Nirangal Moondru begins with a storyboard of events that substantiate the existence of chaos theory in life, providing ground for what is to follow. Karthick Naren, in his signature style, paves the way for a brooding hyperlink thriller in three chapters that adds intrigue in every layer as Atharvaa, Rahman, and Dushyanth cross paths on a particular night.
Dushyanth plays a sensitive high school boy who is in love with his teacher Vasanth’s (Rahman) daughter Parvathy (Ammu Abhirami). Her mysterious disappearance leads him to do an investigation along with his friends.
His path crosses with Atharvaa, a budding filmmaker whose ambitions are botched by people from inside the film industry and his own substance abuse. His portions are perhaps the most captivating of the three Nirangal.
Vetri (Atharvaa) is a man driven by rage, who thinks with his heart and not his brain. Most of his scenes are tinted with red and orange, and it is through his eyes that we see the segment, which unfolds like a trippy fever dream. Every time he abuses his body, his out-of-the-body experiences are documented with vivid, bizarre images that are reminiscent of Kuthiraivaal (2021).
But these moments are long-drawn, often sabotaging what the story intended to say. Often, it felt like the makers had tripped on creative bumps from time to time, like in a stunt sequence that employs the reverse chronology technique for no clear reason, disrupting the purpose of the narrative.
However, cinematographer Tijo Tomy exerts command over his craft as the visuals move from one wave and one dimension to another, providing an intense glimpse into the troubled mind of Vetri and his strained relationship with his parents, especially his father Selvam (Sarath Kumar). Jakes Bejoy’s music bubbles through every chapter, with its smart usage of retro music, including some of Ilaiyaraaja’s music, to depict the mood of Vetri and his surroundings.
Sarath Kumar’s performance screams through the screen as a corrupt cop whose way of life is as mysterious as he is, just like Vasanth who effectively carries the weight of his character. Similar to Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, Nirangal Moondru allows its characters to breathe, and it takes its time to reach the finish line when the worlds collide and rapid twists are unveiled. In spite of these, the writing never allows the stories to go deeper into the soul of the film, leaving little to no impact on the viewer.
At one point, a character says, “Oruthar unga mela vechurukara faith and belief ah sethukara mari vera crime ila,” but sometimes, it is through them that light shines through. If only the seeds of these unique stories were sown better, the film might have had a stronger emotional pull.
Nirangal Moondru opens with two to three titles: ‘Chapter 1 - Dwaparayugam, destination Earth 2024’, but neither are the stories based away from Earth nor are there any drastic timeline differences. One wonders whether they even add any meaning to the overall plot.
The psychedelics probably transport the audience to another dimension, but it doesn’t enhance the storytelling in any form. While the technical team beams its prowess through the three chapters, the writing never measures up to it. We see the chapters dipped in kaleidoscopical colours from time to time, but how much colour is too much when the entire story lacks narrative vision?
Directors: Karthick Naren
Cast: Dushyanth, Ammu Abhirami, Sarath Kumar, Atharvaa, Rahman, Chinni Jayanth