Netrikann
Tamil (Disney+Hotstar)
Director: Milind Rau
Cast: Nayanthara, Ajmal Ameer, K Manikandan, Saran Shakthi
Rating: 2.5/5
How can you make a generic thriller interesting? Write the protagonist as disabled, so that she is forced to use her intelligence over brute force to nab the villain. This is the story of ‘Blind’ (2011). Milind Rau’s ‘Netrikann’, starring Nayanthara, is a remake of this Korean film.
Nayanthara plays CBI officer Durga, who loses her eyesight in a road accident that kills her brother. Circumstances bring her to Manikandan, a shockingly incompetent sub-inspector struggling to regain his lost reputation in the department. The duo, along with a delivery boy (Saran Shakthi), attempts to crack the case of missing girls in Chennai.
Keep your expectations in check before watching ‘Netrikann’ because it is a generic thriller. IWe overlook the plot's loopholes because of the performances. Nayanthara is the best of the lot.
Her body language of a visually challenged person stays clear of stereotypes. She effortlessly balances this act with the traits of a CBI officer. Be it in the emotional or ‘mass’ scenes, she makes us root for her.
That apart, ‘Netrikann’ has a jaded story with a villain who fails to make an impact. Ajmal is a fine actor but he is not made for menacing roles. The antagonist’s back-story doesn’t jolt us either.
There is no earthly reason for the film to go on for two and a half hours. For a movie that promised to be a brainy thriller, ‘Netrikann’ depends heavily on graphic violence, especially in the final portion.
We have seen better, taut thrillers with a shocking turn of events. Watch it only for the ‘Lady Superstar’, an actor who does magic with her terrific screen space and her bag of tricks.