Imaikkaa Nodigal review: Anurag Kashyap shines in this riveting thriller

Also, bringing in Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap into the scene was yet another brilliant move by the director as he carries the entire film on his shoulders.  

Five minutes into the film, and the audience realises that the Ajay has set the perfect plot for an engrossing film that promised to remain true to its genre. He doesn’t take much time to introduce the leads — in the very first scene, CBI officer Anjali Vikramathithyan (Nayanthara) sets off on a mission to hunt down psycho-killer, Rudra (Anurag Kashyap). His modus operandi is simple — he kidnap kids from well-to-do families, demands hefty amounts as ransom, take the money and murders the victim. With his technological prowess, he manages to evade Anjali and team each time. In one of the scenes, where Anjali has a face-off with Rudra for a few minutes before the intermission, the duo receives thunderous applause from the crowd for their performances. 

The director also introduces another character — Arjun (Atharvaa), Anjali’s younger brother and a happy-go-lucky medical student. The plot gets even more interesting when Rudra kidnaps Arjun’s girlfriend (Raashi Khanna) and decides to frame him as the most-wanted psycho-killer. That is the high-point of the film! Does Anjali manage to save her brother from Rudra and expose him or will there be a a twist in the tale? That suspense remains intact till the end, with some interesting twists. 

Ajay’s fast-paced narration is laudable as it fuels curiosity among the audience. On the downside, the romantic scenes between Atharvaa and Raashi Khanna could have been cut short, keeping the length of the film in mind. With a runtime of over 170 minutes, the emotional scenes in the second half of the film between Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, who also acts in the film, gets tiring and fails to create an impact. However, Nayan’s act as a doting mother and a bold CBI officer is praiseworthy and through this, she succeeds in putting herself in the shoes of a ‘mass hero’ again after Kolamaavu Kokila. 

Not to forget — Imaikkaa Nodigal is a fitting Tamil debut for Anurag Kashyap as he outshines others with his crowd-pleasing performance. His act as a menacing murderer, who enjoys inflicting pain on others, was terrific. His scenes with Atharvaa in the second half of the film left the audience wanting more. 

Hip Hop Adhi’s background score complements the narration and gives the much-needed adrenaline rush for a thriller like this. Cinematographer RD Rajesekar lends the necessary gloss to the visuals, and set the perfect tone for the script. Apart from being lengthy with too many twists, the film was engrossing and undoubtedly one of the relatively well-made psycho-thrillers in recent times. 

Director: Ajay Gnanamuthu

Cast: Atharvaa, Nayanthara, Anurag Kashyap and Raashi Khanna 

Music Director: Hip Hop Tamizha

Synopsis: CBI officer Anjali goes in search of Rudra, a psycho-killer, who kidnaps and murders rich kids for ransom.  Her dangerous mission pose threat to her brother’s life and brings out shocking revelations about Anjali’s past. 

Rating: 3.5/5