Chinnaa takes over the crown from Anbe Sivam for being the most un-Sundar.C-like Sundar.C film ever! Confusion, chaos and comedy, atleast one of which is always a trademark of his films, are nowhere to be seen here. Though he has tackled other genres(Unnai Kann Theduthey was a murder mystery while Giri was a masala film), comedy has been a constant fixture in his films. But not here. Chinnaa is a psychological thriller. Sundar as always employs cliches and scenes from other, much better films in the genre but even that can take him only so far and he loses grip over the screenplay completely towards the end.

Gayatri(Sneha) has come to Rameswaram to do research on some rocks(pavazha paaraigal) and runs into Chinnaa(Arjun), the local rowdy. Sensing a human being under the skin of the rowdy, she tries to reform him but Chinnaa mistakes her sympathy and attention to be love. Circumstances separate them but Chinna is not about to forget her or let her go that easily.

Chinnaa has one of the best opening scenes I have seen. The incident that opens the film is something you rarely see on screen and succeeds in creating an interest in knowing the sequence of events that led to it. But the film then settles into a familiar story of a rowdy and his transformation for the woman he loves. The only comedy occurs during these portions and is provided by two of the unlikeliest suspects - Mansur Ali Khan and Ponnambalam. Their antics on the boat(Mansur's plan to kiss the tribal girl and the way it backfires is very funny) and their reactions to Sneha's attempts to soften Arjun offer the few laughs in the film.

The film turns into a psychological thriller in the second half, a genre which I'm not sure Sundar.C has ever tackled. His inexperience is quite obvious. There is no real tension in the proceedings and we are never sure what our feelings are supposed to be towards the main character. And as always, Sundar turns to Hollywood films for inspiration. Though not as bad as Rishi, Chinnaa has scenes copied from atleast a couple of popular Hollywood flicks(I noticed scenes from Cape Fear and Jurassic Park).

Chinnaa raises the fear that it is never going to end! I talked in the Ullam Ketkume review about the line between generating suspense and irritation during the climax. Sundar.C has created a whole new area beyond irritation and crossed the line too here! The film has so many false climaxes that there is genuine joy when the film really ends and the end credits start rolling. Considering how the film ends, joy is the one emotion that Sundar would not have wanted!

Arjun tackles a role with some negative shades. Though he doesn't add anything new to it, he is good and believable. Maybe because she is always either in trouble or worrying about getting in trouble, Sneha looks kinda weary and a bit old. Her costume choices in the song sequences are really bad. Vikramaditya, the hero of Whistle doesn't get to do much until the climax.