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New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
DNA Movie Review: A chilling investigative drama bogged down by commercial cliches
Tamil cinema often explores the complexities of marriage. From marital discord due to forced marriage to people falling out of love, and hoping the other one falls into love, we have seen various facets of marital life be explored in our films. And when director Nelson Venkatesan introduces a distraught Anand (Atharvaa) and a chirpy but disturbed Divya (Nimisha Sajayan) in his latest film, DNA, the stage was set for yet another exploration of two random people deciding to live their lives together. This is a space Nelson has excelled in, right from his debut film, Oru Naal Koothu, which dealt with the idea of marriage. Even in Monster, although the primary story was a man-rodent conflict, it spoke about companionship, empathy, and loneliness. And it was a culmination of all of these themes in his third film, Farhana. However, in DNA, Nelson lets go of his strong suit to put on an armour of investigative drama, and is unable to balance both with the required panache. Director: Nelson Venkatesan Cast: Atharvaa, Nimisha Sajayan, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Balaji Sakthivel DNA begins with a bar song about love, loss, and loneliness, and it is quite a surprising start to a Nelson film. Nevertheless, this song atleast serves the purpose of condensing Anand's backstory into a few minutes. Soon enough, we understand why Anand is a drunkard and a druggie rolled into one, who is the poster child of infamy in a house filled with professors and researchers. But despite the seemingly educated backgrounds, they are quite regressive, and think the only way their rehabilitated son can get married is to find a girl below their 'class' and someone who has a 'problem.' And bam! We have Divya. She is said to be affected by Borderline Personality Disorder, and her parents do say she has a bunch of tablets and undergoes therapy. However, what's disappointing is the rather one-note exploration of the disorder. And the flippant use of 'loosu ponnu' could have actually been excused if not for a dialogue that comes later, which goes, 'Kalyanathukku apram ellaam normal aaiduchu.' It reinforces the age-old Tamil cinema trope that marriage is the solution for everything, especially mental health issues.
India Today
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
DNA review: Atharvaa-Nimisha's film is a smart thriller with few unwanted detours
Tamil director Nelson Venkatesan has been in the industry since 2016. Nearly a decade in Kollywood, the filmmaker is just three films old, and all three films have made noise for their themes and filmmaking style. After the underrated 'Farhana, he returns with his fourth offering, 'DNA', starring Atharvaa and Nimisha (Atharvaa) is a brooding alcoholic drifter who is struggling to come to terms with life after a breakup. Divya (Nimisha Sajayan) is a naive woman diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, who often gets branded as paithyam (a derogatory Tamil term for someone with mental illness). One good-for-nothing man deserves a woman with a condition – this is what both families decide as they come together for a marriage of Anand and Divya navigate through this and find love in each other. He is a man who makes life easier for Divya, while she is a woman who lights up his life. When they get pregnant and are all set to step into their lives as new parents, tragedy strikes - Divya finds out that the infant handed over to her is not her child. Anand, who initially doubts Divya, eventually believes her and takes the police's help to find their missing Nelson Venkatesan's 'Oru Naal Koothu', 'Monster' and 'Farhana' are all rooted in realism. It's a recurring theme in his films and 'DNA' is no exception. This film takes off with an accident that has a callback post-interval. Initial stretches of 'DNA' featuring Anand's life as a brooding man are difficult to sit through. A bar song, multiple scenes to prove that Anand is walking a path of self-destruction, and the family finally pushing him into marriage reek of convenient narrative choices. advertisement It is only after Anand and Divya's marriage that 'DNA' truly takes off and grabs your attention. The film is replete with little touches that make the audience connect with it. From discussing post-partum depression, psychosis and how a new father struggles to identify his newborn baby, 'DNA' has a lot going for it. When Anand and experienced cop Chinnaswamy (Balaji Sakthivel) start investigating the missing child, the screenplay picks investigation is cleverly written and exposes organised crime with sharp writing. Like all Nelson's films, the characters shown in the film possess shades of black, white and grey. An elderly lady who takes part in an organised crime involving children justifies her action through her monologue, and you can't help but understand her perspective as well. Little instances like this offer a lot to the 'DNA' also suffers from cliches. Be it the breakup scenes at the start or the TV serial-style climax or the unwanted inclusion of a special song, it takes a few unwanted detours that rob the audience of the high it intended to give. For the most part, 'DNA' remains largely faithful to the thriller trope, offering a lot of chills and thrills that make one sit on the edge of the as Anand, is perfect in his role as he showcases the phases of his healing journey to becoming a new father. Nimisha Sajayan, who has proved her mettle in films like 'The Great Indian Kitchen', sleepwalks through this role. As a woman suffering from BPD, she scores in the emotional scenes, especially after becoming a mother. Atharvaa and Nimisha complimented each other with their balanced its short run-time, 'DNA' could have done away with the two songs that add nothing to the story. With a decent background score by Ghibran and great supporting acts from Balaji Sakthivel and Ramesh Thilak, the film makes for a well-made crime thriller that has enough meat to entertain you the climax might have touches of melodrama, they will work well among the family audience. 'DNA' also packs in a few surprises during the investigation scenes that are written with nuance and wishful thinking. If you are a stickler for thrillers, then Nelson Venkatesan's 'DNA' could be your weekend watch.3 out of 5 stars for 'DNA'.Must Watch
