Movie Review: Nerkonda Paarvai (Tamil)

Director H. Vinoth's biggest accomplishment with Nerkonda Paarvai is that he respects the source material. The film — essentially a remake of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's Pink — is an admirable exercise in restraint, given the movie is toplined by, of all people, Ajith Kumar. This is Vinoth's third effort after Sathuranga Vettai and the realistic-yet-thrilling Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, and he sticks to the original pretty faithfully, barring a couple of brief diversions. (Vidya Balan making her Tamil debut as his wife, sharing crackling chemistry with Ajith in the handful of scenes she appears, even if it feels a little out of place in the narrative.)

If you've seen Pink, of course, you've seen it all. You know the movie's central conceit: friendly conduct, touching, and smiling are not "hints" for sex, nor are women who drink, party, or crack an adult joke advertising themselves as "available." I'm sure there are people who think this behaviour is an invitation for initiating sexual contact, and that those who get assaulted were "asking for it." The movie aims to address this very kind of warped mentality without undue sermonising, asking women to be treated the way society treats men. In short, no means NO. Bolstered by subdued, terrific performances (including a likeable set of secondary characters), Nerkonda Paarvai is an intriguing, often compelling courtroom drama underlined by genuine emotional heft.