Who would have thought that Horror and comedy were two sides of a coin, no body right! Kollywood seems to have embraced the concept so quickly ever since movies like Aranmanai, YamirukaBayamen started performing well and now we have Darling which is coincidentally music composer turned actor GV Prakash’s debut too. Invoking fun from a chilling Ghost looks to be the trend these days and as usual with a lengthy cast, Darling looks to run upfront in the competitive Pongal race.
As is the case of any other Ghost clad story, some of the musts are a haunted bungalow or a secluded resort, a fitting flashback and two or three of the lead cast running helter shelter at the mere mention of an evil spirit. Darling has most of these elements, a beach resort were the trio of Kathir(GV), Nisha(Nikki) and Kumar(Balasaravanan) set out on a mission to end their miserable life. Nisha has a strong feeling for Kathir, but the house and the sinister elements somehow prevent the duo from bonding each other. Whilst Kumar is the only guy who wants to end his life, Nisha and Kathir accompany their friend only to change his intention.
GV Prakash rather makes an impressive debut, comes silently and does not show any hint of a debutant and looks to deliver his acting skills too. He has somehow shuttled between the two roles of a lead actor and a musician by doing justice in both of these roles. Enter Karunaas yet another guy who wishes to put an end to his miserable life, so what happens forms the rest of the story.
Like any other scary movie, Darling’s ghost has rather an eerie flashback, with the first part of the movie coming with ribticklinghumor; the flashback rather takes us into a serious note. Balasaravanan and NaankadavulRanjendran are fresh out of their much acclaimed performances in Thirudan Police and they take the audience on a roll along with Karunaas. The one liners and English speaking sequences are a laugh riot by all means.
Krishnan Vasanth’s DOP is spot on, has performed a commendable job behind the lens by some angled picturization to deliver the director’s intention. The movie is a remake of Telugu superhit movie “PremakathaChitram” , well that said director Sam has taken careful steps not just to imitate the former, but add a few of his own ideas as well.
Pluses:
The movie’s intent is to give the viewers a good laugh time, thanks to the performances of Balasaravanan, Rajendran and Karunaas the intent is fulfilled. The movie is a time pass entertainer and some crisp editing has made the movie appear without any much drags. Gv Prakash makes an impressive debut as a guy with a lost love, comes with a quiet yet steady performances not compromising on some steadfast music too. Nikki as the female lead is someone to watch out for, as the ghost and lead heroine, she stands firm on her part.
Minuses:
The movie falls into stereotypical horror blend category with a lot of scenes looking similar to any other horror movie. The gawk eyed she-ghost, blood spilling appearances have been tested for years together, and the makers could have oozed in some innovative means to thrill. Some of the dialogues look too dramatic to be passed off, they could have been adjusted.
Verdict : A clean time pass entertainer for ghost-comic lovers
Rating : 2.75/5