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
DNA OTT Release: Where to watch Atharvaa and Nimisha Sajayan's Tamil crime actioner after its theatrical run
DNA OTT Release: After creating waves with Farhana, director Nelson Venkatesan is back with this thrilling Tamil crime action drama that brings together a fresh lead pair, Atharvaa Murali and Nimisha Sajayan. The film is all set to hit theatres on June 20, 2025, and if you're wondering where to catch it after its theatrical run, the digital rights have been picked up by JioHotstar. What is DNA all about? DNA dives into the murky world of crime and investigation, featuring Atharvaa as Anand and Nimisha Sajayan as Divya. The story appears to centre on an intense, layered case that unfolds against the backdrop of personal turmoil, systemic corruption, and unflinching truths. The team has kept plot specifics tightly under wraps. Meet the cast and crew of DNA Apart from Atharvaa and Nimisha, the film boasts a stellar supporting cast including Balaji Sakthivel, Ramesh Thilak, Viji Chandrasekar, Chetan, Riythvika KP, Subramanian Siva, Karunakaran, Pasanga Sivakumar and Bose Venkat among others. The film pairs Atharvaa, last seen in Nirangal Moondru, with Nimisha Sajayan, who's steadily building a strong presence in Tamil cinema after proving her mettle in Malayalam hits. She recently appeared in Chittha, Jigarthanda Double X, and Mission: Chapter 1, each time delivering an applause-worthy performance. DNA is directed and co-written by Nelson Venkatesan, who earlier impressed critics with Oru Naal Koothu, Monster, and Farhana. For DNA, he collaborated with Athisha Vino on the screenplay. The film is produced by Jayanthi Ambethkumar and S. Ambethkumar under the Olympia Movies banner. Cinematographed by Parthiban and edited by VJ Sabu Joseph, DNA's background score is composed by Ghibran Vaibodha. Interestingly, the soundtrack features five different songs composed by five different musicians: Sathyaprakash, Sreekanth Hariharan, Pravin Saivi, Sahi Siva, and Anal Akash. Production timeline The film officially began its journey on October 11, 2023, with a launch ceremony in Chennai. Shooting was carried out primarily in and around the city. After several months of principal photography, the shoot wrapped up on July 20, 2024. The dubbing work began shortly after, in June 2024, and the film has since been in post-production, gearing up for its theatrical release.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Atharvaa-Nimisha Sajayan's DNA gets release date
Atharvaa and Nimisha Sajayan's upcoming film DNA finally has a release date. Helmed by Nelson Venkatesan, known for Monster and Farhana, the drama is set for a June 20 release in theatres. The cast also features Ramesh Thilak and Balaji Sakthivel, along with Viji Chandrasekar, Chetan, Riythvika KP, Subramanian Siva, Karunakaran and Pasanga Sivakumar. A teaser, which was released earlier this year set the stage for an intense drama.
The Star
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Malaysian entrepreneur apologises for spending ‘only' RM1mil on daughter's 11th birthday
Farhana Zahra (left) also gave her 11-year-old daughter an Apple computer, a Rolex watch and a Toyota Vellfire multi-purpose vehicle. - Photos: Screengrabs from Farhanazahra91/ TikTok KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian entrepreneur has come under fire after revealing that she spent RM1 million to throw a lavish birthday for her 11-year-old daughter, and apologised for not spending more. Besides a celebration that featured balloons and cakes, Farhana Zahra, who runs a beauty and dietary supplement business, also gave her daughter extravagant gifts. Among them were an Apple computer, a Rolex watch, and a Toyota Vellfire multi-purpose vehicle. 'Forgive mama, this is all I could afford to give you. I only spent RM1 million for this birthday,' she posted in a June 3 TikTok video, which has since gone viral with over 2.2 million views. She also wished that her daughter's dream of becoming a businesswoman would come true. The video opens with her, her husband and three daughters all dressed in matching black outfits descending a grand staircase. They step onto a stage outside the house where they and the assembled guests sing Happy Birthday to her eldest daughter, whom she called Yaya, before the unveiling of the gifts. Farhana said Yaya's wishes are granted on an almost daily basis, leaving her unsure of what else to give the little girl, adding that she hoped the 'little gifts' would make her happy. The video and Farhana's use of the word 'only' to describe the amount she spent, did not go down well with netizens, who accused her of flaunting her wealth and trying to gain attention. 'Not to be rude, but trying very hard to show off,' a netizen with the handle Aiman said. Another netizen, Mono, said: 'That's not the right way to raise a daughter... I think you're overreacting and trying too hard.' Others noted the impracticality of the gifts, especially the car, as the girl is still too young to drive. '(I) need to know the logic of giving cars to a child... They can't even drive, no they're not even going to drive knowing they can afford (to hire) drivers,' said a netizen with the handle Njwa. In another follow-up video, Farhana also surprised her child's former driver with a luxury car as a token of appreciation. - The Straits Times/ANN
