Bangalore Naatkal (2016)

Bangalore Naatkal (2016) is a remake of the hit Malayalam Bangalore Days (2014), a film I have been wanting to see for Nazriya Nazim. Bangalore Naatkal is a simple story of three cousins Ammu (Sri Divya), Kutty (Bobby Simha) and ‘Ajju’ (Arya), who happened to live in Bangalore at the same time in their lives. The first hour of the film was fun with all the outings the cousins take in Bangalore, giving the film it’s name. Second half is a string of seen before (short) stories with Ammu discovering the past love of her husband Prasad (Rana), Kutty falling in a fast love with Lakshmi (Raai Lakshmi) and Ajju getting to love a RJ (Parvathy).

Saranya Ponvannan who comes as Kutty’s mother, has given an enjoyable performance, she comes out natural in the scenes where she transforms from a conservative village mother to a Bangalore ‘cool’ lady. The dialogue she speaks to Kutty when he is hesitating to take her with him to Bangalore is a laugh riot. Similar is when Ajju asking Kutty to read the letter from Kutty’s father (played by M.S.Bhaskar) who has run away to Goa. There are few more of such good scenes, but somehow the overall screenplay doesn’t exceed the sum of individual parts.

Two actors who got maximum screen time and have utilised it well are Bobby Simha and Sri Divya. After seeing Bobby Simha in rough ‘n’ tough roles, this soft role is a good transformation. Sri Divya has effortlessly breezed through her role of a newly wed and as a responsible wife. I couldn’t believe myself the girl in Maryan (2013) with big gorgeous eyes, is the one who is playing RJ Sarah in Bangalore Naatkal, she has given a brilliant performance.

Rana has done well in the scene where he cries out after the accident but otherwise feels out of place in the film. For Arya it’s yet another lover boy character, which I am sure he himself will be bored. Samantha has got a small role, even before we register her presence she is gone.

Bangalore Naatkal (2016)