Udanpaal Movie Review, Rating

Sakshi Rating:

Udanpaal is one of the most anticipated direct OTT releases in Tamil. The Aha original film is written and directed by Karthik Seenivasan and bankrolled by the D Company banner. Karthik and AR Raghavendran has conceptualised the story of Udanpaal. With Editing by G Madan and cinematography by Madhan Christopher, Udanpaal has beautiful music scored by Sakthi Balaji. The BGM is what elevates movie scenes in the Aha Tamil original film.

Udanpaal cast:

Linga, Gayathrie Shankar, Vivek Prasanna, Dheena, Abernathi, Dhanam and Charlie are seen in the star cast.

Udanpaal review:

Udanpaal movie plot

Charlie owns a house, where he lives with his son Linga, daughter-in-law Prema and grandchild Vihaan. Linga is deep in debts as his business of renting porn CDs doesn't help him make ends meet. So, he decides to sell the house and solve the problem. To make that happen, he seeks the help of his sister Mani (Gayathrie) on his mother's death anniversary. The father is thrilled to see all his children together and remember his late wife. Little does he know the real reason behind the sudden love of his children for their deceased mother.

After the rituals, both Mani and her brother convince their father to dispose of the house so they can settle the debts and lead a happy life. However, Charlie sternly opposes the idea and says he can't think of pushing his family to live on the streets.

Charlie leaves in a huff, saying he is visiting the nearby complex. Within minutes, the son sees news of the complex collapse. The emotions run high and the children are a worried lot. However, the govt ex-gratia of 20lakh for families of victims raises their hopes of ending their misery. But what follows is a series of unexpected incidents which form the crux of the story.

Technical work in Udanpaal

The entire movie has been shot in one location (inside a house). But never does one get bored of looking at the same canvas. That being the case, the spontaneity of the chemistry between the cast members only goes to show the kind of bonhomie and camaraderie that they shared after having shot in a single location for the entire movie.

Lensman Madhan Christopher deserves some credit for his brilliant camera work. He has explored all possible angles to beat the monotony of shooting in the same location.

Linga does a brilliant job of playing a dependent son. He matches Charlie in performance. Linga's wife too excels in her role and so do the actors who play Mani and Murali. The kids too do their bit in strongly projecting the elements of a middle-class family.

Shakti Balaji's music breathes life into the scenes with comic BGM here and there that make the plot stand out.

Even though the plot is not novel, the treatment of the movie makes Udanpaal worth watching. There have been a plethora of movies revolving around middle-class families. The greed of the middle class by taking whatever means to end their hardships with no regard to human emotions whatsoever has been beautifully highlighted and a lot can relate to the plot.

Despite the fact that the movie is shot in one house, the way the characters have been designed and the compelling plot keeps the audience engaged and the movie is a breeze.

Verdict: Udanpaal is an intriguing family drama worth watching.