The jokes gelled with the flow of the film without appearing to be thrust in just for providing comic relief. The few scenes involving Nadhiya, Mohanlal/S.Ve.Shekhar with the “Magic Kannadi” had a ring of clean comedy to it. There was, of course, comedy in the film but not of the loud, cringe-worthy variety we get to see these days. The magazine Ananda Vikatan which gives a score of 50+ very, very rarely in its film reviews, gave a generous score of 55 for PPV!
The Tamil version Poove Poochuda Vaa was an even bigger hit and was liked by the audience and critics alike. Staying loyal to the original, Fazil did away with the commercial trappings and still managed to captivate the Tamil audience by just changing parts of the film a bit to suit their milieu. So, it was brave of Fazil to attempt this film in Tamil (that too his first one in the language), without any of the usual masala elements such as duet songs, stunts, comedy tracks, club dances and the like. If these days, Tamil cinema is infected by the “mass” formula, in the ‘80s and 90s it was the “masala” formula. Her character was called Sundari in this one. Even the Tamil version had no male hero character and Mohanlal’s role was done by S.Ve.Shekhar.įazil did well to retain both Padmini and Nadhiya in the Tamil version too.
The film did well at the box-office and Fazil quickly re-made the same in Tamil as Poove Poochuda Vaa ( PPV).įor Tamil cinema, which has always been known for larger than life male heroes, Poove Poochuda Vaa came as a whiff of fresh air. Mohanlal, who was just beginning to make a mark as a flamboyant and versatile actor, played a small role in the film. With this role, Nadhiya made a flawless debut and it was no surprise that she bagged the Filmfare award for this film. And Nadhiya, with an effervescent smile, did just that.Įven today, Nadhiya says that Girly, the character she played in NKN was a beautifully written one which was much ahead of its time. The film revolved mainly around her and the charm she would radiate among the people surrounding her.
NILAVE MALARE IN TAMIL SKIN
Padmini, returning to act after a hiatus, got into the skin of the “tough on the outside, soft in the inside” grandma character very well, much like the real life grandmas we see often.įor the granddaughter’s role, Fazil opted surprisingly for newcomer Nadhiya Moidu, who was required to carry the film on her shoulders. The film saw yesteryear popular actor Padmini making a comeback to don the important role of a grandmother who lives in loneliness and bitterness. For a filmmaker, working on a slice-of- life script like this, it is important to get the cast right to make the film click.