Kaadhal Koattai's theme definitely seems to be coming back with a vengeance right now! We have had a string of movies with the theme of the hero and heroine looking for each other (Jay Jay was the latest one) and Unnai Paartha Naal Mudhal, dubbed from the Telugu Okariki Okaru, is the latest addition to the list. Thankfully, the flimsy, familiar story is propped up by the likeable lead pair and some well-picturised song sequences.

Kameshwaran(Srikanth), on a trip to Kasi with his grandmother, meets Subbulakshmi(Aarti), who is going to her village, when both their trains are halted at the same place due to a storm. The two develop feelings for each other but before they get the chance to convey the same to the other, Subbulakshmi's grandfather takes her back. So they are separated with no information about how to get in touch with each other.

The scenario for movies with this storyline has become distressingly familiar. We have the hero and heroine meeting and getting close, then getting separated and landing up in different geographical locations and looking for each other with some close calls where they cross each other's paths, with the search getting dragged on due to some misunderstanding. This movie too follows it to the letter. Srikanth and Aarthi meet when their trains breakdown, Aarthi ends up going to America and the two of them fail to capitalize on opportunities to discover each other because they have exchanged false names. But the familiar story arc can be condoned since the movie is an import from Andhra, where the story might not have been seen before.

Unnai Paartha Naal Mudhal does reasonably well in establishing the relationship between Srikanth and Aarti. The situation of getting stuck in near a forest helps in ensuring that they actually end up spending time with each other before falling in love instead of the usual love-at-first-sight scenario. So their frantic search after they are separated is more believable. There are also sequences like their stay at the retired man's house and their night spent alone in the forest that help keep the story moving.

The movie does most things right during the search also. By surrounding Srikanth and Aarti with practical, reasonable family members, the movie avoids slipping into the usual sequences where they are forced into marriages with others. There are a few coincidences and close misses as expected but the screenplay is developed fairly well, allowing us to overlook them. But the movie doesn't know when to stop and is atleast a good 20 minutes too long. The last few reels feel incredibly stretched and the number of false climaxes tests our patience.

Srikanth is likeable as the loverboy and our familiarity with him helps us forget that we are watching a dubbed movie. Aarti looks pretty and performs well too. A comedy track with Ramesh Khanna has been added for the tamil version but one feels the movie would have been better off without it. Song sequences have been picturised imaginatively with the first duet between the lead pair and the Subbulakshmi... song, where Srikanth searches for Aarti, being the top picks.