I have frequently mentioned that screenplay trumps everything else when it comes to making a movie work. A strong story, a talented cast, a good look - none of these matter when the screenplay doesn't keep us engrossed. But Naayagan proves that a good cast is important too. Its screenplay, though based on a ripped-off story, is fast-paced and clever and keeps us hooked. But the uncharismatic and underwhelming leads prevent the film from being elevated to the level of an intense thriller.

Dr. Sandhya(Sangeetha) is kidnapped from her home by a gang and taken to another location, where she is questioned about her husband's whereabouts. Though the phone in her room is smashed by the gang's leader(Anandraj), she manages to put together enough broken pieces to make random calls. One of her calls reaches Shakti(Ramana), who has his own set of problems since he is on the run after eloping with his uncle's daughter Divya. Initially reluctant, he agrees to help Sandhya and drops the phone off at a police station. The cop Guru(Riteesh) talks to her but is distracted by another problem and so Sandhya has to bank on Shakti again.

Naayagan rips off Cellular just like the recent Vegam but does a much better job of it. In fact, keeping aside the ethical implications of copying without appropriate permission, it does it well enough to offer a few tips to other directors who rip off stories form other language films but have no idea how to adapt it to make it work for Tamil audiences. The film keeps the trajectory intact as Ramana talks to Sangeetha and goes through the steps to help her. But it adds details(how Anandraj identifies her kid, how Riteesh finds out that the woman posing as the doctor is not her, etc.), changes logistics(train station instead of the airport) and introduces new characters(Keerthi Chawla's family) who introduce new complications and so help move the story along. These show that the director put some thought into the film rather than just copying the original scene-by-scene.

The movie throws in a murder mystery to go along with the main track so Riteesh has something to do before jumping in to help Sangeetha. The crimes are heinous abut the movie doesn't devote sufficient attention to it. While the director was able to enhance Cellular's main track, he isn't as successful at handling this original track. Predictably, the two tracks do dovetail but that doesn't improve this track either. It is cinematic(the center of action is supposed to be a building in Adyar but when we see it, it is in the middle of nowhere), the suspense about the ringleader turns out to be a damp squib and the others involved are stock characters. All this leads to a long, rather chaotic climax.

With one track about a kidnapped doctor and another about young girls being murdered, this is just not a movie that lends itself to songs or a comedy track. The director has realized the latter and kept away from a separate comedy track, deriving a few laughs from the gang following Ramana and Keerthi Chawla. But songs pop up at regular intervals and are picturized with little imagination. Riteesh's kuthu number, that comes out of the blue based on a flimsy lead-in, is a particularly hard assault on all our senses. The poor picturization of the songs is surprising since the director shows some visual flair in the rest of the movie. There are some shots(like the one of Sangeetha's maid being murdered) that catch our eye with the camera angles and many of the scenes look quite polished.

Riteesh isn't particularly expressive and his movements seem a little lumbering and slow, whether he is fighting or dancing. Those can be overlooked but when he participates in one of those introduction songs where everyone sings his praises, utters punch dialogs, has most of his actions framed in slo-mo and dances for an out-of-the-blue kuthu song, it gets irritating. Ramana seems more down-to-earth and acts quite naturally. He makes his actions seem logical and is convincing as he goes out of his way to help Sangeetha. Keerthi Chawla has delightful scene as she lets Ramana know her feelings but is relegated to the sidelines after that. Anandraj is adequate as the villain. Pandiarajan gets a few good laughs in a small role as a call-taxi driver.