NENJUKU NEEDHI MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Nenjuku Needhi is a film with story by Anubhav Sinha, screenplay, dialogues and direction by Arunraja Kamaraj. The film is produced by Zee Studios, Bayview Projects LLP and Romeo Pictures. It has Udhayanidhi Stalin in the lead role while Aari Arjunan, Tanya Ravichandran, Suresh Chakravarthy, Shivani Rajasekar, Abdool Lee, Ilavarasu and others play crucial supporting roles.

Vijayaraghavan is an IPS officer who is deputed at Pollachi, Coimbatore. After reaching the place, he is shocked to find the magnitude of caste discrimination. At the same time, 2 dalit women are found hanging from a tree, while a friend of theirs is missing. How Vijayaraghavan solves this case and brings justice to the victims forms the rest of the plot.

As a film, Nenjuku Needhi operates on two different levels. On one stage it is a solid thriller film, and on a political level it's a superb anti-caste film. This is the official remake of the Hindi film Article 15 which was written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. But very often do we see a remake doing major changes to the spirit of the original.

For instance, when Marathi film Sairat was remade into Hindi as Dhadak, the issue of caste was diluted and reduced to an issue of economy. However in Nenjuku Needhi, the anti-caste dialogues hit harder and Arunraja Kamaraj has taken into account the criticism that was placed on Article 15.

There are a few scenes that are subverted from the original and standout. Firstly, the caste of Vijayaraghavan is not revealed till the end. This is very important because the director's intentions are clear - it doesn't matter who you are. It is beside whom you stand that matters. Secondly, there would be a shot in Article 15 where the lead turns towards Mahatma Gandhi when Dr. Ambedkar and Gandhi are in the background. Here Udhayanidhi is shown to turn towards Ambedkar, who is the icon of anti caste politics in India. There are many more significant political changes like this.

Udhayanidhi portrays the character Vijayaraghavan extremely well, coming up with a restrained performance. The dynamics between this character and the ones played by Suresh Chakravarthy and Ilavarasu work out very well among the audience. There are plenty of strong dialogues, and considering this is Udhayanidhi's first film after becoming an MLA, the dialogues have more reach. The other supporting cast including the likes of Abdool Lee, Shivani, and Tanya Ravichandran chip in with useful contributions.

The film receives proper support from the technical team. The entire film powers through because of Dhibu Ninan Thomas' music and songs. The cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan is rich and narrates a story on its own. The editor Ruben also deserves praise for his contribution. The folk dance sequence before the interval is a culmination of the work of all three and that stands testament to how good they are in Nenjuku Needhi.

Overall, Nenjuku Needhi is a remake that not just stays honest to its original but at times is bolder and stronger than it. Arunraja Kamaraj has proven that he's a director with a strong voice, and he is here to stay. The message that the film conveys is noble and try not to miss this in theatres.

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