doctor movie review in tamil

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Doctor movie review: Sivakarthikeyan’s film is a deliciously wicked dark comedy

Doctor movie review: sivakarthikeyan's new film is unlike any you've seen him in before. with dark humour, nelson adds spice to a mundane script..

Doctor Director: Nelson Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Vinay, Yogi Babu and Archana Chandokhe

The first thing that comes to mind when you walk out of Nelson’s Doctor is it’s unlike anything you’ve seen from a Sivakarthikeyan’s movie so far. Taking a refreshing departure from the colourful entertainers he’s popular for; Sivakarthikeyan embraces a dark role-– of an army doctor who goes after a human trafficking gang--with minimal dialogues. Nelson whips up a deliciously wicked dark comedy that works despite its predictable plot and twists. Even the most mundane scenes are elevated thanks to the quirky treatment.

Watch Doctor trailer here:

The plot is simple and familiar. Early on, Varun (Sivakarthikeyan) gets a call from his fiancée Padmini (Priyanka), who decides to call off their wedding after realising that he is not hip enough. When Varun and his folks come home to find out the exact reason behind the rejection, they’re told that he’s not caring and emotional. As the wedding is called off, news comes in that Padmini’s niece has gone missing from her school and the family suspects a case of kidnapping. Varun comes forward to help them and he decides to take the law in his own hands when he realises the police are not too serious about the case. Will Varun succeed in saving girl by taking a human trafficking gang head on, forms the crux of the story?

Doctor takes off slowly and initially it feels a little odd to see Sivakarthikeyan deliver his lines like a robot. It feels like a very mechanical performance but once you get used to his character, the film works like a charm. No other Tamil film apart from Nelson’s own Kolamavu Kokila used dark comedy so effectively in recent years. 

Also read: Bhramam movie review: Prithviraj Sukumaran's pointless Andhadhun remake will blindside you with blandness

Nelson manages to evoke laughs out of the most serious situations and he pulls it off so effortlessly. Most scenes would’ve felt flat if they were not treated the way Nelson did with the aid of dark humour. There’s a terrific action sequence inside a metro train and it’s one of the best sequences in the first half. It’s inventive and extremely wacky. Not sure if this sequence would’ve worked in any other film. 

Despite a slightly predictable second half, Doctor stays afloat because of the way it uses humour to make every cliched sequence feel fresh. Yogi Babu, who usually gets a tiny comic roles in movies, gets an extended screen time here and he’s terrific in his portion. With impeccable timing and deadpan expression, he keeps the film alive in some of its more boring stretches. MTV Roadies fame Rajiv and Raghu Ram play key characters and they make for interesting casting choices. Vinay shines yet again as the sophisticated villain. Anirudh Ravichander’s music and score holds the film together whenever it dips.

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Published :

Last Updated : 09 Oct, 2021 01:06 PM

Published : 09 Oct 2021 01:06 PM Last Updated : 09 Oct 2021 01:06 PM

முதல் பார்வை: டாக்டர் - நேர்த்தியான கமர்ஷியல் சினிமா 

கடத்தப்பட்ட குழந்தைகளை மீட்க ஒரு டாக்டர் போராடினால், அதற்கு ராணுவமும் உதவினால் அதுவே ‘டாக்டர்’.

தனக்கு செட்டாகாது என்பதால் டாக்டர் வருணுடன் (சிவகார்த்திகேயன்) நடக்க இருந்த திருமணத்தை நிறுத்தச் சொல்லிவிடுகிறார் பத்மினி (பிரியங்கா அருள் மோகன்). காரணம் அறிந்து சரிசெய்ய முனைகிறார் டாக்டர் வருண். அவரது பெற்றோரும் பேச்சுவார்த்தைக்கு பத்மினியின் வீட்டுக்கு வருகின்றனர். சுமுகமாகப் பேச்சுவார்த்தை முடியாததால் பெற்றோர் கிளம்பிச் சென்றுவிடுகின்றனர். வருண் மட்டும் போக மனசில்லாமல் பத்மினியின் வீட்டுக்கு அருகிலுள்ள டீக்கடையில் அமர்ந்திருக்கிறார். அப்போதுதான் பள்ளிக்குப் போன பத்மினியின் அண்ணன் மகள் கடத்தப்படுகிறார். 12 வயதுச் சிறுமியைக் கண்டுபிடிக்க களத்தில் இறங்குகிறார் வருண்.

சிறுமியைக் கடத்தியது யார், அந்த நெட்வொர்க் எப்படி இயங்குகிறது, கண்டுபிடித்து மீட்க முடிந்ததா, சிவகார்த்திகேயனின் காதல் கைகூடியதா போன்ற கேள்விகளுக்கு விடை அளிக்கிறது திரைக்கதை.

‘கோலமாவு கோகிலா’ மூலம் தமிழ் சினிமாவில் அறிமுகமான நெல்சன் திலீப்குமாரின் இரண்டாவது படம் ‘டாக்டர்’. மிக மிக சீரியஸான காட்சிகளிலும் காமெடியைத் தூவி இயக்குநர் சிரிக்க வைத்திருக்கிறார். ஸ்கிரிப்ட்டை அப்படியே திரையில் காட்சிப்படுத்திய விதத்தில் ட்ரீட்மெண்ட் செம்ம.

சிவகார்த்திகேயன் தன் மீதான எல்லா பிம்ப ஃபர்னிச்சர்களையும் உடைத்துத் தள்ளி கமர்ஷியல் ஹீரோவாக அடுத்தகட்டப் பாய்ச்சலில் சிக்ஸர் அடித்திருக்கிறார். மெதுவான குரலில் பேசுவது, டாக்டருக்கே உரிய உடல் மொழி, திட்டங்கள் தீட்டும் புத்திசாலி என்பதையும் நடிப்பில் நிரூபித்துள்ளார். ஒரு குழந்தை என்று மட்டும் இலக்கு வைக்காமல் அனைவரையும் காப்பாற்றப் போராடும் அந்த அக்கறையும், அறமும் அட போட வைக்கிறது. இன்னும் வெளிப்படையாகச் சொல்ல வேண்டுமென்றால் சிவாவின் கிராஃப் ஏகத்தும் எகிறியுள்ளது. ரேஞ்ச் மாறியுள்ளது.

பிரியங்கா அருள் மோகன் கதாபாத்திர வார்ப்புக்கு அதிகம் மெனக்கெடவில்லை. நானியின் ‘கேங் லீடர்’ தெலுங்குப் படத்தில் உள்ள பிரியங்கா அருள் மோகன் கேரக்டர் ரெஃபரன்ஸை அப்படியே கட் காப்பி பேஸ்ட் செய்திருக்கிறார்கள். நாயகிக்கு உரிய பங்களிப்பை இம்மியும் குறையாமல் செய்துள்ளார் பிரியங்கா. அதேபோல் வினய் கதாபாத்திரமும் துப்பறிவாளன் ரெஃபரன்ஸாகவே மிஞ்சி நிற்கிறது.

‘கோலமாவு கோகிலா’,‘ஏ1’ படங்களுக்குப் பிறகு ரெடின் கிங்ஸ்லீக்குப் பேர் சொல்லும் படம் இது. மனிதர் அதகளம் செய்துள்ளார். யோகி பாபு குணச்சித்திரமும் காமெடியும் கலந்த கதாபாத்திரத்தில் பிரகாசமாக நடித்துள்ளார். சுனில் ரெட்டி, அவரது அடியாள் சிவா ஆகியோரும் கிடைத்த கேப்பில் ஸ்கோர் செய்து அப்ளாஸ் அள்ளுகிறார்கள். உணர்வுபூர்வமான காட்சிகளிலும் காமெடி சரவெடியில் இவர்கள் பின்னி எடுத்திருக்கிறார்கள்.

