Kadhalikka Neramillai review: This Ravi Mohan-Nithya Menen starrer is a charming, breezy new age romance

Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s directorial skills have definitely evolved with her films over the years and Kadhalikka Neramillai is perhaps one of her best works.

Director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi is back with her fourth directorial work, Kadhalikka Neramillai, that was released for Pongal this year. Starring Ravi Mohan and Nithya Menen, Kiruthiga presents another romantic comedy, a genre in which she seems to have found her niche in. Deriving its name from the 1964 Tamil film of the same name, the 2025 Kadhalikka Neramillai (No Time for Love) treads an unbeaten path in Tamil cinema like a breath of fresh air. (Also read: Nithya Menen talks about ‘clear cut’ hierarchy in film industry: ‘Hero, director, heroine, that's how it is’)

Jayam Ravi and Nithya Menen share great screen chemistry in Kadhalikka Neramillai.

The premise

The director starts the story by introducing two contrasting couples to the audience which sets the theme for what is to follow. Structural engineer Siddharth (Ravi Mohan) and model Niru aka Nirupama (TJ Bhanu) are in love and all set to get engaged when Niru finds out that Sid aka Siddharth was a sperm donor though he was clear he didn’t want kids. Confused by his decision, Niru questions him in the belief that Siddharth possibly didn’t want children with her and stands him up at their engagement party. Sid is devastated but gets on with his life.

We then meet architect Shreya (Nithya Menen) and Karan (John Kokken) who’ve been together for four years and are now ready to take the next step. They have a registered marriage, without the knowledge of their family for visa purposes, and as they wait for the traditional wedding to take place, a fiasco takes place. Shreya finds Sid in bed with her best friend and she breaks up with him. Shreya’s parents are angry with her but the architect comes up with an unconventional plan to enhance her life and live as an independent woman. What does she do? And how does she get connected to Siddharth?

A new age angle to romance

Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s Kadhalikka Neramillai takes on a new age angle to a man-woman relationship and shows us how today, men and women make bolder individual choices more confidently. Sperm donation is not a much-discussed topic in Tamil cinema and the director takes it head on in this romantic drama. Love doesn’t necessarily have to follow the traditional route and one can fall in love under any circumstance and at any age. A man’s decision not to have kids may be unconventional, but we see how it doesn’t take away from who he is or what he wants in a relationship. On the other hand, we see an unmarried woman breaking societal norms and choosing to have a child through a sperm donor.

The director presents how mature and evolved relationships have become in society today as eventually the two of them do find solace in life without the institution of marriage. However, such complex choices also come with their own set of social stigmas and issues and Kadhalikka Neramillai addresses those too in a subtle, muted manner. There is no one size fits all and the director emphasizes that relationships in today’s world take all forms challenging social norms. Ultimately, it’s about love and love triumphs irrespective of social pressure and constraints.

What works

Ravi Mohan and Nithya Menen share great screen chemistry and their performances are beautiful as they are completely at ease as Sid and Shreya. Ravi Mohan stars in an urban romance after a while now is refreshing and he has pulled off his role with elan. Talented Nithya Menen aces the role of a mom to a young child as well. Supporting actors like Yogi Babu, Vinay Rai, Lal, Mano and Lakshmy Ramakrishnan don’t have too much to add to the film but John Kokken and Vinodhini Vaidyanathan are impactful in their small roles. Music director AR Rahman has scored some fun, light songs for the film like ‘It’s a breakup da’ and ‘Yennai Izhukathaddi’ but sadly, they don’t linger in your mind at the end of the film.

Director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s directorial skills have definitely evolved with her films over the years and Kadhalikka Neramillai is perhaps one of her best works. This breezy romantic new age entertainer which keeps you cheering for Sid and Shreya and engages you with light banter and comedy, is refreshing and a much-needed change from all the violent cinema we have been seeing in recent times. Watch Kadhalikka Neramillai for the performances and the charming light film that it is.