The film is a political satire, tracing a fictional rise of a simple man with humble beginnings, to a big star who subsequently wants to enter politics. Does he succeed?
Gulkand Kumar ( Natty Natraj ) starts off small but becomes a huge star, thanks to the patronage of a rich zamindar ( Thambi Ramaiah). But his journey does not stop there.
As he rises to the pinnacle of success, circumstances and a rising fandom, push him towards joining politics, thanks to sycophants who push him to believe be can soon become the next CM of the state.
But things are not easy despite all the support. Fame also brings foes and at every turn he face danger as well.
Who wants him out of the race and why? Does he finally succeed?
The film rests on the shoulders of its lead actors, namely Natty Natraj and Thambi Ramaiah who deliver a superb act and together make the film a most engaging watch.
Natty is simply superb as Gulkand Kumar. His attempts at speaking Tamil draw the laughs in the beginning, but as the film proceeds, one sees the serious, ambitious and manipulative facets of his character, in a brilliant performance. The film is a Natty show all the way and he does full justice to the role, right up to playing a philanderer and a serious manipulater who slowly learns how to play the game.
Thambi Ramaiah is outstanding and the synch with Natty makes for superb viewing, that bring in the laughs.
MS Bhaskar is another solid pillar of this film along with a neat act byRedin Kingsley.
Shrita Rao as Gulkand's wife is noteworthy in her role while Chandinj leaves a mark in her cameo.
Director Umapathy Ramaiah pulls off a solid satire, with a large ensemble cast, showcasing different aspects of the inner workings of the political game. He seems to have taken points from various anecdotes in politics over time, and created a story that entertains and engages.
The camerawork and production design is solid while Darbuka Siva's bgm is neat.
Some of the scenes and dialogues seem over the top but the laughs keep coming thanks to witty dialogues, counters and unexpected twists.
The film doesn't seem to take itself seriously and this adds to the fun quotient.
Onn the flip side, there are portions in the second half, which could have done with some trimming which would have cut a few lags.
But the interesting plot, racy screenplay, trendy references, solid performances, twists and unexpected climax, all make it for a rivetting and entertaining watch.
Rating 3.5 /5
TN 2026
Thanga Natchaththiram
Cast:
Natty Natraj
Thambi Ramaiah
M. S. Bhaskar
Ilavarasu
Shrrita Rao
Chandini Tamilarasan
Yashika Anand
Redin Kingsley
Crew:
Production Banner: Kannan Ravi Groups
Producer: Kannan Ravi
Co-Producers: Deepak Ravi
Director: Umapathy S. Ramaiah
Music Director: Darbuka Siva
Director of Photography: P. G. Muthiah
Editor: Aral R Thangam
Head of Operations: Srinath Viswanathan
Audiography: Tapas Nayak
Art Director: N. K. Rahul
Choreographers: Sandy,Pravin G
Stunt Director: Mahesh Mathew
Costume Designer: Navaa Rambo Rajkumar
Lyricists:
Karthik Netha
Mohan Rajan
Vignesh Ramakrishna
Colorist: G. S. Muthu
DI & VFX: White Lotus
VFX Supervisor: Jeyaprasath
Recordist: K. Jagan
Executive Producer: Umapathy Raja
PRO: Sathish AIM
Marketing & Promotion: K. V. Mothi
Publicity Design: Thandora