இளவரசு, அருண் அலெக்ஸாண்டர், அர்ச்சனா ஆகியோர் துயரத்தின் கையறு நிலையை இயல்பு மீறாமல் நடிப்பில் வெளிப்படுத்தியுள்ளனர். தீபா அக்கா வழக்கம் போல் தன் பாணியில் தனித் தடம் பதிக்கிறார். ஆல்வின், மெல்வினாக ரகுராமும், ராஜீவ் லட்சுமணனும் திரைக்கதையின் திருப்பத்துக்குப் பயன்பட்டுள்ளனர். மிலிந்த் சோமன் ஓரிரு காட்சிகளில் வந்தாலும் மிகச்சிறந்த அளவில் ஒத்துழைப்பு கொடுத்துள்ளார்.

விஜய் கார்த்திக் கண்ணன் சென்னையின் இயல்பையும், கோவாவின் அழகையும் கேமராவுக்குள் கடத்தியுள்ளார். அனிருத் பின்னணி இசையில் கதையோட்டத்துக்கு ஏற்ப தெறிக்க விடுகிறார். செல்லம்மா பாடல் ரசிக்க வைக்கும் ரகம். நிர்மலின் படத்தொகுப்பு கச்சிதம். பாடலைப் படத்துக்கு இடையில் செருகாமல் முடிவில் வைத்தது புத்திசாலித்தனம்.

‘கோலமாவு கோகிலா’ படத்திலும் கடத்தல் சம்பந்தமான காட்சிகள் இருக்கும். பெரிய லாஜிக் எதிர்பார்க்க முடியாது. ஆனால், குடும்பத்துக்கான சிக்கலைத் தீர்க்க அப்படி ஒரு ரிஸ்க்கை நயன்தாரா எடுக்க, அதை நம்பகத்தன்மையுடன் காட்சிப்படுத்திய விதத்தில் திரைக்கதையை வலுவாக்கினார் நெல்சன். அதேபோன்று இதிலும் சில பல லாஜிக் மீறல்கள் இருக்கின்றன. டாக்டர் எப்படி ராணுவ வீரர்களுக்கான சிகிச்சையை விட்டுவிட்டு இப்படி ஒரு ஆப்ரேஷனில் இறங்க முடியும், கடத்தல் செய்யும் பல்வேறு கும்பல்களை எளிதில் அணுக முடியுமா, அவர்களை வளைக்க முடியுமா, குழந்தையை மீட்க அவர்கள் போடும் திட்டம் போன்றவை நம்பமுடியாத அளவில் உள்ளன. ஆனால், அந்த லாஜிக்குகளைத் தாண்டிப் பார்த்தால் எவ்வளவு முடியுமோ அவ்வளவு சிரிக்க வைத்திருக்கிறார்கள்.

மேலோட்டமாகப் பார்த்தால் ‘பொய் சொல்லப் போறோம்’,‘கேங் லீடர்’ போன்ற படங்களின் சாயல் தெரிகிறது. ஆனால், திரைக்கதையில் வேற லெவல் மேஜிக் செய்து அதிரடி ஆக்‌ஷனில் காமெடியைப் புகுத்தி அசர வைத்துள்ளார் இயக்குநர் நெல்சன் திலீப்குமார். இரண்டாம் பாதியில் சில காட்சிகள் ஊகித்தபடியே நகர்கின்றன.

அழகா இருக்கிற பெண்களுக்கு அறிவு இருக்காது, மூஞ்சி முகரையைப் பாரு, பைத்தியக்காரச்சி போன்ற வசனங்கள் மூலம் பெண்களை இழிவுபடுத்துவது ஏன்? அடியாள் ஒருவருக்கு நைட்டி அணிவித்து, பூச்சூடி கிண்டல் செய்வதை அறவே தவிர்த்திருக்க வேண்டும். கதாநாயகி கதாபாத்திர வார்ப்பும் மெச்சும்படி இல்லை. இன்னும் எத்தனை காலத்துக்குத்தான் அறிவில் குறைந்த நாயகியாகக் காட்சிப்படுத்துவார்கள்?

இவற்றைத் தவிர்த்துப் பார்த்தால், தன் குடும்பத்துக்கு ஒன்று என்றால்தான் பதற வேண்டும் என்ற சுயநல எண்ணத்தைச் சுக்கு நூறாக உடைத்த விதத்தில் இயக்குநர் நெல்சனைப் பாராட்டலாம். சிவகார்த்திகேயன், நெல்சன் திலீப்குமாரின் சினிமா கரியரை கமர்ஷியல் அந்தஸ்துக்கு உயர்த்திய விதத்திலும், கான்செப்ட் சினிமாவில் கரை கண்ட விதத்திலும் ‘டாக்டர்’நேர்த்தியான சினிமாவாக ஜொலிக்கிறது.

அன்பு வாசகர்களே....

இந்த ஊரடங்கு காலத்தில் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியே வராமல் நமக்கு நாமே சமூக விலகல் ( Social Distancing) செய்து கொள்வோம். செய்தி ஊடகங்களின் வழியே உலகுடன் தொடர்பில் இருப்போம். பொதுவெளியில் இருந்து தனிமைப்படுத்திக் கொண்டு கரோனா பரவலைத் தடுப்பதில் நம் பங்கை முழுமையாக இந்த சமூகத்துக்கு அளிப்போம்.

CoVid-19 கரோனா தடுப்பு / விழிப்புணர்வு கையேடு - இலவசமாக டவுன்லோடு செய்து பயன்பெறுங்கள்!

- வாசகர்கள் நலனில் அக்கறையுடன் இந்து தமிழ் திசை

தவறவிடாதீர்!

•   உடலில் ஏற்பட்ட மாற்றத்தால் எதிர்கொண்ட கேலி - பிரியங்கா சோப்ரா பகிர்வு
•   ஏ.வெங்கடேஷ் இயக்கத்தில் விமல்
•   வெளியானது 'டாக்டர்': திரையுலக பிரபலங்கள் வாழ்த்து
•   முதல் பார்வை:  முகிழ் 

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Doctor Movie Review: This inventive black comedy features an all-new Sivakarthikeyan

Rating: ( 3.5 / 5).

For a brief while, a few minutes into Sivakarthikeyan’s latest film, Doctor , I wasn’t sure if I’d stepped into a Selvaraghavan film by mistake. The protagonist, Varun (Sivakarthikeyan), sits quiet, staring mirthlessly at his fiancee, Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan), as she proceeds to call out his profound lack of emotion. His face, fittingly, is frozen—as it does for the remainder of this film—while he takes in her criticism. At this moment, the Sivakarthikeyan we have come to know over the years, might be expected to launch into a funny monologue, perhaps at the girl’s expense, but this role is a departure in his career. Later, the girl’s father approaches him and tries to establish male camaraderie by saying that his daughter, Padmini, needs a husband who can slap her and bring down her ‘ thimiru ’. Varun’s enjoyable riposte is this: “ Naanum thimiru pudichavan dhaan sir .” I laughed, in relief almost.

