Nizharkudai Movie Review : Earnest, but never engaging

Nizharkudai Movie Synopsis: Ambitious parents neglect their medically fragile daughter, leading to a deep bond with her refugee caretaker. When the child is kidnapped, a predictable investigation ensues.

Nizharkudai Movie Review: If you're looking for subtle storytelling, Nizharkudai might not be your first stop; its approach to building tension involves putting its youngest character in a tight spot. Lancy (Kanmani) and Niranjan (Vijith) are a young inter-religious couple driven by their ambition to move to the US. Their young daughter, Nila, who suffers from seizures if she cries excessively, is often left with caretakers. After a problematic initial caregiver, they hire Jyoti (Devyani), a Sri Lankan refugee from an old age home. Jyoti, who has her own past sorrows, quickly forms a deep, maternal bond with Nila, becoming her primary caregiver as both parents continue to pursue their careers and visa applications.

Devyani brings a quiet sincerity, and her bond with Nila is easily the film's most believable and engaging thread. You genuinely feel for Jyoti and the affection she showers on the child, who clearly sees her as the true maternal figure. She has given it her all and some. The parents' problems seem contrived. Their fighting and neglect don't feel real. Because the film equates drama with "child in immediate danger," Nila gets kidnapped. This kicks off an investigation led by Inspector (Ilavarasu,) and the film dutifully trots out a lineup of red herrings. The shifty-eyed neighbor who looks like he walked off a villain casting call, Niranjan's slightly odd boss – they’re all so transparently not the culprits that you're mostly just waiting for the script to get to the point. The eventual reveal, involving Nila's own well-meaning grandparents, feels less like a clever twist and more like the film simply ran out of ways to resolve the manufactured crisis.

Nizharkudai tries to tackle important themes like parental neglect and the sacrifices made for ambition. It was like a lecture disguised as a movie; even dramas can be fun, but this one was just preachy. In its eagerness to deliver a message, the film forgets that even the most important stories need to breathe.

Written By: Abhinav Subramanian