Nagesh Thiraiarangam Review: A horror film indeed

The best part of Nagesh Thiraiyarangam comes towards the end of the second half when the motives for why the film was made in the first place become clear. It is a stretch of 20 odd mins when the ghost gets its backstory in the physical form of Masoom Shankar. The character dons a grey top and khaki shorts and the detective work that she undertakes is the only time the film actually interests you. This backstory is very Bala-esque in its horrific treatment. This stretch also makes you wonder if Tamil cinema should actually look into making our own version of Lara Croft, given that Masoom Shankar fulfils both USPs of the character: a think-on-your-feet mind and a sexual charm without being overt. 

Cast: Aari, Ashna Zaveri, Masoom Shankar, Kaali Venkat

Director: Mohammaed Isaack 

But then again, this is the same film which has one of its characters, in the name of comedy, say,  "Aandavan ponnungalukku azhaga kudutha maadhiri, aambalaingalukku ariva kuduthurkaan." This misogynistic treatment mars much of the first half of the film. There are other gems like "Ponnunga pallu thekkama dhaan saapduvanga" and "Appan kaasu edhirpaatha avan aambala pullaye illa." This half also has the heroine -- creatively named Aramana Gayathri Subasree Himaja (which exists for the rhyming joke - aruvamanai/aramanai) -- talk about wanting only a computer engineer for a husband. Then, the hero, being a house broker, goes on a crusade and disses the entire profession of IT engineers. 

This hero's family is made up of a mute sister (Athulya), a brother who, for a brief moment, channels his inner Raghuvaran from Samsaram Adhu Minsaram, when his mother (Sithara) asks, "Unakku wife vandhaa life varum." That so many characters abound, and yet none of these characters (except the ghost) are meaningful in any way, is the film's biggest downfall. 

It's a horror film that is set in the premises of a theatre, and in the end, the only thing horrific about it is the film itself.