Director: Nelson

Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Vinay, Redin Kingsley

I wasn’t sure if this placid face of Sivakarthikeyan in this all-new avatar would go on to be sacrificed in this film for a more familiar version. However, I enjoyed—really really enjoyed—that this never happens. Someone, almost affectionately, dubs him, “ Loosu Doctor”. Someone else does one better: “ Paasakaara psycho”. This is Sivakarthikeyan in a comedy, albeit of the black variety, being secure enough to stay away from joining in, being secure enough to be a passive participant while characters around him chatter away. This is Sivakarthikeyan as we have never seen him before, and it’s admirable that he hasn’t just acted in this film but produced it as well.

I don’t remember the last time I laughed as loudly in a theatre as I did watching Doctor . This film’s jokes are so wild, so funny, that it makes you bide your time during the duller, no-joke portions, only so you can let director Nelson have you in splits again. The film is about child trafficking, about sex slavery, about a submissive family forced into acts of crime, but all this solemnity is a device with which to unleash inventive comedy. Sure, it’s rather risky because this is a film full of violence and darkness. Thumbs are lopped off, people are readied to be burnt alive, necks are carefully slit… And yet, with some terrific writing and uninhibited performances from actors like Redin Kingsley, this film finds ingenious ways of delivering laugh-out-loud humour. Director Nelson Dilipkumar shows an evident talent for it. Sample this. In one of several wonderfully bizarre scenes, a man’s kidney is removed, and he is told to comply, were he to need his organ back. Lying on the hospital bed, he doesn’t seem eager to comply. And that’s when a character throws the ultimate threat: “ Kidney-a thooki kakkoos la potruven .” It’s a warning so ridiculous, so unexpected, that it’s impossible not to spit laughter. Fear not, this film is a treasure trove of such absurd dialogues. As a man is whisked away on a boat towards his death, he demands a lemon because he feels seasick. Could a man really be as cool in the face of imminent death? These are questions you don’t ask, and frankly, shouldn’t, in a film of this genre, as it gets in the way of your appreciation of its humour.

If Kolamavu Kokila hadn’t convinced us that this filmmaker is an admirer of Breaking Bad , this film confirms it, with the assassin twins idea (Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman). This is a film full of inventive ideas, like Yogi Babu’s ‘ ara kai ’ game, for instance, as part of which participants smack the back of each other’s hands—a game I dare say might be at home in Squid Game . Even beyond the joke portions, director Nelson shows an eagerness to do away with the usual. Composer Anirudh’s songs may have gone viral, but look at how the two most popular songs (‘ Chellamma ’ and ‘ So Baby ’) are used away—one at the beginning and another at the end—so the film can do its job without distractions. Look at how he deals with the mandatory fight sequence. He sets it in a train—okay, that’s not exactly novel—but then, he switches off the lights and equips the parties with infra-red goggles, and even better, proceeds to elicit non-stop laughter, as people fumble along. While on mandatory angles, in a film featuring Sivakarthikeyan, by now, it’s no surprise that some portions are going to involve his bond with children. And so yes, he rescues children here, but then again, the formula of it all is offset by how this is hardly an innocent film. Nelson even manages a great emotional moment when the otherwise quiet Varun tells the girl child that he rescued her, not to win favours with her aunt, but because he genuinely loves her.

However, each time the jokes come to a trickle and the film soldiers on through its troughs under the delusion that it’s communicating some real tension, you get impatient. The villain (Vinay) is a cardboard cutout you learn nothing about, and yet, Nelson seems keen to project him as a serious threat. For lack of well-written transitions between the serious portions—particularly in the second half—and the comedy, you are sometimes left confused. I remember at least once when I had barely caught my breath back after laughing that I was pushed into an emotional scene that seemed to come out of nowhere. If I had to use an analogy as morbid as the humour in this film, I’d say that I felt like I were spotted laughing at a funeral.

I also didn’t care for a few jokes that come at the expense of women, with one particularly uncomfortable idea being about a man made to wear a nightie and called Gomathi. More importantly, Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan) might have benefitted from having something to do in the story, instead of being all dolled up and looking meek (in much the same way this actor does in her Telugu film, Gang Leader ). Perhaps even Nelson realised this at some point, for he throws in a jibe at her expense, when someone asks her, “ Summa lipstick pottutu unna madhri naan okaandha, unakku epdi irukkum ?” Till the end, I wasn’t really sure what Varun truly saw in her. Perhaps her ‘ thimiru ’? But we don’t see a whole lot of that either, after the opening scene.

However, it’s a film with some daring, astonishing ideas for jokes, and for that, I’m willing to forgive its weaknesses. There’s even a beautiful idea underneath the story that speaks of how empathy and emotion isn’t just about words, how it isn’t just about caring for those we know. In a world that is rather unkind to those who may not be great with the words, Doctor is a story of a woman realising that her understanding of what constitutes emotion and empathy is rather superficial. That Nelson has communicated such a difficult idea whilst having us in splits, is an indication that Tamil cinema has a unique directorial talent in him, one I pray that the star system doesn’t go on to stifle.

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‘Doctor’ movie review: An enjoyable comedy-caper that has Sivakarthikeyan playing down his strengths

Director nelson’s writing is top-notch, as are the performances by the ensemble cast, in this roller-coaster of a watch.

October 09, 2021 02:28 pm | Updated 02:33 pm IST

Sivakarthikeyan in ‘Doctor’

Let me make a confession first: I had great fun watching the BTS videos that the team of Doctor put up. One of them has director Nelson waiting desperately outside composer Anirudh’s studio for a song. The composer strolls out, phone in hand, “ Ippo lam directors studio vella padhuturanga (These days, directors have started sleeping outside the studio) . They don’t understand that music composing is a creative process. ”

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There’s another funny interaction between the director and hero Sivakarthikeyan, where the former pulls the star’s leg about the Kalaimamani award he bagged recently.

Most of these videos are delivered seriously, but are packed with humour and witty repartees. Nelson continues that irreverence on the big screen in Doctor .

With his earlier film Kolamavu Kokila , the filmmaker proved that he could captivate audiences with the story of an ordinary family doing extraordinary things. He repeats the same trope in this outing, and the result: an intriguing tale of a family going to great lengths, to save a loved one.

Read More | Sivakarthikeyan on ‘Doctor’, the lessons he learnt from ‘Hero’ and why Siva 2.0 is just starting

That’s the gist, but the film begins with Varun (Sivakarthikeyan), a doctor with a stickler for discipline. He’s also practical about life, which is why the girl he likes (Priyanka Arul Mohan, who doesn’t have much to do) doesn’t reciprocate his feelings; she wishes for someone with more emotions, more heart.

In a while, she’ll see all that; when a child from their family is kidnapped, Varun jumps into action. Will he triumph?

• Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Vinay, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Yogi Babu
• Director: Nelson
• Storyline: A doctor urges a family who has lost a loved one to take things in their own hands

The biggest USP of the film is that it isn’t about Doctor himself; Sivakarthikeyan, in this case. In fact, this is probably his most understated role so far. It literally robs him of his cheery and boisterous self, a quality that has endeared him to the family audiences. In Doctor , he’s like a Rishabh Pant staying quiet on the crease (Pant is known for his aggressive style of batting). Even his dialogue delivery is staccato-like. You could have placed Chitti from Endhiran here, and it wouldn’t have made too much a difference.

However, much like the Professor from popular series Money Heist , Sivakarthikeyan stays in the background while trying to galvanise a family to do something that is normally the police department’s job. The family is filled with memorable characters, and so are the people they meet in the roller-coaster process of saving their loved one.

