The source material and casting work hand in hand to create two beneficial outcomes. While the perfect casting makes this remake an enjoyable crime thriller, the source material is also rich enough to give our stars – Prasanth, Simran, and Karthik – a space to show why they continue to hold relevance and fandom even after so many years. The character arcs of both Krish and Simi are layered in that they come across as real, vulnerable beings with a selfish need of their own. Krish might be leading a fake life as a blind man but he has his reasons, and there is a certain innocence to his character that Prashanth flaunts impressively. Even the supporting actors – Samuthirakani (hilariously impressive), Urvashi, Yogi Babu, KS Ravikumar, and the like – play their roles with honesty that makes you overlook the slightly disengaging writing and dialogue.
In Andhagan, when a man faking blindness witnesses a murder, he gets caught in a web of crime and chaos. His world is surrounded by selfish, cunning people that whichever corner he turns, someone is waiting to pounce on him. It also becomes a space where manipulative people get vulnerable while innocent people are forced to seek revenge. This blurring of moral lines creates a clever, edgy set-up where you’re doubting the intentions of every character. There’s an illicit relationship, a clever young boy with evidence, a bunch of group of foolish criminals trying to earn money through illegal organ donation, a cat, a rabbit, and much more in this dark comedy thriller. Yet, the frame is never over-crowded. Some of the characters though could’ve benefited from better writing. Priya Anand, who plays Krish’s lover, doesn’t get much to do and the romance portion is cute but forgettable. If the dark comedy sequences and the suspense are those that hold your attention in the beginning, both the jokes and the crimes get quite dragged out towards the end. This leaves you feeling a little exhausted when the characters finally find their way out.
However, there are enough twists sprinkled throughout the film. And they are laced with interesting meta references. Do you ever get tired of watching the famous coffee scene from Mouna Raagam? I don’t and Karthik doesn’t either so we get glimpses of the scene. But it’s not a random reference. It shows the fame and joy that Karthik once had and is still yearning for and the sequence ends with a major hint. There are also his old film posters, tunes of a few vintage songs, and more. The hat tips to Prashanth’s Jeans and the short cameo of Aishwarya Rai’s poster too are neatly packed within the story. Apart from a solid storyline, it’s this nostalgia factor weaved into Andhagan through film references and the casting that works like a charm.
Rating – 3.5/ 5
