A listless love tale

Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal
Tamil (U) ¬¬
Cast: Udayanidhi Stalin, Nayanthara, Santharam, Saranya Ponvannan, Sunder Ramu, Chaya Singh, Jayaprakash, Vanitha
Director: S R Prabhakaran

Flush from success of his very first foray in Sundarapandiyan, director Prabhakaran is back helming Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal to test the waters again. But trust our film-makers to polish their previous shortcomings and finetune the rough edges to sparkle like a gem to covet audiences’ confidence.

Sadly this is not so, for, Prabhakaran has conveniently fallen trap to familiar formulae – once a hit, always a hit. So Ithu Kathirvelan Kadhal, which translated means, this is Kathir’s love tale, turns out humdrum, hackneyed romcom that gives déjà vu feeling of been there seen that.

Kathir, from temple town of Madurai, a devout Hanuman devotee (catch the irony), travels to neighbouring Coimbatore, another city of temples, to sort out things for his sister. Instead of chanting Hanuman chalisa, our bachelor beau flips for doe-eyed, dainty and demure damsel Pavithra.

As reel romances go, pinpricks aplenty await Kathir who thinks his cupid course would be a primrose path. For, Pavithra says she is already taken by Gautham (needless to say, a not so nice two-timing nerd), besides his brother-in-law is at battle with the beauty’s papa, while, for his own dad dearest,  the very word love is anathema.

What are the reasons for these small tiffs and tussles among the interested parties? How Kathir, crosses all the hurdles strewn in his way, with love counsellor Mayil, his Man Friday, forms the rest of tiring and testing Ithu Kathirvelan Kadal.

It may be February, a month when valentines go mushy, but it need not necessarily be that besotted pairs suffer the 152 minute saga Prabhakaran presents believing it is entertaining. Sadly, it is not. Let Kathir and his kadhal meet their own karma.

True blue lovebirds can find more pleasurable places to whisper sweet-nothings and bask in the romance of their lives then watch Udayanidhi and Nayanthara going through their monotonous, mundane motions.