The first half crackles with humour, with comedy actor Kingsley having us in splits with his brash dialogue delivery. Nelson packs a lot of comedy in the scenes, so much so that even action sequences have a dose of humour (check out the one shot inside a Metro train compartment). Though he loses the plot to an extent in the second half, the interesting set of characters he has designed and their performances keep you invested till the end.

Much like many Tamil films in recent times, Doctor too highlights a cause, that of human trafficking. Statistics and dialogues proving the cause are but a line or two… that’s such a relief. Also refreshing is watching Unnale Unnale Vinay play a character with shades of grey; it isn’t much to write home about, but boy, Vinay does still look fit and fine. Anirudh’s music and background score are major highlights of Doctor ; the use of a Carnatic melodic phrase (‘The Soul of Doctor’ track) to a slow-motion fight sequence surprisingly fits, as does the foot-tapping ‘Chellamma’ song. The cinematography — by Vijay Karthik Kannan — also gives us some greatly-lit frames. All these are richly packed in the 148-minute roller-coaster comedy that Doctor is. All these augur well for Beast , director Nelson’s next biggie with Vijay.

Doctor is currently running in theatres

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Doctor Movie Review: Nelson Delivers an Unbelievable, Yet Utterly Enjoyable Film With An In-Control Sivakarthikeyan

Director: Nelson Cast: Sivakarthikeyan , Priyanka Arul Mohan, Yogi Babu , Vinay Rai, Milind Soman, Redin Kingsley, Arun Alexander

After the climax and the epilogue, the song 'Chellamma' plays. Not as the background for end credits, but like any other song in the middle of any other film. This is the first time in the 2.5 hours runtime of Doctor , we see Sivakarthikeyan as we'd expect to see him — jolly, energetic, dynamic and somewhat naughty. This is perhaps why the entire audience at the theatre stayed in their seats and enjoyed the song. Or they were perhaps just relishing the delight that Doctor was, like I did.

Doctor is a few days in the life of an unemotional military doctor, Varun (Sivakarthikeyan). His fiance Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan) calls off the wedding because he doesn't say 'there there' when she's in pain. Padmini's father (Ilavarasu) thinks it's good for Varun because women like her only deserve "arrogant men who give them two tight slaps on their face and control them." " Naanum thimir pidichavan thaan, Sir ," (I am arrogant too) Varun insists, with absolutely no conviction in his eyes. For a  moment, I bit my nails in fear that the film will have a parallel taming-the-shrew track. Doctor , thankfully, is above that.

In a few moments, Padmini's niece, Chinnu (Zaara Vineet), is kidnapped and the family is thrown into turmoil. Varun, by virtue of being there — not being invited to save them, mind you — gets involved. The rest of the film takes a Kolamavu Kokila -like journey towards what looks like an impossible mission. Like Kolamavu Kokila , Nelson's previous film, Doctor too has some terrific moments. It also has some terrible misfires.

The film's biggest success is how writer-director Nelson brings together a motley group of quirky fools, led by a somewhat intelligent but also clueless doctor, to navigate a dangerous and high-stakes mission. Nelson is comfortably in his zone — the characters are palatably eccentric;  the jokes are set up and delivered fantastically; the plot points are just the right amount of clever; the narrative tension is palpable without being distracting. 

Nelson's view of families is an absolute delight. In a film about a family that goes to insane lengths to protect their child, he also sneaks in a few scenes about how dysfunctional they are. These scenes, even though they're meant to be dark, are simply real — even rich. For instance, the initial scenes where Padmini lays bare her father's misogyny is an excellent foreshadowing of what he later tells Varun. Later in that scene, Varun's mother tells Padmini that she doesn't like her, to which Padmini responds with "same to you." After this, Varun's mother storms off, leaving him behind to resolve his life. Her reappearance in the second half is a hoot!

There is a bit of casual misogyny in the film that could have been avoided, though — emasculating a man for having lost a bet, an "aunty-hero" joke, a mandatory "good-looking women are stupid" gag etc. It's not preachy, nor is it the stand of the film. In fact, Doctor does really well not to tame/harass Padmini into submission. The sexism is a reflection of the characters themselves, all of whom are flawed. Yet, it's something that Nelson could have avoided and lost nothing — but he retained them just for easy claps. It's disappointing that he did.

Beyond that, unlike Kolamavu Kokila , where the morbid humour was delicious, Doctor is about a schoolgirl who has been kidnapped. Someone mentions human trafficking right at the beginning, making my stomach churn a little. The family falls apart with the father (Arun Alexander) rushing to kill himself. Within seconds of this, the film moves to ha-ha level jokes and absurdity. This transition is grating. A family's ability to trust silly strangers and an unemotional doctor with the life of their daughter is unconvincing. The emotional moments, therefore, lack the strength of the writing that Nelson displays in the quirky scenes.

What it lacks in writing, however, Doctor makes up for in excellent casting. Varun is unlike any Sivakarthikeyan character we've seen ever before. He's restrained in that he has no counters or even comical lines. He doesn't smirk self-assuredly when he insults Padmini for being foolish. He looks at her earnestly in love, not naughtily waiting to taunt her. It's almost unnatural to see Sivakarthikeyan that way, but you warm up as the film progresses. He looks and plays the part. I don't want to jump the gun and proclaim him to have turned a new leaf as an actor or anything. But I will say, he is wholesome as Varun.

Archana as the mother who's lost her child is fantastic. Watch out for the moment she reunites with her daughter — the only emotional scene in the film that truly works, and almost entirely because of how Archana upholds it. Deepa, as the resigned cynic who eats her emotions, is hilarious. Not only because of the sharp dialogues that are written for her but also because of how she brings her entire physical self to her jokes. I keep my fingers crossed that this comedian gets to have a long and successful comedy career. 

Redin Kingsley plays the same role he's always played — the foolish loudmouth. If nothing else, he entertains with just experience. Yogi Babu as the amateur kidnapper, gets a slightly better version of his self-deprecating and insulting humour. Even actors playing small characters play their part well. They make Doctor look at home and comfortable throughout the first half. 

In fact, it's some of the big names like Milind Soman, Raghu Ram, Rajiv Lakshman and the antagonist Vinay Rai himself that are a bit of a letdown. If dubbing is one part of the problem, the other is perhaps Nelson's control over the milieu itself. We get so much of Chennai in the first half — Koyambedu bus stand, share auto, Chennai Metro, dingy police stations, cruel cops, tea shops, crowded streets, hiding in plain sight, Nelson brings the city into his film.  Goa, on the other hand, is reduced to a five-star hotel and a dungeon by the beach. In and of itself, this wouldn't be a grouse, if Nelson hadn't set the bar for himself so high. 

Some of his touches are delicious. Take, for instance, the interval block. I don't want to ruin it for you, but keep an eye out for the lights. For each set-up, the payoffs are worth every penny. Take the lunch table where Varun realises he's been caught. Or the point where the climax looks somewhat lukewarm and unsatisfactory until Varun reemerges from the vast Goan seas. There are hilarious action sequences when you don't even expect one — you'll know when you see Redin Kingsley in the climax.

Upping a bar is also the film's music director Anirudh, soundly delineating the mass moments for us. Nelson sometimes plays down the mass, but Anirudh wouldn't have it. He is enjoying the film and he wants you to feel it.

