It takes great marketing to keep the suspense of the film intact. You go in expecting a love story spanning over three phases, hand in hand with your significant other perhaps or a group of friends, all because you ‘think' and ‘assume' that the film will give you enough substance to go through the weekend, kisses, hugs, ‘I love you's' and more hugs. Don't be disappointed, you get that, but what you also get in 3 is a twist and a mystery – so well crafted that it takes your breath away for a minute and may we add, creeps you out too?
The films opens to a mourning and by the sequence of shots, you can quite conveniently and at no fault assume that the dead man in the room is Ram (Dhanush). Lap up the laudable chemistry as you're introduced through a mourning Janani's (Shruti) reminisces, the 17-year-old Ram, moustache barely sprouting on his face and Janani – demure, pretty and shy. You watch them fall in love, little by little. Cinematography and screenplay give you good company throughout.
The ‘chase' is beautiful, as he tries to woo her, bike rides, following her home and to tuitions and as she tries to avoid him, before finally giving into his charms and falling in love. Accompanied by Anirudh's fresh music, watch yourself relive your own teenage romance – holding hands, pecks on cheeks and the naive little thinking that they cannot live without each other, strikes a pleasant chord. Their love matures and snap! Janani tells Ram that she is going away to America. An outwardly nonchalant Ram simply says, “Po...” (go), and boy does it hurt! In the throws of passion and love, Janani destroys her passport and Slap! from the mother fatale. The duo eventually get married and live happily in a house bought by Ram's rich daddy (Prabhu), the only absurdity is that he is found dead in his room. Small moments make this film.
While you're sucking on the lollipop of puppy love, out comes a rabid twist, perfectly timed. The suspense is kept at great pace in the second half but right when you want to be amazed by a twist, there is a big tear waiting to happen – distracting much! The first half invites you in with smart one-liners and the second half rides on suspense. Dhanush takes the cake, just like he did in Kadhal Konden remade into Telugu as Nenu . Dhanush has arrived, yet again, while Shruti Hassan has come a long way.
‘Why' is a question that looms large and that in fact is what the film is about. Aishwarya R. Dhanush takes a twisted look at love and its meaning – when you put someone before your own existence — comes across as profound, underlining theme in the film. It fades out as a moving and tragic ode to romance, to the grand idea called ‘love'.
