Crime thrillers off late are becoming a predominant genre in Tamil cinema and 7 Naatkal directed by debutant filmmaker Gautham VR has taken up the same as its primary focus.
Coming from a strong background as the assistant of Sundar C, Gautham VR has enough filmmaking ideas that he had converted on screen supported by a strong cast including Ganesh Venkatraman, Sakthi Vasu, Nikesha Patel, Angana Roy, Prabhu, MS Bhaskar, Chinni Jayanth and many others.
7 Naatkal as the title suggests is about the series of events that takes place in just 7 days. From day one, girls who are close with Prabhu’s son get murdered and his adopted son Ganesh Venkatraman, who is also a police officer investigates the case. Sakthi and Nikesha are caught in the storm as they have an important evidence stored in a DVD disc. With no knowledge of who the real killer, the hunt begins in the first fifteen minutes of the movie and continues till the climax.
Playing the role of a RJ and the average joe next door is kind of an easy fit for Sakthi Vasu. He manages to convince the audience that he’s calm even during chaos. Nikesha done her part well combined with some glamorous costumes that make her look pretty. While Anjana Roy has limited scope, Nikesha Patel travels throughout the film and shows potential by playing the bubbly heroine, soon to be in the pavilion of top heroines. Ganesh Venkatraman who’s into many police roles throughout his career carries his role with ease and this time has more space to showcase his acting skills. Actors like Prabhu need no extra credit as they know cinema too well and acts with perfection.
Music by Vishal Chandrasekhar is just mediocre with some average background score while cinematography by MS Prabhu delivers as needed. 7 Naatkal’s director Gautham had handled the script to his level best which is commendable for a first timer. The screenplay and narrative style is enjoyable. Blacky, the dog has a huge part in the movie which combined with his mind voice, is sure to make kids and adults smile alike. If the director could have avoided the movie clichés like not making use of the internet to send a file or taken care of some logical loopholes, it could have been much more gripping for the average audience. Nonetheless, it’s a good watch for the weekend and crime thrillers are always engaging to sit through.
Thumbs Up
· A strong cast in 7 Naatkal right from Sakthi to Ganesh and Prabhu carries the story forward plausibly.
· Nikesha Patel as the heroine gels with the story and her gorgeous looks comes to the forefront in the two duet songs with Sakthi Vasu.
· Screenplay is where director Gautham shines as he continues to maintain the suspense element till the very end.
· There are no unwanted comedy or songs. The mind voice for Sakthi’s dog Blacky is a welcome addition as it adds the comical relief.
Thumbs Down
· Like many other films, the story gets a bit long in the second half.
· Some logical loopholes affect the realism of the movie and the suspense element built around it.
Verdict
A racy crime thriller that keeps the suspense quotient intact throughout the run time
Verdict: A racy crime thriller
