Idli Kadai Movie Review

Idli Kadai starts off as a simple, feel-good drama revolving around food, but that promise holds only through the first half. The subject itself doesn’t have much of a strong main plot and soon drifts into a B-story, giving the impression of two entirely different films with the same set of characters. In fact, the second half feels like a mash-up of Asuran or Karnan, breaking away from the lighter beginning.

Dhanush’s screen presence and acting remain solid as always. The film features many of his frequent collaborators: Nithya Menon (as in Thiruchitrambalam) is charming and humorous; Samuthrakani (seen in Rajini Murugan) plays a wickedly funny antagonist; Sathyaraj runs a hotel chain called “AFC” and amusingly resembles the KFC founder; Ilavarasu delivers comic support, stepping into the kind of role Vivek used to fill in Dhanush’s films; Rajkiran’s character embodies the thematic heart of the story; Parthiban appears as a police officer whose dislike of people going abroad recalls his character in Vetrikodi; and Arun Vijay plays a spoiled brat with a thin, clichéd arc.

The central conflict comes from Dhanush’s marriage alliance with a wealthy, arrogant family. They are portrayed as cruel, insensitive, and demeaning, humiliating Dhanush and his family to the point that he feels alienated and decides to walk away from the alliance. Their portrayal feels exaggerated and unrealistic, almost as if it could be Dhanush’s subtle dig at personal past experiences.

Despite this unevenness, the film has several high moments, with light humor consistently sprinkled throughout — easily one of its strongest pillars. Compared with films like Ustad Hotel, where Dulquer’s chef character confronts taste, class, and cultural values in food, or The Hundred-Foot Journey, which explores how Indian cuisine can hold its own against French culinary superiority, Idli Kadai had the space to explore meaningful food-related themes. Instead, it leaves that potential untouched and stays on its secondary storyline.

Interestingly, like Ko, this film also has an explicit line about “poetic justice,” but the concept is described incorrectly. Even so, at a time when the industry is crowded with repetitive stories about drugs, crime, guns, and shipping containers, Dhanush’s Idli Kadai stands out as an original and respectable effort. Ultimately, it’s worth watching once in theaters, especially for its humor and dramatic touches.