Nagesh Thiraiyarangam review: No way this cinema hall is going to be deserted

Aari Bhagavathi is an actor who has always showed immense promise and Nagesh Thiraiyarangam goes on to strengthen that belief.

Director Issack's horror film really succeeds in scaring audiences, even as it brings to light a medical scandal that continues unchecked in the country.

Nagesh (Aari), an estate agent, is the oldest of three siblings. His younger brother is the one who runs the family while his younger sister (Athulya Ravi) is a speech-impaired person.

Nagesh's biggest problem is that he is an honest guy and is therefore unable to successfully close a single deal in the real-estate business. Despite his inability to earn, he is loved by his mother (Sithara), who, after the death of her husband, has single-handedly raised her children.

One day, Nagesh's mother suggests that he get married as an astrologer has predicted that his luck will change after marriage. So they look out for prospective alliances and end up at the residence of a prospective bride (Aashna Zaveri). However, she turns down Nagesh once she learns he is not an IT professional. Subsequently, however, the two fall in love after she gets to know of his helpful nature. 

It is in these circumstances that Nagesh learns that his sister is in love with a young man from a well-to-do family. The young man, along with his parents, turns up at Nagesh's residence to ask for his sister's hand in marriage.

However, the parents demand a dowry of 150 gold sovereigns. While the siblings are shocked by the demand, their mother remains calm and agrees. The wedding date is fixed.

When Nagesh worries how the family will generate so much money, his mother gives him the ownership deed of a theatre called Nagesh Thiraiyarangam that their father, before his death, had transferred in his sister's name. She asks him to sell the property and get the money, using which she says they will pay the dowry.

Delighted at a way out having been found, Nagesh sets off with his friend (Kaali Venkat) to the village where the theatre is located. But once they reach there, they are in for a shock. The villagers are too scared to venture anywhere close to the theatre as they believe it is haunted.

This results in a situation where no buyers come forward to buy the building. Desperate, Nagesh decides to stay at the theatre to prove that there are no spirits there. However, when he does so, he realizes that there is indeed something there and the happenings there have already been seen by him in his dreams....

The film has four very strong performances. Aari as Nagesh does a neat job on all counts, be it romantic sequences, scary sequences or funny sequences. You can't really find a weakness in his performance. It is evident that the actor has given his all in this film too.

Aashna Zaveri as Aari's girlfriend is impressive. She has a meaty role and uses it well to showcase her acting chops. Aashna is so convincing as a girl from a Tamil household that one wonders why she isn't cast more often in Tamil films. In fact, her lip-synching and responses in comedy sequences are so good that you will not believe she is not a Tamil.

The other two outstanding performances come from Kaali Venkat, who is fast rising in the world of Tamil comedy, and Sithara, a veteran who has delivered several commendable performances in the past.

To his credit, director Issack seems to have ensured the right proportions of all ingredients in the film. It has a solid story that is realistic, a little bit of comedy and romance to ensure that it doesn't turn into a punishing experience, good information on a racket that is still taking place in society, and exceptionally good CG, which, along with the music and the sound, make the whole experience scary. 

Nagesh Thiraiyarangam manages to thrill, entertain and educate you all at the same time. This cinema hall is likely to be housefull.