Udhayam NH-4

Udhayam NH-4 is a typical Vetri Maaran script that plays with a handful of complex characters. This time he chooses an urban story in which the characters are up for a do-or-die battle on NH4, which connects Bangalore and Chennai. While Polladavan revolved around a stolen motorbike, Aadukalam was set in the backdrop of a rooster fight. In both, the setting and the rooted characters worked well and Vetri Maaran does the same for Udhayam NH-4. However, the movie, directed by debutante Manimaran, lacks the finesse of his mentor's touch.

The movie revolves around the life of a few youngsters from Tamil Nadu who move to Bangalore for their higher studies. However, education is not their concern as alcohol and women prove more attractive. The narrative is such that it keeps the audience guessing about the cat-and-mouse game to follow. A certain highlight of the movie is the clear picture it provides about how technology has changed our lives, for better or for worse, thanks to mobile phones and social networking sites.

The movie brings in a whiff of fresh air in the dialogue department. The characters switch between the four south Indian languages and English depending on the place where the scene is set and the situation, which adds to the authenticity of the movie. The drama is injected in the right doses through the incidents on the highway, and flashbacks tell us more about each character.

Siddharth comes out with a neat performance, playing a mature and smart Prabhu. Ashrita Shetty looks promising playing Rithika, but could do with some improvement in the dubbing department. Kay Kay Menon does well in the good cop-bad cop drill. The movie is an engaging watch thanks to the clean editing by Kishore T E. Though it is on the predictable side, the thrills quotient is maintained high, keeping the audience glued to the screen.

Sidharth Varma