Two days from now, as the memes emerge, we will begin asking how any of what Doctor shows is plausible. The film itself offers little by way of explanation. For instance, Varun goes to Goa and occupies an ice cream shop as the headquarters of his operation. There's no explanation of how he manages that. Nelson just expects you to accept he'll know someone who knows someone who can make that happen. This way, a good part of Doctor will be unbelievable — as in, you won't believe it's plausible. As you reminisce, you're likely to think up what might seem like logical loopholes. But, while you're watching the film, you wouldn't care.

Because Nelson isn't going for believability. He's going for immersion. By that standard, Doctor is tremendous fun.

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Doctor Movie Review (2021)

Sivakarthikeyan's doctor movie review - a laughter riot from nelson and co..

Doctor Movie Cast & Crew

Amidst huge expectations and hype, Sivakarthikeyan's Doctor has finally hit the screens and it is directed by Nelson Dilipkumar who made an impressive debut with Kolamaavu Kokila. Doctor, which has music by Anirudh, features Priyanka Mohan as the female lead, alongside several other talented actors like Yogi Babu, Vinay, Redin Kingsley, Archana, Arun Alexander, Ilavarasu, Dheepa, and others. How has the film fared? Check out!  

STORY: Doctor takes us through the life of Varun (Sivakarthikeyan), a Doctor in the Military, who along with his ex-fiance's (Priyanka Mohan) family set out to search for their little girl, Chinnu (Zaara Vineet), who gets kidnapped. Did Varun and the family succeed in finding their dear girl is what Doctor is all about. Though the film deals with a very serious topic of human trafficking, the way the film has been packaged and presented is enjoyable.   

SCREENPLAY, DIALOGUES & DIRECTION:  Director Nelson Dilipkumar strikes gold with his packaging skills as the film is engaging for the most part. Nelson's brand of humour works in the favour of the movie, saving the film from its other flaws. Except for the initial few minutes post-interval (in Goa), Doctor keeps the audience engaged. The best part about Doctor is its freshness in the screenplay and when the humour becomes the USP of the screenplay, the final outcome is impressive. The makers have indeed underplayed in the trailer as the film has several pleasant surprise moments. Director Nelson uses Redin and Yogi Babu to their strengths and the wise usage of these actors makes Doctor quite enjoyable. Nelson and co. have executed several important stretches in an effective manner - for example, the metro train sequence.

On the weaker side, the villain doesn't pack a punch, in terms of writing. Nelson could've written the character with more strength and depth and that could've made the faceoff more exciting. Vinay's motive or plan in kidnapping young girls is touched only on a surface level and it would've been more authentic if we had known more about him. When you have a weakly written villain, the largely predictable climax comes as an add-on. Also, Doctor has logical flaws at places (the first encounter between SK and Sunil) and if you can let it go off as cinematic liberty, Doctor would be an enjoyable watch. If the logical flaws bother you, Doctor might be a mixed bag.     CAST: Sivakarthikeyan delivers a very mature performance that is subtle and calm for the most part. It is indeed refreshing to see SK in such a character that underplays at several points. We actually never see Sivakarthikeyan smiling and this is surely a standout film, in terms of his character sketch. Priyanka Arul Mohan gets a decent role in her debut Tamil film and she is sure to earn a good fan base here, thanks to her cute expressions and attractive screen presence. The show-stealer of Doctor is Redin Kingsley who sets the screen on fire with his wacky humour and eccentric body language. Redin and Yogi Babu together strike fantastic chemistry and the duo manage to uplift the film whenever there is a dip.

Special mention to the quirky sidekicks like Gabbar, Gabbar's assistant, and Sunil's assistant who add more flavour to the film's dark humour. Whenever you see them on screen, there is assured laughter and that makes the flaws take the backseat. Vinay looks menacing and stylish as Teddy, the classy villain, but there is no depth in his character, as already told. It is good to see a promising actor inside VJ Archana and her emotional performance is neat. Arun Alexander, Ilavarasu, Sunil, and Zaara do their part well, giving a sense of completeness. As far as the performances are concerned, Doctor has no worries. 

TECHNICAL:  Anirudh Ravichander is one of the main pillars of Doctor. He holds the film high with his fantastic brilliant score that acts as a booster to many scenes. The 'Soul of Doctor' score is sure to touch the audience. The songs have also got the crowd-pleasing appeal and it has been shot in an interesting fashion. There are just two songs that take place amidst the story and Nelson needs to be appreciated for his placement of songs. Vijay Kartik Kannan's visuals look rich, enhancing the visual quality of the film. The stunt choreography in the metro train sequence garners good attention as it is intelligently done. The CG / VFX in the climax looks a bit odd.    SO?  Doctor definitely has its own share of flaws, but the comedies manage to hold the film uptight, leaving the audience in splits. Doctor is definitely a film that deserved a theatrical release and thanks to the makers for withstanding the Covid waves to give the audience an entertaining theatrical film. 

Verdict Sivakarthikeyan and Nelson arrive in style with a laughter riot. Don't miss this one!

Galatta Rating: ( 3.0 /5.0 )

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DOCTOR MOVIE REVIEW

Doctor is a film written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and jointly produced by Sivakarthikeyan Productions and KJR Studios. It has Sivakarthikeyan and Priyanka Arul Mohan in the lead roles, Vinay as the antagonist, while Arun Alexander, Archana, Deepa, Redin Kingsley, Yogi Babu and others play crucial supporting roles.

Sivakarthikeyan plays the role of Varun, a doctor who is engaged to Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan). The engagement breaks off due to certain reasons, while Padmini's niece Chinnu gets kidnapped on the same day. How Varun manages to rescue her forms the rest of the plot.

Doctor starts off on a middling note, which is partially due to the way Sivakarthikeyan's character has been written. It's very different from the man we've seen all these years and once you get accustomed to the change, the film is a dynamite. The film leaves you wondering if someone like Sivakarthikeyan ever smiled in the runtime.

He rarely emotes which adds on to the humour factor, and he's perfectly complemented by Redin Kingsley. Inarguably, each of Redin's lines make you roll on the floor laughing. In a way, Nelson has carved his own space in Tamil cinema with his brand of Black comedy.

The way he's written the sequences featuring Yogi Babu and Redin Kingsley again deserves a lot of praise. The first 30 minutes of the film had a lot of cinematic liberties taken was a minor concern initially.

It is often said that laughter is the best medicine. It's practicality is a question but it does seem to be the antidote for all the writing flaws the film has. The humour factor makes you forgive everything and enjoy the entire duration. One particular writing decision that works is not having any social message for the audience. The film sets off to entertain and it does that alone.

The film gets the casting part right with each one holding their fort well. From Yogi Babu to Deepa to Archana to Redin, they all give memorable performances, and their characters will stay in our minds for a long long time.

As far as the technical side is concerned, the CGI and visual effects in the climax could have been better in an otherwise visually mature film. The cinematography by Vijay Kartik Kannan is solid. The film has very few dialogues and it's Anirudh's music that carries the story forward. There's a stunt sequence in the metro and his score for that scene is a sample for his work in this film.

Overall, Nelson sticks to his strengths and delivers a laughter riot. It's often said that a weakness is a weakness only when it can be attacked. Here the humour provides the shield for all the weaknesses the film has. Nelson and SK succeed in delivering an engaging and entertaining film, and the former has also etched a space for himself, making him a director to look out for in the future.

DOCTOR VIDEO REVIEW

BEHINDWOODS REVIEW BOARD RATING

Public review board rating, review rating explanation.

