Movie Review : Dude

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 Agan ( Pradeep Ranganathan) runs an event managenent company with his cousin Kural ( Mamitha Baiju) who is also his best friend. Her dad ( Sarathumar) a minister, is shunned by his mother ( Rohini) who is not on speaking terms with her brother.




One day, in a surprise move, Kural proposes to Aghan who breaks her heart by revealing that he has no love feelings for her.  As a result she departs from his life and the city. 

However, when he starts missing her, he realises that he actually loves her.  But just when the respective parents say yes to this wedding and Kural returns, Aghan's world turns upside down, for she reveals that she has gotten over him and now loves Paari (Hridhu Haroon). Not only is Agan shattered but her father too is furious, due a caste barrier, and threatens to eliminate Paari.

What happens next? 

Pradeep Ranganathan excels in every frame in this light -hearted comedy drama, which however, also manages to actually deal with several social issues like honour killings, caste pride, the charade of some modern day marriages, shifting definitions of love  and both the depth and shallowness of modern relationships, all outlined by director Keerthiswaran, with a racy screenplay with leaves you with never a dull moment. 

Pradeep proves his mettle once again, as he effortlessly shoulders the film,  with his characteristic mix of  nonchalance, panache, a plethora of expressions and fantastic body language that elevates his performance. An entertainer par excellence, the consummate actor also aces the profound and impactful social message in the climax scene, with Sarathkumar.

Mamitha Baiju, is the perfect foil to his antics, matching his histronics with equal panache and charm. Together, the duo leave no stone unturned to create fun, drama and emotional turmoil  on screen. 

Sarathkumar seems to be on a roll aceing yet another winning act as the father with a secret side. The scenes with the trio are both hilarious and later terrifying, as the plot unfolds.

Sai Abhyankkar's famed oorum blood track is most aptly used in the film and his music is a plus to the movie.

The visuals by Niketh Bommi and production design  by Latha Naidu, add grandeur and just the right flavour to the film. 

On the flip side,  the lighthearted  way the film explores the concepts of some modern day love, marriages and divorce, where the sanctity of the institution seems to be treated lightly, goes against usual filmi tropes and could seem difficult to comprehend or accept for many. There is a noble social message the filmmaker seeks to impart, but resorts to do so in an unusual, longwinded, manner.

However, from the first few scenes itself, the film does set the tone and you get a hint of things to come in the way it takes a  look at social norms with different, introspective lenses, albeit in a light- hearted and engaging  manner. 

Overall, Dude is an entertainer all the way,  with Pradeep Ranganathan's charm, witty dialogues and effortless performance along with a solid supporting cast and a fun racy screenplay, taking the film to the winning goal post.

Rating 3.5 /5

Cast


Pradeep Ranganathan
Mamitha Baiju
Sarath Kumar

Crew

Director -Keerthiswaran
Production - Mythri movie Makers
Producers -  Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar
Music - Sai Abhyankar,
Cinematography -Niketh Bommi
Costume Design- Poornima Ramasamy
Production Designer- Latha Naidu
Editing - Barath Vikraman








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