Santhanam and Surabhi play the protagonist characters in Prem Anand S’s 2023 Tamil comedy-horror film DD Returns, which also stars Redin Kingsley, Maran, Pradeep Rawat, Rajendran, Ramdoss, and many other actors in supporting roles. The film’s cinematography was handled by Dipak Kumar Padhy, and its editing was under the direction of N. B. Srikanth. The soundtracks were created by OfRo, the background music by Daniel B. George, and all of the songs’ lyrics were written by Durai. Under the auspices of RK Entertainment, C. Ramesh Kumar produced this motion picture.
Plot: The Fernandes family is the core of the horror comedy drama DD Returns, which centres on their paranormal experiences. Unknowingly, a band of robbers breaks into the Fernandes’ house after robbing millions of rupees and needing a place to hide. The ghosts are excited to get to work because they have been waiting for someone to play with them. The burglars broke into the house through the one door, but they couldn’t leave until they located the only exit. If they can’t locate the door, they will either be slain by the ghosts or remain trapped inside the mansion forever.
But despite anything the spirits throw at them, Santhanam and his team are not scared of ghosts and easily locate the door and leave the house. The movie’s denouement seemed inevitable, but the trip to get there was the actual drama. The way the protagonists dealt with the ghosts, Santhanam’s comedic timing, and the crew’s handling of the paranormal components were all crucial to the suspense of the movie.
Perfomances: After a few unsuccessful trials, Santhanam is back in his element and doing what comes naturally to him—making fun of ghosts, other artists, etc. However, he has trouble during the action scenes; fortunately, there is just a brief stretch. The movie features many well-known comedians, and fortunately for the movie, most of them have succeeded in making the humour work almost everywhere. Like these artists, Munishkanth, Redin Kingsley, Pazhaya Joke Thangadurai, and Motta Rajendran have all been given an equal opportunity to succeed. Even stuntwoman Dheena’s persona gradually develops into a humorous one, which is delightful to see.
Technicalities: There is only one song, and it still has a strong Parrys Jeyaraj aftertaste. The music in the game segments lifts the mood above the usual horror template themes. The cinematographer did a nice job of keeping a consistent colour scheme throughout, and the maze segments and the library scene are both well captured. By maintaining a strict 2-hour time limit, editing is crisp. Anytime poor VFX is used, higher quality CGI output may have made the movie more visually appealing.
Analysis: The first 20 minutes lay the groundwork by describing the ghostly setting and introducing all the characters and their current situations. Although it currently moves as a mixed bag and lacks any strong stretches, it promises to search for something greater. The movie succeeds in what it sets out to do by creating a few absurdist sections and persuasively connecting more than a dozen of the main characters. The comedy are effective thanks to a clever use of timing in language and practical jokes. The first half is mostly amusing, but there are a few potentially funny spots that fall flat. The concept of having the ghosts say the smoking card and bringing up the Dhillikku Dhuddu connection are just a few examples of the numerous tiny details the director got correctly. The movie’s core substance is also presented in a satisfying way, in addition to the extras.
The premise of levels after levels makes the second part feel like a game show. In this approach, the sequences are varied and the humour is naturally incorporated into the screenplay. There are a few flat areas where the lag is noticeable, but the regular jokes with a smooth narrative flow cover up the little shortcomings. Although there is absolutely no logic, the film precisely follows the conventions of cinema, and nowhere are the spectators treated inanely.
Verdict: The humour mostly succeeds, though there are a few spots where the gags fall flat. has a well-known game hour yet is jam-packed with entertaining components.
Rating : 2/5
