Director: Nelson Dilipkumar

Cast: Nayanthara, Saranya Ponvannan, Yogi Babu and more.

Here’s to calling a spade a spade – Kolamavu Kokila is all about Cocaine. If you couldn’t decipher that in the way the title subtly suggests so (the abbreviation being COCO), Nayanthara’s full on role as a peddler is shocking yet immensely intriguing.

Set in Gummidipoondi, Kokila is a timid, somber girl with basic expectations and typical upbringing. Problems come a-knocking when she comes to know her mother (Saranya Ponvannan) has lung cancer and in meta-stage requiring INR 15 lakh for treatment. Forced against a corner, Nayan tries to get the money honestly but has to leave the job after refusing to give her boss a, “Happy ending”. Having tried her luck with NGOs, helplines, relatives and more, unexpected circumstances lead her to a drug ring and expectations lead to her becoming a peddler for them. What follows is a series of ironical incidents with each character transforming from mouse to monsters. The mother murders, a don kills his own men at the persuasion of a timid protagonist in the form of Nayan, and the twist although predictable by now is pleasantly satisfying.

Loud mouthed VJ Jacqueline as Kokila’s sister gives a breakthrough performance. Saranya as Kokila’s mother is a sight to behold. Although she has been perennially playing mommy roles to pretty much everybody in the Tamil tinsel town, this role is unique yet special. Having failed in comedy at Junga, Saranya pulls through in COCO. Anirudh’s music is aptly placed and although, “Kalyana Vayasu” song was blatantly ignoring its themes of stalking, Yogi Babu’s antics throughout the movie results in guilty pleasure giggles. Nelson’s direction is commendable and all other cast members have done their bit with conviction. Talking about female oriented films or female protagonist films, this one reeks of women empowerment yet is taken slightly overboard. All the female characters seem to have the upper hand on the men which makes us wonder about the writers take on equality; Feminism gone wrong, we suppose. Nevertheless this is a good beginning as sexual harassment and innuendos are nipped in the bud by the women and the movie stands by the voices of the meek women who go on to become powerful.

At a time when, ‘Dark humour’, ‘Black comedy’ is strewn about villy-nilly on movies, this one is truly for one for the vault. Badass performances and a fast paced script interspersed with comedy makes this one really good watch.

Verdict: High on performance!