Dora movie review: Nayanthara's terrific screen presence rules the film

Director: Doss Ramasamy

Cast: Nayanthara, Harish Uttaman, Thambi Ramaiah

After horror thriller Maya’s huge success, Tamil filmmakers opting Nayanthara for similar woman-centric movies were kind of anticipated. Dora is no different! Though touted to be a horror genre, there are very little spooky moments in the film. However, it is Nayan’s terrific screen presence and alluring performance that makes Dora watchable and entertaining to some extent.

The movie opens at a hospital where Pavalakodi (Nayanthara) is being operated for some problem. Cut to few months later, we see Pavalakodi and her dad Vairakannu (Thambi Ramaiah) and they want to start a call-taxi business (for a flimsy reason) after the former’s aunt who refuses to give them a free ride in their call taxi insults them.  In a parallel track, a girl is brutally raped and murdered by a group of three robbers and police officer Harish (Harish Uttaman) is on a hunt for the criminals.

Meanwhile, Pavalakodi and her dad end up buying an old Austin Cambridge car, which attracts her attention through odd and bizarre sounds that is associated with the spooky flicks. Little they realize that the car has a past story and is haunted by a dog named Dora. With few turn of events, Pavalakodi comes to know of the supernatural power of the car and the backstory associated with it and why it comes to her.

What follows is how Dora and Pavalakodi team up and take revenge on the three north Indians who a few months back raped and killed a small girl inside the car with her dog Dora barking helplessly.

The director has kept minimal characters in the film and Nayan being the center of the story hogs the limelight. She also looks pretty with simple and elegant costumes. Her new hair-do with less makeup adds to the credibility of the character she plays.  Harish Uttaman is adequate. Thambi Ramaiah is in full form and evokes laughter in lighter scenes. However, some of the comic scenes appear forced. Among the three baddies, Suniel Kumar gets the better screen space and he utilizes it well. The first half moves at a slow pace where you don’t get to witness any dreadful moments. One wishes the director could have explored the potentiality of the script fully.

On the technical front, the duo of Vivek-Mervin in the music department alongside Dinesh Krishnan’s camera work are solid and elevates the mood of the film by several notches.