Filmmaker Pandiraj has made a name for himself with films on emotional bonding. And when Sivakarthikeyan, who enjoys a boy-next-door image, joins hands with him, comes Namma Veetu Pillai which is a roller coaster ride of emotion, humour and action. Amidst gun-totting heroes, Sivakarthikeyan has preferred the family route. He plays an adorable son, a caring brother and lovable brother-in-law, all in one.
At a time when nuclear families are order of the day, Namma Veetu Pillai harps on the need for unity. A family without kith and kin by your side does more harm than good. Pandiraj conveys this strong message without being preachy. Add to it the essential commercial elements of Sivakarthikeyan and Soori as his sidekick, Namma Veetu Pillai ends up a good watch.
The premise for Pandiraj’s last Kadai Kutty Singam and Namma Veetu Pillai are the same. Even the twists and turns are predictable at many places. But what strikes a chord with audience is his skillful writing here. Emotions are conveyed in a right way, thanks to dialogues. Watch out for every frame as there are over 35 artistes appearing on screen with different shades. A task master, Pandiraj manages to extract the best from them.
And when a veteran filmmaker like Bharathiraja plays a pivotal role with right cast around him to support, it’s quite natural to see what Pandiraj written on paper converts well on screen. A sister-brother bonding. Obviously it would remind one of Pasamalar and Kizhakku Seemaiyilae. Namma Veetu Pillai is a cocktail of both served in a fresh glass.
Sivakarthikeyan is a happy-go-lucky youngster, whose life is his sister Aishwarya Rajesh. He does anything and everything for her. Their grandfather Bharathiraja is the pillar of their huge family, which has plenty of uncles, aunts and cousins. There is a twist in the tale when Sivakarthikeyan and his sister are sidelined by the rest in the family. Apparently annoyed by the act of his father (Samuthirakani) years ago, they prefer to stay away from both.
Compelled to get his sister married to Natty, a man with grey shades in the village, Sivakarthikeyan faces ridicule from him. Series of events leads to Sivakarthikeyan go all the way to stitch unity in the family and ensure that his sister lives happily thereafter.
Sivakarthikeyan is back to his familiar territory. After a series of cliched heroic roles, he plays a character that would appease women and children. He is bubbly, energetic and hilarious. With his convincing screen presence, he pulls it off in style. After Pandinaadu, Bharathiraja gets a perfect outing as an actor.
As an elderly man who commands self respect in the family, he is a treat to watch. Aishwarya Rajesh is chirpy and bubbly in the first half. In the company of Sivakarthikeyan, she excels. After a long gap, Soori’s one-liners does evoke laughter. Filmmaker Pandiraj’s son Anbu joins him in the task successfully. There are Anu Emmanuel, Archana, Samuthirakani, Yogi Babu, Aadukalam Naren, Natty, Shanmugarajan, R K, Subbu Panchu, Vela Ramamoorthy, Rama among others and all have a part to play. Nirav Shah captures rural beauty at its best. And D Imman’s songs add more strength.
Namma Vettu Pillai is an engrossing entertainer. Though the latter half is lengthy, yet Pandiraj thoroughly convinces audience on the need to live together and share a bonding in the family.