While watching Radhakrishnan Parthiban’s Koditta Idangalai Niruppuga (KIN), after a point, you develop a comradeship with Shanthnu Bhagyaraj. Just like him, the audience also feels lost at every point. And Parvathy Nair’s line, “ Puriyala, enakkupuriyalae, ” seems to resonate with an undercurrent of sarcasm.
KIN comes after the success of Parthiban’s earlier directorial venture, Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam , which was fulfilled all aspects. But in KIN , the director makes you wonder why he let his screenplay meander, why his characters lack depth, except for the superb characterisation of Rangarajan (played by Parthiban). Even though the story is loaded with all elements of an adult comedy and has scope for sensuality, the director deliberately steers clear of the temptation. But sadly, he does not focus on the narrative either.
KIN is a usual story that unfolds in an unusual manner. Rangarajan is a taxi driver who is rendered with a walking difficulty due to an accident, but that does not hinder with his profession. The shrewd, clever and calculative person that he is, he can speak in five languages and his spoken English is his speciality.
- Director: Radhakrishnan Parthiban
- Cast: Radhakrishnan Parthiban, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Parvathy Nair, Thambi Ramaiah
- Storyline: A young NRI sets his eyes on another man’s young wife but feels guilty.
- Bottomline: The film leaves too many blank spaces.
His young wife Mohini (Parvathy Nair) adores him, but their marriage is not consummated. When he brings the young NRI Kevin (Shanthnu) to stay in the guest house where he and his wife are caretakers, and Kevin is besotted by Mohini , one begins to sit up. Whether Rangarajan lets Kevin get close to his wife or not is the twist in the tale.
Touted as a comeback film for Shanthnu, who looks suave and fit, KIN gives him no scope to perform. He ends up looking like a kid who feels lost in an adult party. His is a measured performance. His teleconversations with a ‘love guru’ (Simran) are contrived, and add nothing to the narrative. Parvathy as the young wife who speaks only in Malayalam, switches to textbook Tamil later, which seems incongruent. What is Thambi Ramaiah doing in this film?
Parthiban excels with his trademark comedy, and single-handedly brings the roof down with his English. “Obama’s maximum and minimum and his service to Obama’s sister,” can make you giggle non-stop. We are used to Parthiban’s witty Tamil jokes but in KIN we get a taste of his English jokes. The audience roars when he tells Kevin, “Thank you sir. I shall live between your legs sir and be there always permanently pregnant sir.”
“ Aduthavan wife-a mariyadhaya nadathanum ” is the message in the film. But Koditta Idangalai Niruppuga which means fill in the blanks, has left many things blank.
