DNA review: Atharvaa-Nimisha's film is a smart thriller with few unwanted detours
Tamil director Nelson Venkatesan has been in the industry since 2016. Nearly a decade in Kollywood, the filmmaker is just three films old, and all three films have made noise for their themes and filmmaking style. After the underrated 'Farhana, he returns with his fourth offering, 'DNA', starring Atharvaa and Nimisha Sajayan.Anand (Atharvaa) is a brooding alcoholic drifter who is struggling to come to terms with life after a breakup. Divya (Nimisha Sajayan) is a naive woman diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, who often gets branded as paithyam (a derogatory Tamil term for someone with mental illness). One good-for-nothing man deserves a woman with a condition – this is what both families decide as they come together for a marriage of convenience.advertisementBut, Anand and Divya navigate through this and find love in each other. He is a man who makes life easier for Divya, while she is a woman who lights up his life. When they get pregnant and are all set to step into their lives as new parents, tragedy strikes - Divya finds out that the infant handed over to her is not her child. Anand, who initially doubts Divya, eventually believes her and takes the police's help to find their missing child.Director Nelson Venkatesan's 'Oru Naal Koothu', 'Monster' and 'Farhana' are all rooted in realism. It's a recurring theme in his films and 'DNA' is no exception. This film takes off with an accident that has a callback post-interval. Initial stretches of 'DNA' featuring Anand's life as a brooding man are difficult to sit through. A bar song, multiple scenes to prove that Anand is walking a path of self-destruction, and the family finally pushing him into marriage reek of convenient narrative choices. advertisement
It is only after Anand and Divya's marriage that 'DNA' truly takes off and grabs your attention. The film is replete with little touches that make the audience connect with it. From discussing post-partum depression, psychosis and how a new father struggles to identify his newborn baby, 'DNA' has a lot going for it. When Anand and experienced cop Chinnaswamy (Balaji Sakthivel) start investigating the missing child, the screenplay picks pace.The investigation is cleverly written and exposes organised crime with sharp writing. Like all Nelson's films, the characters shown in the film possess shades of black, white and grey. An elderly lady who takes part in an organised crime involving children justifies her action through her monologue, and you can't help but understand her perspective as well. Little instances like this offer a lot to the film.But 'DNA' also suffers from cliches. Be it the breakup scenes at the start or the TV serial-style climax or the unwanted inclusion of a special song, it takes a few unwanted detours that rob the audience of the high it intended to give. For the most part, 'DNA' remains largely faithful to the thriller trope, offering a lot of chills and thrills that make one sit on the edge of the seats.advertisementAtharvaa, as Anand, is perfect in his role as he showcases the phases of his healing journey to becoming a new father. Nimisha Sajayan, who has proved her mettle in films like 'The Great Indian Kitchen', sleepwalks through this role. As a woman suffering from BPD, she scores in the emotional scenes, especially after becoming a mother. Atharvaa and Nimisha complimented each other with their balanced performance.Despite its short run-time, 'DNA' could have done away with the two songs that add nothing to the story. With a decent background score by Ghibran and great supporting acts from Balaji Sakthivel and Ramesh Thilak, the film makes for a well-made crime thriller that has enough meat to entertain you all.While the climax might have touches of melodrama, they will work well among the family audience. 'DNA' also packs in a few surprises during the investigation scenes that are written with nuance and wishful thinking. If you are a stickler for thrillers, then Nelson Venkatesan's 'DNA' could be your weekend watch.3 out of 5 stars for 'DNA'.Must Watch
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