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

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DOCTOR PHOTOS

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Sivakarthikeyan

Sivakarthikeyan's biggest சுட்டி fan... "வேற level-ல சிரிக்கிறியேம்மா" | the fan show | doctor videos.

ROWDY BABY பாதி, BUTTA BOMMA பாதி கலந்து செய்த CHELLAMMA GLIMPSE VIDEO | DOCTOR VIDEOS

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Doctor (aka) Doctorr

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When his fiancee's niece is kidnapped, a stoic army doctor and his motley team launch a rescue operation in which they need both wit and their wits. When his fiancee's niece is kidnapped, a stoic army doctor and his motley team launch a rescue operation in which they need both wit and their wits. When his fiancee's niece is kidnapped, a stoic army doctor and his motley team launch a rescue operation in which they need both wit and their wits.

• Nelson Dilipkumar
• Surbhi Sehgal
• Sivakarthikeyan
• Priyanka Arulmohan
• 193 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews
• 4 wins & 6 nominations

Top cast 19

• Padhmini's father

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Of all the movies he has acted in as lead, SK (Lead / Hero) has the least amount of dialogues in this movie. This is an intentional divergence to break away from his usual exuberant performance, director Nelson was the one to come up with this idea.
• Soundtracks Chellamma (Tamil) Music by Anirudh Ravichander Lyrics by Sivakarthikeyan Performed by Anirudh Ravichander , Jonita Gandhi Backing vocals by Nakul Abhyankar

User reviews 193

• ghousebasha-37797
• Oct 8, 2021
• How long is Doctor? Powered by Alexa
• October 9, 2021 (India)
• KJR Studios
• Sivakarthikeyan Productions
• Goldmines Telefilms
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 28 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital

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புத்தகங்கள்

கனவு இல்லம்

• சினிமா செய்திகள்
• பட காட்சிகள்
• மறக்க முடியுமா
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• நடிகர் - நடிகைகள் கேலரி
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டாக்டர் - விமர்சனம்

டாக்டர் - பட காட்சிகள் ↓

டாக்டர் - சினி விழா ↓

• Actors: --> சிவகார்த்திகேயன்
• Release: --> 09 அக், 2021
• இயக்குனர் : --> நெல்சன் திலீப்குமார்
• டாக்டர் - பெட்டர் லக் நெக்ஸ்ட் டைம்

தயாரிப்பு - சிவகார்த்திகேயன் புரொடக்ஷன்ஸ் இயக்கம் - நெல்சன் திலீப்குமார் இசை - அனிருத் நடிப்பு - சிவகார்த்திகேயன், பிரியங்கா அருள்மோகன் மற்றும் பலர் வெளியான தேதி - 9 அக்டோபர் 2021 நேரம் - 2 மணி 28 நிமிடம் ரேட்டிங் - 2.5/5 ஆள் கடத்தல் எனறால் அந்தக் கால சினிமா என்று சொல்லி விடுவார்கள். அதையே, ஆங்கிலத்தில் ஹியூமன் டிராபிக்கிங் என்று சொல்லிப் பாருங்கள், அட ஹாலிவுட் கதையா எனக் கேட்பார்கள். தமிழ் சினிமாவில் வந்துள்ள மற்றுமொரு ஆள் கடத்தல் கதைதான் இந்த டாக்டர். படத்தின் கதாநாயகன் ஒரு டாக்டர். அதனால்தான் படத்தின் பெயரும் டாக்டர். ஆனால், டாக்டர் என்பதால் படத்தின் ஹீரோ, எந்த விதமான ஹீரோயிசத்தையும் செய்யவில்லை என்பதும் உண்மை.

இயக்குனர் நெல்சன் அவருடைய முதல் படத்தில் போதைப் பொருள் கடத்தல் எனக் கதையமைத்திருந்தார். இந்த இரண்டாவது படத்தில் பெண் குழந்தைகள் கடத்தல் எனக் கதை எழுதியிருக்கிறார். அடுத்து விஜய் நடிக்க அவர் இயக்கும் பீஸ்ட் படத்திலும் ஏதோ ஒரு கடத்தலைத்தான் கதையாக வைத்திருப்பார் போலிருக்கிறது. மிலிட்டரியில் டாக்டராக இருக்கும் சிவகார்த்திகேயனுடன் நிச்சயமான திருமணத்தை வேண்டாம் என்கிறார் படத்தின் கதாநாயகி பிரியங்கா அருள்மோகன். இவரது அண்ணன் மகள் திடீரென காணாமல் போக களத்தில் இறங்குகிறார் சிவகார்த்திகேயன். அதற்காக அவருக்கு பிரியங்காவின் குடும்பமே உதவியாக இருக்கிறது. காணாமல் போன அந்த சிறுமியைக் கண்டுபிடித்தார்களா இல்லையா என்பதுதான் படத்தின் கதை. சிறு வயதிலிருந்தே நிறைய கடத்தல் கதைகளையும், செய்திகளையும் படத்தின் இயக்குனர் நெல்சன் படித்திருப்பார் போலிருக்கிறது. அந்த தாக்கத்தில் மீண்டும் ஒரு கடத்தல் கதையை எடுத்திருக்கிறார். ஆனால், படத்தின் நாயகன் மிகச் சுலபமாக வில்லனை ரீச் செய்வதெல்லாம் சினிமாத்தனத்தின் உச்சம். திரைக்கதை டிவிஸ்ட்டுக்கெல்லாம் இயக்குனர் மெனக்கெடவில்லை. பீஸ்ட் படத்தில் இப்படியெல்லாம் வச்சிடாதீங்க பாஸ், விஜய் ரசிகர்கள் திட்டுகிறார்களோ இல்லையோ, அஜித் ரசிகர்கள் உங்களை கழுவி ஊற்றிவிடுவார்கள். சட்டை போடும் போது காலர் பட்டனையும் சேர்த்து போடும் அப்பாவி டாக்டர் சிவகார்த்திகேயன். தன்னை திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ள மறுக்கும் கதாநாயகி வீட்டில் ஒரு சிறுமி காணாமல் போனதும் அமைதியான ஆக்ஷன் ஹீரோவாக களத்தில் இறங்குகிறார். சிவகார்த்திகேயனை இப்படியெல்லாம் அமைதியாகப் பார்க்க நமக்குப் பொறுமை வேண்டும். எப்போதும் சிரிக்க வைக்கும் சிவகார்த்திகேயன்தான் ரசிகர்களுக்கு வேண்டும், சீரியசாக இருக்கும் சிவகார்த்திகேயனை ரசிகர்கள் ரசிக்க மாட்டார்கள் என்பதை இந்தப் படத்திற்குப் பிறகு சிவகார்த்திகேயனே புரிந்து கொள்வார். படத்தின் கதாநாயகி என பிரியங்கா அருள்மோகனைத் தனியாகக் குறிப்பிட முடியாது. சிவகார்த்திகேயனுக்கு ஜோடி மாதிரி என்பதற்காக வேண்டுமானால் அவரைக் கதாநாயகி எனச் சொல்லலாம். மற்றபடி படத்தில் அவரது குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த இளவரசு, அர்ச்சனா, அருண் அலெக்சாண்டர், தீபா ஆகிய அனைவருக்குமே முக்கியத்துவம் உண்டு. யோகி பாபு படம் முழுவதும் வருகிறார். ஆனால், ஒரு சில காட்சிகளில் மட்டுமே சிரிக்க வைக்கிறார். ரெடின் கிங்ஸ்லி நம் பொறுமையை ரொம்பவே சோதிக்கிறார். மிலிந்த் சோமன் போன்ற நடிகர்களை இரண்டு காட்சிகளில் காட்டி வீணடித்திருக்கிறார்கள். வினய் தான் படத்தில் வில்லன். ரிசார்ட் நடத்திக் கொண்டு சிறுமிகளைக் கடத்தும் தொழில் செய்பவர். அவரைப் பார்த்தெல்லாம் எந்த பயமும் வரவில்லை என்பது உண்மை. மெட்ரோ ரயிலில் ஒரு நீ.....ளமான சண்டைக் காட்சி இருக்கிறது. எதற்கு அவ்வளவு நீளமான காட்சி என்றே தெரியவில்லை. படத்தின் ஆரம்பத்திலேயே அடுத்தடுத்து இரண்டு பாடல்கள் வந்துவிடுகிறது. ஆனால், அனிருத் இசையில் சூப்பர் ஹிட் பாடலான செல்லம்மா... பாடலை வைக்க சரியான இடமில்லாமல், படம் முடிந்தன் பின் அந்தப் பாடலைப் போடுகிறார்கள். தியேட்டரில் பாட்டைப் பார்த்துட்டு போங்க சார் என கதவைத் திறக்க மறுக்கிறார்கள் தியேட்டர்காரர்கள். ஒரு ஹிட்டான பாடலை ஒரு கனவுப் பாடலாகவாவது வைத்திருக்கலாமே இயக்குனர் சார் ?. சிவகார்த்திகேயனுக்குப் பதிலா ஜெய்சங்கர், வினய்க்குப் பதிலா அசோகன் என நடிகர்களை மாற்றிப் பார்த்தால் 1970களில் இந்தப் படம் வந்திருந்தால் ஒரு வேளை ஹிட் ஆகியிருக்கலாம். சரி, படத்தில் பாராட்ட ஏதாவது இருக்குமே என யோசித்து, யோசித்து, யோசித்துப் பார்த்தால்...சாரி, அப்படி எதுவுமே ஞாபகத்திற்கு வரவில்லை. இந்த ஆள் கடத்தல், ஹியூமன் டிராபிக்கிங் இதுக்கெல்லாம் கொஞ்சம் ரெஸ்ட் கொடுங்க டைரக்டர்ஸ். டாக்டர் - பெட்டர் லக் நெக்ஸ்ட் டைம்

