As
a
regular
Tamil
cinema
viewer,
I
found
Chennaiyil
Oru
Naal
(CON)
not
brilliant,
but
far,
far
better
than
the
usual,
run-of-the-mill
commercial
Tamil
film.
It
takes
guts
to
even
attempt
to
make
such
a
film
in
these
times
when
every
second
film
is
either
a
love
story
or
a
revenge-drama.
The
film
may
be
another
racy
thriller
where
all
characters
race
against
time,
but
it
scores
high
on
deft
presentation
and
emphasis
on
the
importance
of
organ
donation.
Except
for
one
major
flaw
featuring
a
leading
actor
in
a
cameo,
CON
stands
apart
as
a
film
to
look
forward
to.
Based
on
the
Malayalam
film
Traffic,
CON
intertwines
the
lives
of
certain
characters
and
connects
them
through
one
common
incident.
In
Vellore,
the
13-year-old
daughter
of
actor
Gautham
Krishna,
named
Ria,
is
in
need
of
a
heart
transplant.
Her
condition
is
deteriorating
with
every
passing
minute
even
as
the
multi-millionaire
father
is
ready
to
pay
any
price
for
a
heart.
Meanwhile,
in
Chennai,
Karthik,
a
TV
show
host-cum-journalist,
on
his
first
day
to
work
is
knocked
down
at
traffic
signal
by
a
speeding
car.
At
hospital,
he
is
declared
brain
dead,
with
few
hours
left
to
live.
A
doctor,
who
has
learnt
about
both
the
cases
discusses
the
probability
of
donating
Karthik's
heart
to
Ria
in
not
more
than
90
minutes.
The
mission
is
to
transport
a
heart
from
Chennai
to
Vellore,
approximately
150
km,
in
about
90
minutes.
Police
commissioner
Sundarapandian
takes
the
responsibility
of
overseeing
the
mission,
while
traffic
constable
Satyamoorthy
volunteers
to
drive
the
heart
to
the
destination.
Doctor
Robin
too,
joins
the
mission.
Will
Satyamoorthy
and
Robin
be
able
to
transport
the
heart
on
time?
This
forms
the
rest
of
the
story.
Based
on
true
events
that
took
place
in
Chennai
few
years
back,
CON
is
a
rare
gem
in
Tamil
cinema
that
despite
its
hyperlink
narration,
succeeds
in
striking
a
chord
with
the
audience.
Initially,
the
film
struggles
to
develop
tension,
but
when
it
finally
does,
it
only
elevates
it
with
some
twists
and
revelations
in
the
story.
Continue
reading
the
review
on
the
slideshow...
CON
Review
The
history
of
the
characters
is
not
narrated
in
the
usual
fashion,
but
aptly
introduced
at
crucial
junctures
of
the
film,
for
us
to
understand
the
connection
between
the
characters
and
what
they
have
in
common.
It
is
very
likely
that
some
may
find
this
attempt
irritating,
as
it
is
a
rather
novel
style
of
narration.
CON
Review
One
of
the
annoying
parts
of
the
film
is
the
cameo
featuring
Suriya.
It
is
at
this
juncture
that
one
realises
how
what,
until
that
moment
was
an
extremely
good
film,
could
possibly
be
ruined
by
a
senseless
cameo.
CON
Review
This
particular
scene
forces
the
film
to
tread
the
commercial
cinema
path
even
though
it
doesn't
want
to.
Despite
this
shortcoming,
CON
is
a
neatly
executed,
one-of-its-kind
gripping
tale.
CON
Review
This
is
one
of
the
biggest
multi-starrer
films
in
the
history
of
Tamil
cinema,
yet
all
actors
share
equal
screen
presence.
While
not
everybody
shone
in
his
or
her
role,
in
the
main,
the
actors
performed
commendably.
CON
Review
Sarath
Kumar
as
the
police
commissioner
definitely
stood
out,
while
Lakshmy
Ramakrishnan,
in
her
powerful
brief
appearance
tugs
at
heart
strings
with
her
performance.
Cheran
and
Prasanna
turn
in
decent
performances.
CON
Review
Shaheed
Khader
shows
skill
and
dedication
in
his
work
as
the
director.
Not
only
does
he
make
you
hinge
to
the
seats,
he
also
makes
you
mull
over
the
need
for
organ
donors.
Screenplay
by
Bobby-Sanjay
definitely
steals
the
limelight.
CON
Review
For
once,
this
is
worthwhile
alternate
cinema
that
deserves
the
time
audiences
will
give
it.