Bangalore Naatkal Tamil Movie
Remaking a good film that has connected emotionally well for audiences from the neighboring state is a daunting task. Bangalore Naatkal, the official remake of the Malayalam super hit film Bangalore Days. The ghastly casting of the leads - save alone Sri Divya and Parvathy, the artificial staging of the proceedings and a labored writing make the remake a half-hearted attempt by director Baskar, who makes his debut in Tamil with the film.
While comparing the original and the remake is not fair, it is inevitable because of the range of performances in both versions. While Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly and Fahadh Faasil are powerhouse performers in Malayalam, Arya, Bobby Simha, and Rana Daggubati are majorly felt like miscast here. While Arya at least passes muster reprising the role of Dulquer, the reactions emoted by Bobby Simha look so queer and never gel with the milieu of the film.
The camaraderie between the cousins - Sri Divya, Arya and Bobby - hits rock bottom every time they appear together. Arya and Sri Divya share an exuberant rapport and it is quite evident from their performances. Bobby Simha struggles in his role as a software engineer, who yearns to wear in his collar Tamil culture and tradition everywhere he goes. Raai Laxmi serves no use as usual with her extended-cameo role.
Samantha as the damsel-in-distress seems to be the most successful casting choice in the film. She walks away with glory by producing a memorable performance despite a limited screen time.
Although the first half reeks of manufactured reactions from the lead actors, the second half, where the core emotions come into play, works decently. Towards the fag end of the climax, the film really picks steam thanks to the lovely chemistry between Arya and Parvathy, who is the only main lead to be retained in the cast.
Bangalore Naatkal is a passable entertainer and can be definitely watched if you haven't seen the original version. For those who relished the original with multiple viewings, it would be wise to go to the theater hall without any expectations in mind. That is the only key to spend through the film without any vexation.