Dada Review: Kavin nails his performance in this heartwarming coming of age tale

Cast: Kavin, Aparna Das, VTV Ganesh
Music: Jen Martin
Direction: Ganesh K. Babu

The film opens with a top down shot of Manikandan (Kavin) and Sindhu (Aparna Das) lying on bed. Soon we see Sindhu tearing up in joy for which Manikandan says, “Who cries in joy? I don’t even cry in sadness”. He instantly reflects the society’s myth that men can’t cry. Soon, Sindhu learns about her pregnancy and they both are forced to live together. 

The film is a coming of age tale of Manikandan, who is immature and insensitive in the beginning and slowly transforms himself into a mature person. The film reveres the man estranging his wife and kids with the woman. The character arc is well-written and Kavin’s performance is extremely convincing. He is a star in making. I really loved his performances in the office scenes of the second half. 

The music is the backbone to the film, accentuating the emotions. The editing style is also very interesting with a superb use of match cuts at various points in the film. The match cuts adds to the humour. After Thiruchitrambalam, Dada adds to the list of wholesome feel-good films in Tamil. 

Verdict: Kavin nails his performance in this heartwarming coming of age tale