Imaikka Nodigal review: "Numerous sequences which makes us have imaikka nodigal!!!"

A couple of days back in my take on “Kolamaavu Kokila”, I had mentioned that Nayanthara has gone from strength to strength in recent times due to her choice of scripts which were both refreshing & entertaining. Incidentally, even before the impressive box office run of her previous venture had died down, we have yet another flick from her titled “Imaikka Nodigal” hitting the screens. As expected, the trailer promised it to be interesting & edge of the seat stuff. So, what does the Lady Superstar has to offer this time around???

Bangalore was gripped by the prowl of a serial killer (Anurag Kashyap) who wreaked havoc in the city with the merciless murder of his kidnapped victims even after he was handed  the ransom. With the police proving to be rather ineffective, the CBI team headed by Anjali Vikramadithyan (Nayanthara) was brought in to nab the killer. Interestingly, the modus operandi of the killer was similar to Rudra, another dreaded serial killer who was killed by Anjali five years back. Despite the psychotic proclaiming that he was indeed Rudra, Anjali dismissed the claim as a hoax but her team still wasn’t able to stop him. It was at this juncture that things got personal as Rudra had Anjali’s brother Arjun (Atharvaa) framed as the culprit in the serial murders. What will it take for Anjali to rescue her brother???

This is the second directorial venture of Ajay Gnanamuthu, who had made his debut in 2015 with “Demonte Colony” which was said to be well received though I haven’t watched it. Apart from calling the shots, he has also penned the script & screenplay and I would have to admit that he has done an impressive job in all three departments. He doesn’t resort to spoon feeding the audience as we are thrust right into the heat of the events. Then over the course of the investigation, we are told about the back story & how it evolved through to the present day. But it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing as I felt the romantic track between Atharvaa & Raashi, just didn’t have the substance to engage us & in turn, increased the running time even further. Along with Ajay, there are two other individuals who also deserves special mention. These include Rajasekhar for his well angled shots & Hiphop Tamizha for the catchy tracks & BGM which were in sync with the mood of the movie.

Nayanthara rocked with yet another impressive performance as she was at ease in the thriller avatar. But one person who actually stole the show was Anurag Kashyap as the psychotic serial killer. He was just brilliant & I dont think anyone else could have portrayed it better. Hopefully he will be smart enough not to be typecasted & wont hesitate to take up more roles despite his directorial career. Along with Nayan & Anurag, Atharvaa  had an equally important role but he was average at best along with Raashi & Devan. Vijay Sethupathi impresses with his cameo which was a pivotal part of the story.

Verdict: Just like Kokila, her latest flick has also garnered good numbers at the box office emphasizing the fact for the umpteenth time there is no female star who could shoulder a venture like the way she does. Ajay has ensured that the action thriller has all the ingredients that would appeal to the audience in apt measure. In short, check it out!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben