Review of the film “Oru Nodi: A promising concept let down by a clumsy execution
R Manivarman, making his directorial debut, nearly makes us appreciate not spending time on an investigative thriller with a romance track, but he shocks us by accomplishing precisely that in the second part of the movie. The relationship detracts from the missing person’s case that Oru Nodi begins with by focusing on an alleged murder suspect.
This has proven to be the movie’s most notable flaw. It rebelliously wants to be different, and in some ways it succeeds, but it fails to see that this isn’t the main goal of a tale. The film’s storyline, which simultaneously focuses on two distinct police investigations, takes the audience’s attention span for granted. Just when we figure out who is who and why they act the way they do, one scenario gives way to another. If just one of the two storylines had been the main focus and the other had been reduced to a minor side narrative or a cold case with an astonishing truth that hasn’t been found yet that might solve both crimes, then this would have been a well-made movie. Sadly, such was not the case.
In under 128 minutes, Oru Nodi skillfully reveals the story of a man called Sekar (MS Bhaskar), who is on a deadline to pay off a vicious land shark named Karimedu Thiyagu (Vela Ramamoorthy) in order to reclaim his mortgaged property. The first thirty or so minutes were excellent, giving us a glimpse into Sekar’s environment via the eyes of police officer Parithi Ilamaran (Taman Kumar). However, a murder case soon emerges, and it is immediately clear that it has something to do with the missing case. We are nevertheless interested in Oru Nodi because of the “how,” even in spite of its predictability.
Naturally, there aren’t any standout performances in a movie that prioritizes the narrative flow above the individuals. However, Taman Kumar’s act turns out to be really captivating. Pala Karuppiah’s part becomes inadvertently humorous, and actor MS Bhaskar is terribly underutilized.
Regretfully, the film’s strength does not extend to the language either. As general as it gets are sentences like “Unna nimmadhiya vaazha vida maaten,” “Vengayatha urikkura maadhri urichiruven,” and “Unna kaadhalicha un pinnadi dhaane vara mudium.” Moreover, Oru Nodi has logical errors that cause it to fall short despite its attention to detail. It is well known that cremation of a corpse associated with a suspected homicide is prohibited by law. However, for dramatic effect, we see the victim’s cremation even before the investigation has been underway. A murder that alters the plot is called “salt on the wound.” When using a shaving razor, it occurs unintentionally!
But Oru Nodi’s most serious shortcoming is that it doesn’t have a cohesive script. attempting to focus on the second narrative while attempting to recall every detail of the first one becomes a stressful process. The rapid transitions between the two storylines in the movie are unsettling. S Guru Suriya’s editing lacks a lot to be desired. Even a two-hour duration seems like three because of how long the second half is.
Having said that, Oru Nodi has happily avoided a traditional “Tamil cinema cop song” and has securely separated itself from overindulging in the love tune. It should be noted, however, that the murder narrative and the missing story both have intriguing elements and the capacity to stand alone.
Oru Nodi, although having some enjoyable moments, suffers from the director’s obsession with creating surprises and scattering information rather than meeting the needs of the narrative. An investigative thriller must have meticulous attention to detail and deliberate deception, but too much of either makes the movie unappealing.
