Dharala Prabhu movie review: A Vicky Donor remake done just right

Dharala Prabhu movie review: The Harish Kalyan starrer is a remake of Ayushmann Khurrana’s Vicky Donor but does not recreate the original, scene by scene.

Dharala Prabhu
Director: Krishna Marimuthu
Cast: Harish Kalyan, Vivek and Tanya Hope

Dharala Prabhu stars Harish Kalyan, Vivek and Tanya Hope in main roles.

Krishna Marimuthu’s Dharala Prabhu, the Tamil remake of Vicky Donor, is one of those remakes that doesn’t tamper with the soul of the original but at the same time presents a refreshing take on the core idea, almost working as an original film. Honestly, when the Tamil remake of Vicky Donor was announced, little did I expect something that could do justice to the original, but Dharala Prabhu emerges as a testament to how a remake should be made, and the entire team should be proud of what they’ve achieved.

A scene from Dharala Prabhu.

Dharala Prabhu is not one of those remakes that blindly recreate the original scene by scene. It’s evident from the little but crucial changes made to suit Tamil sensibilities that effort has gone into the project to make it appealing, especially in an industry that still thrives on commercial potboilers headlined by stars. Unlike the original, the central character in Dharala Prabhu has a purpose in life. Harish Kalyan plays Prabhu Govind, and we see him in search of a job in sports quota. He’s a local football player and he’s portrayed as someone with good habits even when he’s around friends who are smoking and drinking. When doctor Kannadasan (Vivek) is on the lookout for a healthy sperm donor for his fertility centre, he comes across Prabhu and immediately realizes that he fits the bill. The rest of the story is about the aftermath of Prabhu’s decision to turn sperm donor.

 

One of the reasons why Dharala Prabhu works, despite being a remake, is in its ability to find humour in the most commonplace. Some of the stretches involving Vivekh are absolute riot, and it’s a solid comeback for the veteran comedian who plays a vital part in making this film unimaginably entertaining. While scenes featuring Harish Kalyan and his family are not as effective as they were in the original, they still work to an extent. It’s very rare for a remake to work wholesomely these days but Dharala Prabhu is an exception, and it couldn’t have been made better.

Harish Kalyan and Vivek play major roles in making Dharala Prabhu a screaming entertainer with a heartwarming message. Initially, one does get the feeling that Vivek goes overboard, but thankfully his histrionics work after a point. Harish looks confident in his role and he delivers a very measured performance. Tanya Hope, on the other hand, turns out to be a revelation while delivering a very quiet and nuanced performance. She plays a divorcee, and she portrays the hollowness in her life beautifully very early on.

Dharala Prabhu, as a remake, gets a lot of things right and sets a very right precedent for future remakes. Krishna Marimuthu, going by the way he’s treated the subject of sperm donation, looks like a very exciting filmmaker.

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