Velaiyilla Pattathari is available on Sun NXT and MX Player.

We could all use a little laughter. A teensy break from the series of unfortunate incidents that we have been witnessing day in and day out. Movies that make us feel good. Movies that fill us with hope about the light at the end of the tunnel. Movies that champion the strength of the human spirit to overcome trying times are now important more than ever. And we don’t have to look any further than Velaiyilla Pattathari, which stars Dhanush in the lead role.

Velaiyilla Pattathari is a milestone in Dhanush’s career as it was his 25th film. It is the tale of an underdog and who doesn’t love a good underdog story. In a way, the film resembles the career trajectory of its lead actor. During the early days of his career, Dhanush was ridiculed for his skinny physique, and nobody would have bet on him reaching where he’s today. Ultimately, the difference between a success and a failure comes down to what people do with the opportunity presented to them. And this is the story of Raghuvaran (Dhanush) in a nutshell.

Raghuvaran is an engineering graduate without a job. And what follows is non-stop ridicule from his father, played by a brilliant Samuthirakani. It doesn’t help if you have a well-earning younger brother, who is making great strides in turning his family’s middle-class dreams into a reality. The humour stems from the dynamics between these three men in the family.

But, unlike his brother, Raghuvaran is a misfit in the family. He refuses to settle for any paying job that doesn’t further honour his civil engineer degree. Except for his mother, Bhuvana (played by a wonderful Saranya Ponvannan), nobody in the world has the virtue of patience to believe in his talent. Bhuvana is the beating heart of this movie. The hopes and dreams that she has for her son are what nourishes this movie.

Director-writer Velraj captures the very endearing relationship between a mother and son in a middle-class setting. Saranya and Dhanush with their lived-in performances produce military-grade feel-good.

And the underdog taking on selfish and indifferent corporate thugs is just a bonus. Also, Anirudh Ravichander’s chartbuster songs make this drama more delightful.

Velaiyilla Pattathari is streaming on Sun NXT and MX Player.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Entertainment News, download Indian Express App.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd