'Nadunisi Naaygal' (Tamil, Psycho-thriller)
Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Cast: Veera, Sameera Reddy, Swapna, Deva
Child sexual abuse and its effect on the psyche of the victim, at times resulting in a personality disorder, forms the focal point of Menon’s new film ‘Nadunisi Naaygal’, a psycho-thriller.
It’s a tightrope walk for the director as he brings on screen the mind-set of a disturbed personality and he has crossed it well. It’s a splendid debut by Veera (an assistant of Menon) in a role that is challenging even for a seasoned actor.
The early scenes depict seven-year-old Samar, a motherless boy, being sexually abused by his debauched father and forced to participate in his group orgies. Meenakshi, a concerned neighbour (excellent work by Swapna, despite the ambiguity of her character) rescues the frightened boy and brings him up. But it’s incomprehensible why she, though sensible enough, doesn’t get the sexually traumatised boy any psychological counselling.
Battling with the demons of his past, Veera is haunted by nightmares. His feelings for Meenakshi amma takes on an aggressively sexual tone as he steps into adolescence. She becomes his first victim.
From then on, it’s a series of stalking, raping, killing women and scalping their hair till Sukanya, Veera’s schoolmate, enters his life. Sameera renders a noteworthy portrayal as the terrified but feisty Sukanya, trapped in a mad man’s mansion and trying hard to get out of there.
The film begins promisingly and maintains an interesting pace in the earlier scenes and the key strength is Manoj Paramahamsa’s cinematography. To a great extent it helps relieve the claustrophobic feel one experiences, as the action being largely confined to Veera’s fortress.
Appreciably, the film has no background music, the ambient sounds giving the necessary feel.
On the flip side, it’s a predictable scenario, as the twists and turns go on the expected lines. Most importantly, it misses out the fear and thrill quotients, so essential to a movie of this genre. The open ending, paves way for sequel. This ‘Sigappu Rojakkal’ meets ‘Psycho’ flick, is definitely not for the squeamish or the faint hearted.