A close-up of the mangalsutra (thaali in Tamil), foregrounded by the Hindu holy fire. Pink and gold intersperses with black-and-white scenes. The overall effect, of director Nelson’s Oru Naal Koothu trailer, is of colour bursting through the screen. Piece by piece, all the elements of a traditional Hindu marriage appear. Eatables like mixture, bajji, and sweets. A neatly dressed bride. You name it, Oru Naal Koothu has it. And the voiceover tells us, ‘Namma Oorla Oru Kalyanam Eppo Vena Nadakkum, Eppo Vena Nikkum‘ (Here, a marriage can happen out of nowhere and it could be called off in just an instant’).
Oru Naal Koothu revolves around five characters – Dinesh, Mia George, Nivetha Pethuraj, Rithwika, and Ramesh Thilak. Their take on marriage and the social compulsions around them forms the story.
Dinesh is an IT professional. For the first time in his film career, Dinesh looks neat and well-groomed. Usually he sports messy hair and dirty clothes without fail. Rithwika and Ramesh Thilak play radio jockeys. Their scenes seem ooze colour, freshness, and energy. Mia George plays a dejected woman, who is tired of pretending to be the ‘perfect’ bride in front of prospective grooms. Model turned actress Nivetha Pethuraj’s character has a bucketful of self-confidence. When Dinesh asks her, “What’s the hurry in the marriage?”, she immediately says, “Avasaram Illa, Avasiyam (It’s not about hurrying, it’s about the necessity).
And after that, young music director Justin Prabakaran steals the show . The songs and arrangements are irresistibly catchy. “Maangalyam Thanthunanena” can leave you humming all day.
Karunakaran, Charlie and Bala Saravanan provide the comic relief. And what relief it is. There are dialogues like ‘more than the girl, the girl’s father looks good’, and ‘a grandfather becoming a father is special, why is a father becoming a grandfather special?’. Expect outlandish comedy with Oru Naal Koothu.