Every actor aspires to become a mass hero as quickly as possible. One-film old Arulnidhi is no exception and tries his hand at action.  Udhayan sticks religiously to the overused masala film recipe that we are accustomed to. Produced by Prabhakaran of Muthamizh Padaipagam, the film marks the directorial debut of Chaplin and newbie Pranitha, fresh from the Telugu film industry. Udhayan is predictable and has nothing extraordinary to offer.

Vasanth (Arulnidhi) is a ‘Chellam’ for everyone in his apartment and loved for his good behavior. He has a picture-perfect life with a good job, a jovial friend (Santhanam) and an affectionate girlfriend Priya (Pranitha), who falls in love with him at first sight, impressed by his decency.  When everything seems to be proceeding in favor of Vasanth, things take an abrupt turn as two groups of violent hooligans go after him. What unfolds next is a flashback sequence which is the suspense factor paving way for a climax where the hero settles the score.

Since a commercial film banks completely on the power packed performance of an actor, this one misses the mark in places. It must be mentioned that Arulnidhi has the potential, since he has come a long way from his debut film, Vamsam. He is better groomed and his ability to pull off stunts is impressive. But his inexperience is obvious and he needs to hone his skills in the dancing and emoting departments.

Workmanship of Chaplin over screenplay turns out to be a big letdown as every sequence in the drama comes about in a predictable way. The first hour is engrossing for its mixture of romance and comedy with the suspense elements popping up in between.  The encounters between Arulnidhi, Pranitha and her mom are depicted in a lively manner while Santhanam has us laughing with his witty one-liners. His very first track mimicking a narrator in Discovery Channel is hilarious and his encounters with loan defaulters is yet another highlight. Watch out for his ‘Vodka-Rice-Water percentage’ and ‘Ricky Martin-Akon’ dialogues that are comic gems.

Pranitha bears a resemblance to Kajal Agarwal and Gopika (a big advantage) and does her part well. Her facial expressions and mannerisms stand out as major plus but the dubbing is a letdown.  Aashish Vidyarthi performs the role of a roughneck with perfection.

Manikanth Kadri’s music may be described as likeable, but they detract from the proceedings. Credit goes to cinematographer Vijay Milton for his attractive visuals.

Verdict: Overused masala recipe, only for time-pass entertainment lovers.