Dude Movie Review

After back-to-back superhits Love Today and Dragon, Kollywood’s upcoming sensation Pradeep Ranganathan is back with another relatable film for the youth, DUDE. This time he pairs up with another heartthrob, Premalu fame Mamitha Baiju, with debutants Sai Abhyankkar composing the music and Keerthiswaran directing the film. It hit the screens today as a Diwali festive release. Let’s check out if PR and the young team deliver yet again or not.

Setup:

Gagan (Pradeep Ranganathan) and Kundhana (Mamitha Baiju) are children of siblings played by Rohini and Sarath Kumar. Sarath Kumar is a minister and loves his daughter and nephew, but Rohini is not on talking terms with her brother. For Gagan, after dealing with a college heartbreak with Amudha (Neha Shetty), Kundhana proposes her love for him from childhood. But Gagan rejects her, citing that he always saw a friend in her from the start. By the time Gagan realizes he too had feelings for her, Kundhana moves on and falls in love with Pardhu (Hriday Haroon). What happens now? Is Kundhana ready to take him back? Will Sarath Kumar welcome this? All these complications form the rest of the story.

Technicalities:

Niketh Bommi’s cinematography is flawless. It is the heart of the film, with aesthetically curated visuals and mostly opting for natural and real locations and lighting. There is a natural richness to all the frames he managed to achieve. Production design by Latha Naidu goes hand in hand with the visuals. All the locations or sets look very natural and add a real-life feel to the movie. All credits to Mythri Movie Makers for backing the project with excellent production values. Barath Vikraman’s editing is niche and modern. Though the second half needed a little tighter cut and flow, overall it is okay.

Sai Abhyankkar made his debut with the chartbuster Boom Boom song. His unplugged version of this song, which comes at the end of the trailer and is also used at key points in the movie, is haunting. He deserves special applause for all the freshness in the background score as well. Debut director Keerthiswaran did a great job until the interval, which is almost perfect. Maybe the message he wanted to convey made the narrative in the second half a little bit routine and clumsy. The core story might be relatable to many of us, but the final approach it takes might feel impractical.

Performances:

Pradeep Ranganathan carried the movie in his style, and it is a treat to watch his energy and vibe on screen. He is funny at times and at the same time excelled in the emotional parts as well. Mamitha Baiju is someone who makes us smile a bit when she is on screen with her cuteness and energetic performance.

What surprises us in this movie is her performance in the emotional sequences as well. Sarath Kumar is great in his character. He is perfect in the father role, and though his character arc is kind of routine, it is decent. Rohini, as usual, gave her best in the few scenes she is part of. Neha Shetty and Satya are mostly in special appearances. Other actors are all fine with the limited scope they got.

Positives:

First Half
Pradeep & Mamitha’s Performances
Sai Abhyankkar’s Music & BGM
Core Conflict & Emotional Connect
Aesthetic & Slick Visuals

Negatives:

Pacing Issues in 2nd Half
Routine Ending
Predictability after conflict is revealed

Analysis:

The first half has the vibe and the energy that will resonate with the younger audience. It is emotionally engaging and entertaining, with beautiful visuals, fresh music, and strong performances. The interval bang and background score will surely haunt and leave a mark on everyone. Pradeep’s energy and Mamitha’s performance, along with the emotional connection and entertaining narrative, make the first half almost perfect.

When it comes to the second half, the humour is there in parts. But once the conflict point is out, the proceedings may feel a little repetitive or predictable. Director Keerthiswaran, who made the first half very engaging, slightly misses his mark in the second half with pacing issues and a routine ending where he intends to convey a message. Especially towards the end it felt little clumsy and sudden. One may find Dude extremely relatable to an extent but may not feel satisfied enough towards the end, as we root for the lead cast most times.

Overall, DUDE is an easy watch this festive season for all the freshness it brings to the table, be it the performances, the music, or the visuals. Go with humble expectations, and it might resonate enough to make it a decent theatrical watch.

Bottomline: Emotionally Entertaining DUDE!

Rating: 2.75/5