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கோல்கட்டா பெண் டாக்டர் படுகொலை : இசை நிகழ்ச்சியை ரத்து செய்த ஸ்ரேயா கோஷல்

டாக்டர் ஆனார் திலீப்பின் மகள்

சமந்தாவிடம் வருத்தம் தெரிவித்த டாக்டர்!

சிறையில் அடைக்க சொன்ன டாக்டர் : சமந்தா பதிலடி

டாக்டர் காதலியுடன் ஆஷிஷ் சக்கரவர்த்தி : விரைவில் திருமணமாம்

கல்கி முன்பதிவால் டாக்டர் ராஜசேகர் படத்திற்கு அடித்த ஜாக்பாட்

ராம் சரணுக்கு டாக்டர் பட்டம்: சிரஞ்சீவி நெகிழ்ச்சி

ராம் சரணுக்கு கவுரவ டாக்டர் பட்டம்

பட குழுவினர்.

சிவகார்த்திகேயன்

மாவீரன் (2023)

திரைப்பட வரலாறு

மேலும் விமர்சனம் ↓

தி கிரேட்டஸ்ட் ஆப் ஆல் டைம்

போகுமிடம் வெகு தூரமில்லை

கொட்டுக்காளி

நுனக்குழி (மலையாளம்)

டிமான்டி காலனி 2

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Doctor Story

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• Chellamma Singers: Anirudh Ravichander , Jonita Gandhi Lyricist: Sivakarthikeyan 3.5
• Nenjame Singers: Anirudh Ravichander Lyricist: Mohan Rajan 4
• So Baby Singers: Anirudh Ravichander Lyricist: Sivakarthikeyan 4.4
• Soul Of Doctor Singers: Lyricist: 3.4

Doctor News

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Doctor

In this Doctor film, Sivakarthikeyan , Priyanka Arul Mohan played the primary leads.

The Doctor was released in theaters on 09 Oct 2021.

The Doctor was directed by Nelson Dilipkumar

Movies like The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) , Veera Dheera Sooran (Part 2) , Love Insurance Kompany (LIK) and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Anirudh Ravichander for the movie Doctor.

The cinematography for Doctor was shot by Vijay Kartik Kannan .

You can watch the Doctor movie on Netflix,.

On 05 Nov 2021 Doctor was released on the Netflix, platform.

The movie Doctor belonged to the Action,Comedy,Thriller, genre.

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Nithyanantham 1035 Days Ago

Ajay 1042 days ago, yuvaraj 1068 days ago, 7397434088 1068 days ago, varshaamuhie 1232 days ago.

i love sk anna movies and i waiting for her upcoming movies my big dream to see my fav actor sk anna all the best anna for your upcoming films

Charan kumor charan 1243 Days Ago

Plice enter 150 Gauuuha

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Doctor Review – Comedy Saves The Kidnapping Drama

Comedy Saves The Kidnapping Drama

OUR RATING 2.25/5

UA – Action, Comedy, Thriller

What Is the Film About?

Varun ( Shivakarthikeyan ) is a doctor in the military. He has a steady love life with his girlfriend Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan). Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and they decided to break up. The story of Varun Doctor kicks off from the break-up moment when it is learnt that Padmini’s younger sister is kidnapped.

How Doctor Varun tracks the kidnapper and unearths a huge kidnapping racket? What happens to the love story at the end of the film’s basic plot.

Performances

Shivakarthikeyan shuns his usual flamboyant and chirpy body language. He adopts a more calm, poised, subtle attitude with a conscious effort to avoid his familiar mannerism. While the attempt is appreciated, it doesn’t yield results as expected, though. Shivakarthikeyan appears too stiff at times while trying to be measured and composed.

Varun Doctor is the second film of Nelson Dilipkumar of Coco Kokila fame. Much like the debut, this too is a screenplay based film with a very thin storyline. It is all about finding and rescuing a kidnapped girl.

After a very normal beginning, Varun Doctor gets on track once the kidnapping angle is revealed. The real fun and drama start from that point. It is similar to the director’s debut venture in many ways. The issue is serious; the entire family is involved, leading to funny situations at unexpected times. While all this happens, the lead remains serious.

The screenplay is the key here. The narrative is a mix of investigative thriller elements and comedy. The clues to track the kidnapper and fun happening centred on it are neatly blended in the first. A couple of blocks are hilarious. They will surely leave the audience in splits. They are what make the first half a passable watch, in the end.

Unfortunately, Nelson Dilipkumar runs out of steam in the second half. Post intermission, things take a much serious turn. The fun is missing. But a bigger problem arrives due to it. While the ‘comedy’ saves the first half and makes it passable, it comes at the cost of genuine emotions. An emotional connection between the kidnapped girl and the family is missing.

What happens then is the emotions that are built in the second half come across as contrived and overdone. Simultaneously, everything else that happens takes a predictable route. The combination renders the second half weak and unengaging. The climax has its share of silliness meeting heroism, which further highlights the tonal inconsistency.

