Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi Movie Review

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Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi is about a thief who comes to the rescue of a corporate professional stuck in a dense forest with a target on his back. Actor Vivek Prasanna who was last seen in a supporting role in Run Baby Run is back on screens with his action thriller film Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi in which he has played the lead. Actor Nishanth Russo has depicted a vital role in the drama. Film maker Dhanabalan Govindaraj has written and helmed the flick. So, how has the action thriller film Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi come out? Is it solid enough to catapult actor Vivek Prasanna as a marketable lead hero of Tamil cinema, and be a memorable debut for director Dhanabalan Govindaraj? To know that let us get into the movie review. 

The movie depicts the tale of two individuals Maaran (Vivek Prasanna), who runs a human resource business, and Aadhi (Nishanth Russo), a small-time thief who lives nearby a dense jungle. Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi starts off in the middle of a forest with Aadhi hand-cuffed to an unconscious Maaran. As the film unfolds, we learn that Maaran’s organization is rocked by a scandal. His wife Divya (Gayathiri Iyer) tells him to go off the grid for a while until she sorts things out. Having no clue on how to go about the issue, he takes her advice. She arranges for a person to escort him to a secluded property in a dense forest and informs the media that he is overseas. 

Maaran and his companion are ambushed by a gang in the forest. Maaran sustains fatal injuries in the attack. Assuming he is dead, the gang departs only to return later. The injuries cripple Maaran’s moment, putting his life in danger. Meanwhile, a cop seeks the assistance of Aadhi to locate a murder spot inside the forest as he knows the dense forest like the back of his hand. Who is after Maaran’s life, how did Maaran and Aadhi’s path converge, and will they manage to get out of the forest alive, is what makes the rest of the flick. 

Films with interesting storylines amounting to nothing are turning out to plague Tamil cinema. The influx of refreshing plotlines is promising but the way they are developed is still a worrying sign. On that note, Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi has a fresh idea as its foundation. But careless writing and bad execution wrecks the idea. Director Dhanabalan Govindaraj opens the film in a cliched fashion that numerous thrillers have deployed. Two characters caught in a present-day muddled up situation, he then goes on to a flashback to give us specifics about the characters and the reason as to why they have landed in the situation. The film starts slow then picks pace and stays the course for an extended period. But gradually begins to ebb and turn dreary. Even the twists that are positioned to anchor the film do not work after a point as they are too frequent and some are not staged properly. As all interesting ideas are squandered, it does not take long for the movie to lose stream. 

The romantic angle between actors Vivek Prasanna and Gayathiri Iyer has potential to be an interesting one. In fact, it is the driving force of the film. But for some reasons director Dhanabalan Govindaraj has not spent enough time to flesh it out with clarity. There is a subtle attempt at moral policing on how a woman should approach her pregnancy. Like other aspects of the film, this is also done moderately. Perhaps, in a way not to offend anyone. If you do not have conviction on the message that you intend to deliver, then why have it in the first place? For a substantial duration of the film actor Nishanth Russo piggybacks Vivek Prasanna. Director Dhanabalan Govindaraj tries to capture the physical exertion of Nishanth Russo. But he does so in a contrived fashion that only makes the audience frown. Not just that, it makes these portions to be a testing experience. To give credit where it is due, there is sincere effort all around. Even in the stunt department the opening action piece is choreographed well. Lack of a craftsman and budget, together shoots down Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi. 

Actor Nishanth Russo evidently struggles even in a role that demands so little of him. The actor has a long ground to cover before he goes on to shoulder a film on his own. Actor Vivek Prasanna looks desperate to shoulder the film. There are sequences where he overperforms to leave a mark as a lead hero. But his efforts only make him look more desperate and helpless. Actress Gayathiri Iyer’s part does not have a strong hold in the proceedings. But she serves the purpose for which she was brought on board. Actor E Ramdoss is impactful as always. Actor Kodangi Vadivel does justice to his role. Actor Vinod Sagar as usual demands his presence to be felt. Actor Aroul D Shankar is functional. The rest of the cast has delivered what was asked of them. 

On the technical front, music director Renjith Unni’s ‘Kaadu Onnu’ number blends well with the theme of the film. Even his background score aids in elevating the mood of the respective scenes. Cinematographer Ashwin Noel’s frames should have been better. His visuals sort of have a repulsive effect on us making it hard for us to sit through. Editor Nelson Anthony could not do enough to weed out the shortcomings in his colleague’s work. 

On the whole, director Dhanabalan Govindaraj’s Parundhaaguthu Oor Kuruvi is unable to fly with a level of consistency as its wings are shot down by weak writing, bad performances, and shoestring budget.