Having established his credentials in Telugu films with engaging family entertainers like ‘Bommarillu’, Baskar debuts in Tamil cinema with ‘Bangalore Naatkal’.
It’s the director’s first ‘remake’ subject too, the film an adaptation of the Malayalam blockbuster ‘Bangalore Days’. Delightful in its take on cousin-bonding, writer-director Anjali Menon’s script was refreshing with it’s right blend of romance, family sentiment ,and action. The plot has innumerable characters, the selection of the actors perfect. Every character has been fleshed out well, And to Baskar’s credit, he has while reprising the physicalities of the script faithfully , managed to capture the feel and essence of the original too.
The plot revolves around cousins Divya ,Arjun and Kutty who share a deep bonding. The trio share a dream of taking a trip to Bangalore. Their dream materialises when Divya gets married to Prasad (Rana) and leaves for Bangalore. With Kutty (Simha) already placed there, Arjun (Arya) too joins them. Heart warming are the scenes of their bonhomie, their caring for each other, their teasing and pulling each other’s legs, and their standing by each other in times of crises. Arya gets a role extremely suited to his looks and demeanour and essays Arjun with easy charm.
Tormented by his unpleasant childhood ,Arjun was a drifter.The Arjun- Sarah episodes touch an emotional chord, Parvathy a delight to watch. Simha’s Kutty, a simpleton, provides the humour element. He generates the fun moments, particularly in his escapade with Raai Lakshmi who plays an air hostess. A revelation is Sridivya. Her character of Divya, the fulcrum around which the rest of the characters revolve round, is more demanding than any she had essayed earlier. Nazriya had played it impressively in the earlier version. And it’s to Sridivya’s credit that she brings a whole new sensitivity to her portrayal, bringing out impressively the various nuances of the character as it traverses from an immature, bubbly girl to a more understanding, mature one. It’s surely a turning point in her career. Rana as Prasad would seem a case of miscasting. For, Fahad Fasil win the earlier version, with his receding hairline and grim demeanour had been ideal for the role of the grumpy serious husband who found his wife’s childish acts a bit too much to take. Rana more of a handsome hunk didnt seem that bad an option as Divya’s husband. But as the narration progresses and the character evolves we get more tuned to him. Supportive to the narration are cinematographer K.V Guhan’s colourful tones and Gopi Sundar’s backgorund score. ‘Bangalore Naatkal’ keeps you engaged with its vibrant positivity and strong feel good flavour. Well packaged and stylishly presented, the film’s viewing time of about 156 minutes hardly seems to matter.