Overall, Varun Doctor works in the first half due to the comedy, but it fails to deliver when it most matters in the second half. The contrived and cliché narrative make it a below average fare.

Priyanka Arul Mohan is a namesake heroine. She has a song at the start but has nothing much to do later. She is a part of the family gang, but that’s it.

Yogi Babu once again stands out with his comic timing and is a significant relief in the narrative. The two blocks involving him (and Redin Kingsley) are among the movie’s best parts. Nelson Dilipkumar had given him a memorable role in his debut, a well. He does it here too.

Among the rest, Vinay Rai of Detective fame playing a baddie is alright. He doesn’t get as much scope here, though. However, he maintains a seriousness and threat that is required to make the narrative gripping. Milind Soman and Raghu Ram could have been better utilised. The rest of the cast is adequate even though there is nothing much to do.

Music and Other Departments?

The music by Anirudh is alright. Only one song comes under his typical style. He delivers with the background score, as expected. It is mostly good, with a few bits being better. The cinematography by Vijay Karthik Kannan is first-rate. Along with the editing, it adds to the slick look and feel. The writing is a mixed bag.

Highlights?

Comedy Blocks

Slick Production Values

No Emotional Connect

Routine Story (second Half)

Uneven Tone

Alternative Take

A better narrative with the right mix of fun and emotion in the second half would have made Varun Doctor get to the next level. The lack of emotional connection is predominantly the more significant factor affecting the overall feel. Nelson Dilipkumar should take care in that aspect to get the desired results.

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, Few Parts

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, But With Huge Reservations

Doctor Tamil Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti

(87.2K Votes)

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'Doctor' film review: This inventive black comedy features an all new Sivakarthikeyan

For a brief while, a few minutes into Sivakarthikeyan’s latest film, Doctor, I wasn’t sure if I’d stepped into a Selvaraghavan film by mistake. The protagonist, Varun (Sivakarthikeyan), sits quiet, staring mirthlessly at his fiancee, Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan), as she proceeds to call out his profound lack of emotion. His face, fittingly, is frozen— as it does for the remainder of this film—while he takes in her criticism.

At this moment, the Sivakarthikeyan we have come to know over the years, might be expected to launch into a funny monologue, perhaps at the girl’s expense, but this role is a departure in his career. Later, the girl’s father approaches him and tries to establish male camaraderie by saying that his daughter, Padmini, needs a husband who can slap her and bring down her ‘thimiru’. Varun’s enjoyable riposte is this: “Naanum thimiru pudichavan dhaan sir.” I laughed, in relief almost.

I wasn’t sure if this placid face of Sivakarthikeyan in this all-new avatar would go on to be sacrificed in this film for a more familiar version. However, I enjoyed— really really enjoyed—that this never happens. Someone, almost affectionately, dubs him, “Loosu Doctor”. Someone else does one better: “Paasakaara psycho”.

This is Sivakarthikeyan in a comedy, albeit of the black variety, being secure enough to stay away from joining in, being secure enough to be a passive participant while characters around him chatter away. This i s Sivakarthikeyan as we have never seen him before, and it’s admirable that he hasn’t just acted in this film but produced it as well. I don’t remember the last time I laughed as loudly in a theatre as I did watching Doctor. This film’s jokes are so wild, so funny, that it makes you bide your time during the duller, no-joke portions, only so you can let director Nelson have you in splits again.

The film is about child trafficking, about sex slavery, about a submissive family forced into acts of crime, but all this solemnity is a device with which to unleash inventive comedy. Sure, it’s rather risky because this is a film full of violence and darkness. Thumbs are lopped off, people are readied to be burnt alive, necks are carefully slit… And yet, with some terrific writing and uninhibited performances from actors like Redin Kingsley, this film finds ingenious ways of delivering laugh-outloud humour. Director Nelson Dilipkumar shows an evident talent for it.

Sample this. In one of several wonderfully bizarre scenes, a man’s kidney is removed, and he is told to comply, were he to need his organ back. Lying on the hospital bed, he doesn’t seem eager to comply. And that’s when a character throws the ultimate threat: “Kidney-a thooki kakkoos la potruven.” It’s a warning so ridiculous, so unexpected, that it’s impossible not to spit laughter. Fear not, this film is a treasure trove of such absurd dialogues.

As a man is whisked away on a boat towards his death, he demands a lemon because he feels seasick. Could a man really be as cool in the face of imminent death? These are questions you don’t ask, and frankly, shouldn’t, in a film of this genre, as it gets in the way of your appreciation of its humour. If Kolamavu Kokila hadn’t convinced us that this filmmaker is an admirer of Breaking Bad, this film confirms it, with the assassin twins idea (Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman). This is a film full of inventive ideas, like Yogi Babu’s ‘ara kai’ game, for instance, as part of which participants smack the back of each other’s hands—a game I dare say might be at home in Squid Game.

Even beyond the joke portions, director Nelson shows an eagerness to do away with the usual. Composer Anirudh’s songs may have gone viral, but look at how the two most popular songs (‘Chellamma’ and ‘So Baby’) are used away—one at the beginning and another at the end—so the film can do its job without distractions. Look at how he deals with the mandatory fight sequence. He sets it in a train— okay, that’s not exactly novel— but then, he switches off the lights and equips the parties with infra-red goggles, and even better, proceeds to elicit non-stop laughter, as people fumble along.

While on mandatory angles, in a film featuring Sivakarthikeyan, by now, it’s no surprise that some portions are going to involve his bond with children. And so yes, he rescues children here, but then again, the formula of it all is offset by how this is hardly an innocent film. Nelson even manages a great emotional moment when the otherwise quiet Varun tells the girl child that he rescued her, not to win favours with her aunt, but because he genuinely loves her. However, each time the jokes come to a trickle and the film soldiers on through its troughs under the delusion that it’s communicating some real tension, you get impatient.

The villain (Vinay) is a cardboard cutout you learn nothing about, and yet, Nelson seems keen to project him as a serious threat. For lack of well-written transitions between the serious portions—particularly in the second half—and the comedy, you are sometimes left confused. I remember at least once when I had barely caught my breath back after laughing that I was pushed into an emotional scene that seemed to come out of nowhere. If I had to use an analogy as morbid as the humour in this film, I’d say that I felt like I were spotted laughing at a funeral.

I also didn’t care for a few jokes that come at the expense of women, with one particularly uncomfortable idea being about a man made to wear a nightie and called Gomathi. More importantly, Padmini (Priyanka Arul Mohan) might have benefitted from having something to do in the story, instead of being all dolled up and looking meek (in much the same way this actor does in her Telugu film, Gang Leader). Perhaps even Nelson realised this at some point, for he throws in a jibe at her expense, when someone asks her, “Summa lipstick pottutu unna madhri naan okaandha, unakku epdi irukkum?” Till the end, I wasn’t really sure what Varun truly saw in her. Perhaps her ‘thimiru’? But we don’t see a whole lot of that either, after the opening scene.

However, it’s a film with some daring, astonishing ideas for jokes, and for that, I’m willing to forgive its weaknesses. There’s even a beautiful idea underneath the story that speaks of how empathy and emot ion isn’t just about words, how it isn’t just about caring for those we know. In a world that is rather unkind to those who may not be great with the words, Doctor is a story of a woman realising that her understanding of what constitutes emotion and empathy is rather superficial. That Nelson has communicated such a difficult idea whilst having us in splits, is an indication that Tamil cinema has a unique directorial talent in him, one I pray that the star system doesn’t go on to stifle.

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