Anbirkiniyal Review: A Decent Thriller!

Anbirkiniyal is based on several actual incidents and an official remake of the Malayalam-hit film ‘Helen’ and directed by Gokul of Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara fame. The film saw the return of Arun Pandian to acting after a decade. And he shares the screen with his daughter Keerthi Pandian appearing in the titular role. Anbirkiniyal released in theatres on March 5th, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and started to stream on Amazon Prime a month later.

Also Read: ‘Mandela’ on Netflix Movie Review

Many would be familiar with the film’s plot that Anbirkiniyal is a survival film, as it is a remake of a popular movie. Anbirkiniyal gets accidentally stuck inside the cold storage, and a search triggered by her father, boyfriend and local police. At the same time, she struggles to stay alive in the freezing cold of minus 16-degree Celsius. The 120-minute long film shows her battling for her life and her rescue story.

I have never seen the original, Malayalam version and Anbirkiniyal appeared fresh to me. I am glad that I didn’t watch Helen because I wouldn’t want to go through the anxiety which these survival films give me. There are many survival films available Anbirkiniyal doesn’t offer anything new for that matter. It sticks true to the genre and provides the necessary thrills.

Keerthi Pandian as Anbirkiniyal was a quality choice. Despite Arun Pandian’s intention to launch his daughter in Tamil Cinema, Keerthi uses the opportunity to excel well. She was a delight, full of life and blends into the role with her girl-next-door looks. And pairing up with father, the performance of the duo was enjoyable.

Despite the runtime of two hours, the second half felt dragged. The labour Anbirkiniyal had to undergo in the freezer were the ones that spoiled a little. There wasn’t much to do inside the cold box, awaiting a slow death, but trimming for at least 10 minutes would have made the film more engaging.

Towards the end, the emotions between the father and the daughter fizzle out and fall flat. By not focusing on what’s happening more inside the storage room and working on the sentiments for a couple of minutes would have made Anbirkiniyal even more engaging. But I won’t complain more as the overall movie makes up for it.

Overall, a decent survival thriller from Director Gokul and team. The comical scenes placed provides some quick relief and keeps the serious tone at bay for a moment. With adequate performance from the cast, this movie entertains to an extent. Watch ‘Anbirkiniyal’ on Amazon Prime here.

Rating – 3/5 | Grade – B

Images via A&P Groups

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