Actor Siddharth and newcomer Ashrita Shetty starrer, "Udhayam NH4", which was released on Friday (19 April), has received good reviews from film critics.
"Udhayam NH4" is a bilingual (Tamil and Telugu) road movie where the major chunk of the story is set on the National Highway 4 that connects the main cities of Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Chennai. The film is scripted by national award-winning director Vetrimaaran while his associate Manimaran directed. And, the director has not let us down in his debut venture.
"Udhayam NH4" is about Prabhu (Siddharth) and his group of friends who kidnap Rithika (Ashrita Shetty), daughter of Karnataka's chief minister. The father sends encounter specialist Manoj Menon (Kay Kay Menon) to find his daughter, alleging that Prabhu has kidnapped her. Then, he finds out that his daughter has gone with him on her own will and also realizes that she would be completing 18 years the next day, which would allow her to choose her partner.
The father demands her daughter be brought back home before midnight (as she would turn 18 after 12 am), and thus begins the cat and mouse chase. The highway plays a significant role in the journey of the lovers.
Here is what the film critics have to say
Sidharth Varma of the Times of India said, "The movie brings in a whiff of fresh air in the dialogue department. The characters switch between the four south Indian languages and English depending on the place where the scene is set and the situation, which adds to the authenticity of the movie. The drama is injected in the right doses through the incidents on the highway, and flashbacks tell us more about each character."
Commending on the performances of the actors, S Saarawathi of rediff said, "Siddharth has given a very mature, yet understated performance; there are no undue theatrics and even the fight sequences have been shot realistically."
"Newcomer Ashrita Shetty has also given a good performance. With her girl next door looks and sweet innocent smile, she suits the role as a simple, naïve college girl."
"And of course there is Kay Kay Menon, who is known for his intense performances. He has been given quite a meaty role; in fact the role seems to be tailor-made for him. Truly a great performance by a great actor."
Heaping praises on the movie's storyline and dialogues, Behindwoods Review said, "The story and dialogues owe their credit to Vetri Maaran who has also co-written the screen play with Manimaran. When there is well tuned screenplay and effective narration, rest falls into place quite naturally. And when there is adequate backing from the artists and technical team, the drive proves to be bump-free."
The songs of the film composed by G.V. Prakash have also received great appreciation from the film critics. "G.V. Prakash's RR revs up the moods where needed and his much popular 'Yaaro Ivan' has also been picturized well," the Behindwoods review said.
Verdict: Udhayam NH4 is a racy entertainer, worth a watch
