in its favour and NKPK has proved to be a fun ride.

What’s it about?

The makers couldn’t have come up with a better title than ‘Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom’. As the name suggests, the film is about a man who suffers from short term memory loss because of an accident during the cricket match. It’s a concept that's been tried and tested in Hollywood films and even well adapted in a commercial format in ‘Ghajini’. But what makes NKPK interesting is that the man who suffers from memory loss has to be get married in a couple of days. His friends try to hide the facts about his condition & try to get him married as planned. The film chugs on with thrills and a bit of suspense and leads to a nice climax. The humour is weaved throughout the screenplay in a subtle way and it works well.

The film takes its own time to get the audience involved, but once it does, there’s no looking back. It’s a hilarious ride from start to finish and it doesn't fall prey to any cinematic liberties like duets or a separate comedy track. Balaji Tharaneetharan deserves a pat on his back for making it as realistic as possible and maintaining the tempo all through the film. His characterization is good and the way he conveys it through the lines in the opening song makes an impact.

Casting is picture perfect. Vijay Sethupathi has once again given a good performance and shines, especially during the marriage sequence with his body language and expressions. But the film’s pillars of strength are his three friends (all new faces) who have come up with solid performances. The female lead Gayathri doesn’t have much to do, but is convincing in her part.

Songs by Ved Shankar are okay, but thankfully don't find place in the film except for the opening number. Sidharth Vipin’s background music is effective and is in sync with the mood of the film. The use of no music in certain sequences also worked well. Cinematography by Premkumar is not bad, although one cannot overlook the TV serial feel of the film.

On the downside, the film is too long with a running time of close to three hours. Even without the songs, Govindaraj could have done a better job with his scissors. Some of the scenes are too slow and few gags are repetitive and get boring after a point. Keeping a promotional song right after interval is very silly and the team could have done away with it.

Overall, NKPK is a very different attempt by a talented young bunch trying their hands at unconventional entertainment. Barring a few technical glitches and dragged scenes, the team succeeds in their effort. But the film may not click with certain type of audience who love regular comedy.

What to do?

NKPK is jolly, good, fun ride for those who love offbeat entertainers. Go and have a blast this weekend!
 
in.com rating – 3.5/5