With one romance that develops during a road trip and another that is set in the 80s, Chikku Bukku has two romances that aren't exactly the kind we usually see in Tamil cinema. So its sad that it is unable to to make either of them particularly memorable. Dull and uninvolving, it puts the brakes on Arya, riding high after the successes of Madrasapattinam and Boss Engira Baskaran, having a hat-trick of hits this year.

Arjun(Arya), a DJ, has been born and raised in London while Anu(Shriya) is just wrapping up her MBA at a university there. Both of them are forced to travel to India, Arjun to clear up some issues surrounding his ancestral home and Anu to visit her injured father. The two of them land in the airport on the day of an airline strike and so end up travelling together. Meanwhile, we also learn about Arjun's dad Sekhar's(Arya) romance with Meenal(Preethika) courtesy his diary, which was packed in Arjun's backpack by his grandmother.

Road trips seem to have suddenly become popular in Tamil cinema(Uthama Puthiran, Mynaa and Nandhalala all featured road trips in one form or the other). Chikku Bukku also sends Arya and Shriya on a road trip but it is a rather dull trip. After a somewhat interesting start where Shriya loses her suitcase and cellphone to a couple of clever people, they don't meet any interesting characters on the way. The interactions between the two of them aren't particularly interesting either and when the inevitable romance happens, it seems simply because they were thrown together for a long period of time.

The period setting isn't implemented very effectively. While some sequences make the time period seem like several years before the 80s, others make it seem too modern. The romance between Arya and Preethika here is cliched too as he falls in love at first sight but atleast it has more energy. The segment where Preethika mistakes Arya to be a school official is sweet and the subsequent opposition from Arya's family makes the romance feel more substantial. Still, the love triangle that arises feels familiar as Arya has to choose between love and friendship.

The film does gets it characterizations right. Shriya is shown as non-sentimental right from the beginning when she has no wish to go home to respect her father's wishes. So the fact that she doesn't feel the same way as Arya and the nonchalant way she treats him are in keeping with her character and don't feel contrived. This development finally lends the Arya-Shriya track some weight. The twist here is also nice even if it isn't really a big surprise.

Arya seems to have forgotten that its a romcom and is too serious most of the time. Shriya takes the free-spirited thing too far and hams it up as usual. Preethika is sweet though and shares better chemistry with Arya. Jagan has too little time to raise any laughs while Anoop looks and acts like a loser. Zara Zara... is a catchy number and is probably one of the few places where Arya shows some energy. Karka Karka... is filmed like a music video while Oru Nila... a tad too slow considering the fun atmosphere it takes place in.