The
fate
of
a
good
intentioned
film
sans
the
elements
of
entertainment
always
lies
in
the
hands
of
the
audiences.
It's
extremely
difficult
to
judge
the
pulse
of
the
viewers
nowadays
because
they're
exposed
to
all
kinds
of
cinema
-
from
regular
commercial
material
to
art
house
and
independent
films.
A
highly-anticipated
film
can
turn
out
to
be
a
dud
and
the
most
unexpected
low-budget
movie
can
rake
in
the
moolah.
Vivek-starrer
Naan
Than
Bala,
which
dares
to
explore
an
uncharted
territory,
faces
a
similar
fate
at
the
box
office
as
it
doesn't
feature
all
the
necessary
elements
to
please
the
entertainment
deprived
audiences
of
Tamil
cinema.
Stepping
out
of
his
comfort
zone
as
a
comedian,
Vivek
dons
a
very
serious
role
of
that
of
a
temple
priest
in
the
film.
When
Poochi,
a
man
Bala
has
never
met
in
his
life,
comes
forth
to
help
him
free
his
aged
father
from
jail
for
a
crime
he
never
committed,
he
decides
to
spend
the
rest
of
his
life
in
his
service.
Bala
believes
Poochi
is
the
reincarnation
of
god
and
it
is
his
duty
to
serve
him
till
his
last
breath.
But
Poochi
is
a
paid
assassin,
one
who
has
murdered
many
for
a
price
and
helped
Bala
free
his
father
from
the
money
he
received
for
killing
someone.
Bala
confronts
Poochi
and
convinces
him
to
surrender
to
police
by
turning
approver
and
turn
against
his
boss.
When
most
comedians
are
turning
heroes
to
cash
in
on
their
popularity,
Vivek
attempts
to
inspire
his
fans
with
his
earnest
effort.
With
utmost
sincerity
and
dedication,
he
transforms
into
a
priest,
recites
shlokas
in
impeccable
Sanskrit
and
still
has
his
sense
of
humour
intact
and
uses
it
occasionally
in
the
film.
Rating:
2.5/5
We
see
the
best
of
Vivek
in
Naan
Than
Bala
that
we
haven't
witnessed
in
a
very
long
time,
not
even
in
his
most
successful
comic
roles.
He
makes
us
root
for
the
actor
who
has
been
concealed
under
the
comedian
in
him
for
ages.
Problem
The
problem
is
not
with
Vivek's
decision
to
don
a
serious
role,
but
the
film's
treatment
of
the
subject
at
hand.
Some
of
the
important
dialogues
are
not
in
sync
with
the
present
era,
while
the
melodrama
reminds
us
of
television
serials
as
it
makes
you
sympathetic
but
fails
to
strike
an
emotional
chord
deep
within.
Sankrit
Verses
Fail
The
use
of
Sanskrit
verses
more
often
in
the
film
is
also
a
turn
off
because
audiences
seldom
appreciate
its
intent.
Also,
the
reference
to
the
tale
from
Mahabharat
comes
too
late
when
it
should
have
ideally
been
used
to
develop
the
film's
story
from
the
beginning.
Sluggish
Narrative
Despite
Vivek's
noteworthy
performance,
the
movie
suffers
overall
because
of
its
sluggish
narrative
and
mediocre
performances
by
the
rest
of
the
cast.
Vivek
Takes
Huge
Responsibility
No
matter
how
hard
Vivek
tried
to
shoulder
the
film
singlehandedly,
it
fails
to
keep
us
hooked
when
other
actors
take
the
center
stage
and
perform
poorly.
Verdict:
Verdict:
Shoddy
writing
and
direction
makes
Naan
Than
Bala
a
boring
film
despite
good
intention.