Naanum Rowdydhaan

Pandian is the son of a police officer and dreams of nothing but being a rowdy. His mother hates the ambition. When he meets Kadambari, the dream turns useful: she is hearing-impaired and thinks she needs a rowdy to settle accounts with the gangster politician who killed her parents. Pandian takes the part; the problem is that he is not actually a rowdy. Vignesh Shivan turns that misunderstanding into comedy while taking the revenge line seriously. The tone keeps shifting, with a joke and a threat sitting inside the same scene. Vijay Sethupathi makes those transitions without forcing them, and Nayanthara keeps her character clear of pity. Radikaa Sarathkumar plays the mother, with RJ Balaji in support. Who it's for: Viewers who like Tamil action comedy, films that mix registers, and the Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara pairing. Who it's not for: The genre shifts do not always land and the second half runs long. A few moments that use deafness as comic material are also uncomfortable.