VTV Ganesh is a scream as the catalyst who helps the lead pair reunite.
What works best in 'DADA' is the writer-director's fusion of a modern tale with old world charm which will surely attract the youth as well as the family audiences a la 'Love Today'. The film wastes no time in getting to its point right from the very first scene and travels without much deviation. Kavin's character arc comes a full circle from a man who at the start takes pride in never shedding tears to him weeping when he sees his wife and son together at the end. The flashes of brilliance in the writing can be witnessed in the orphanage scene as well as when Kavin makes a girl who has a crush on him understand his true feelings. After a long time in a Tamil film the comedy scenes work perfectly to evoke laughter.
On the downside the baby does not look like a one day old when he is first shown and it is questionable justifying Bhagyaraj punishing an innocent child by abandoning his way word son. The screenplay does not fully explore the real difficulties a single man will face brining up a newborn. The writer loses his vision in the second half filling it with 80s style resolutions which are saved only due to the acting. The reason behind Aparna abandoning the child is straight out of a serial. The song dance routine at the end is off note.
Jen Martin has utilized his songs in some of the highpoints of the screenplay that helps elevate the mements. His background score is rich and is pleasing to the ear. Ezhil Arasu K's lenses have got up and close to the lead players capturing the intricate expressions while Kathiresan Alagesan has provided a smooth flow of the story with his cuts. S. Ambeth Kumar has produced the film under his banner Olympia Movies. Debutante writer-director Ganesh K Babu has come with a relatable tale in true K. Bhagyaraj style and has given the audience a much needed break from violence and horror. He is a welcome new addition to the new age filmmakers who have impressed with their very first works.
Verdict : Go for this refreshingly relatable youthful entertainer that is for the family too.It’s normal for most people, regardless of gender, to wonder at least once how they would be if they were to become a single parent by chance. Think along the lines of a relationship that grows and ruptures, with the man having to raise a child on his own, and it opens door to a wide range of stories for the screen. In DaDa, debutant Ganesh K Babu writes a solid storyline with this and the film is impressive despite the conventional treatment of the screenplay.
We open to a long, lingering shot that closes in on Manikandan (Kavin) waking up to his college sweetheart Sindhu (Aparna Das) resting on his shoulder, shedding tears of happiness. There’s airtight intimacy between them. As he wonders the reason behind those happy tears, we, along with Sindhu, realise that Mani has never cried. “I didn’t cry even when I was an infant and it’s not like I haven’t tried. I am just unable to,” he informs. Sindhu leans forward and kisses him on the cheek. From the camera angle to the kiss and to what we know of these characters here, many details from this simple introduction scene get reflected later on in pivotal moments. One of the many signs of a good screenplay is this — it knows what it sets out to do and it effectively sets out some convincing high points for pay-offs.
And as one realises later, the abovementioned is also the only scene in the film that is meant to establish the relationship between the two because director Ganesh has no interest in telling a conventional ‘boy-meets-girl and they run around trees’ tale. The girl becomes pregnant by accident and decides to not abort the baby. Being unexpectedly forced to bear adulting responsibilities, Mani struggles to find a grip on reality, turns to alcohol, and the relationship with Sindhu begins to fracture. After many unfortunate developments, the baby is born but Sindhu seemingly deserts both her partner and her child. Mani now has to face the harsh realities of being a single father.
