Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal review: A light-hearted rom-com that must be taken with pinch of salt

Vignesh Shivn’s Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal is one of those romantic comedies that are enjoyable if taken with a pinch of salt. It’s a harmless entertainer that tries to make loving two women at the same time look cool, and it works as long as you take the premise too seriously. If the film’s central idea doesn’t bother you, you’re in for a lighthearted entertainer that’s strongly aided by the lead performances of Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Samantha, who make this work with their effortless screen presence. 

Vijay plays Rambo, who is born into a family whose members are made to believe that if they get married, they will lose their lives. Rambo’s father dies the day he’s born. Growing up, Rambo believes that he’s the unluckiest person in the world. As a kid, he believes he’s so unlucky that he could end up killing his ailing mother just by being in her proximity. Therefore, he runs away from his village and stays as far as possible from her. He checks in on her health at regular intervals by staying in touch with his aunt.

Many years later, Rambo meets Kanmani (Nayanthara) and Khatija (Samantha) and falls for both of them. Somewhere, he feels his luck has turned with the entry of these two women into his life. However, all hell breaks loose when both Kanmani and Khatija find out that they’re both objects of Rambo's affection and the rest of the story revolves around how they deal with the situation. 

Vignesh Shivn is known for his quirky stories and Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal, which features Vijay Sethupathi in one of his funniest avatars in recent times, is no different. It has spurts of good comedy and performances that will make you root for the movie. It falters in the writing department, especially when it talks about two women coming together to heal a man with issues. In spite of the comical treatment, it is problematic when the film expects audiences to empathize with a hero who needs two women to fix his problems because he grew up with a lot of insecurities. If only there was more sensitivity in handling such a love triangle where the women have to go through a lot of emotional turmoil to make the hero understand what he’s doing is wrong, the film would’ve worked wholesomely. 

The film, nevertheless, is salvaged by decent comedy and Anirudh’s splendid music. Vijay Sethupathi is at his effortless best on screen, and we get some lovely involving the trio. The film tends to drag after the interval but the ending makes up for the problematic core plot.