Idhu Namma Aalu’s biggest asset is undoubtedly its stars, Simbu and Nayanthara. It feels like a clever choice on the director's part, and it's one of the few things that Pandiraj gets right. The audience is aware of their shared history, something Pandiraj capitalizes on in an attempt to build a romantic storyline around them. They portray Siva (Simbu) and Myla (Nayanthara), individuals who have left their small town roots for work in Chennai. Siva's father (Jayaprakash) arranges a marriage between him and Myla, and he finds himself falling for her as well. However, Myla is aware that he previously dated her friend Priya (Andrea, whose performance seems limited to maintaining a constant smile). The question becomes whether this will lead to her rejection of him. The core issue with Idhu Namma Aalu lies in the fact that Pandiraj appears so focused on his leads that he neglects to craft an engaging narrative for them. Every scene feels unnecessarily prolonged, and it’s evident that the director is striving too hard to manufacture moments of perceived charm (like Simbu referring to his dad as 'buddy,' or the couple using nicknames like "kuttima" and "ammu," which become tiresome). Similarly, frequent visual cues—a dialer screen appearing whenever a character makes a call—feel forced. The film repeatedly reminds viewers that they are watching Simbu and Nayanthara by referencing their past relationship and highlighting Simbu’s personal life – his reputation as a playboy, his tendency to be involved in controversies, even his admiration for Ajith. Eventually, the characters cease to feel like Siva and Myla, diminishing our investment in them. This strategy occasionally proves effective; Pandiraj is still capable of writing memorable lines, and Soori’s comedic moments provide genuine laughs. He also attempts to keep the film feeling contemporary by incorporating music and dialogue from recent movies such as Theri and Vedalam. Simbu himself seems willing to participate in jokes about his own life and tries to inject energy into the proceedings. Nevertheless, is this truly sufficient? The movie introduces a rushed conflict towards the end seemingly just to reach its conclusion, which is so poorly conceived that it elicits only embarrassment due to the lack of originality. Pandiraj, once considered a promising director pushing boundaries, now seems determined to give audiences exactly what they want, even if it means resorting to formulaic approaches. The concerning question is whether he can redirect his approach or if he has gone too far down this path.

Source on TMDB