Diary Tamil Movie
Director Innasi Pandiyan debuts with Diary. At the beginning, the director raises a disclaimer that the movie has taken its liberties to bring in the thrills, but it does not in any way tamper with the scientific temper. It was a relief to read such statements. We feel that we have got a director who respects the audience. He has joined hands with Arulnithi, an actor who has always been prudent and diligent while choosing scripts. Did the combo work?
Varadhan (Arulnithi), who has completed his SI training, is awarded his first assignment of choice. It happens to be an unsolved murder that took place 16 years ago. With the aid of Pavithra (Pavithra Marimuthu), his peer, he attempts to crack the case. In a parallel storyline, a bus starts its journey from Ooty to Coimbatore. At a certain point, the lives of the people on the bus and Varadhan's quest of knowing the truth converge.
As intriguing as it sounds, the x-factor in the script was brought out well during the second half. The first half toils hard to make irrelevant establishments. The blossoming romance and relationship between Varadhan and Pavithra does not hold any significance for the story. It was just a commercial aspect to go over the motion. Chaams, as the side-kick was also not up to the mark.
However, the real story starts unwinding when the bus journey starts and simultaneously when Varadhan begins his search for the lost car. Sha Ra, a desperate passenger on the bus, was amusing, and his one-liners worked. That helped a lot to push the story forward. The various characters inside the bus were quite interesting.
The eloped couple and their instant marriage conducted by the co-passengers was a far-fetched imagination, and the mother-son sentiment during the climax is an emotional draw. However, Arulnithi's childhood backstory, and its relationship to the bus journey were not convincingly established.
The mystery of the 13th hairpin bend and the appearance of the ghost were also some deceptive techniques had little impact on the story. The songs and BGM by Ron Ethan were fine. "Raasaadhi Rasan" is hummable, while the one that played during the end credit was melodious. However, the VFX and graphics came across as a cheaply executed material.
Arulnithi and Pavithra made for a good pair. Arulnithi has established himself as a credible actor with his unique acting style. He is calm, composed, and well-poised to carry a role that demands rugged and tough stature. Pavithra has made a solid debut as an action cop. Eager to see the kind of roles that she would play in her future projects.
'Diary' is a decent thriller that could have been a much better movie had the first half been equally engaging with subtle easter-eggs reminding us of the period. The twist worked in the second half, and the sentiment struck a chord with the audience. Congrats, director Innasi Pandian and team!
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