‘Dude’ movie review: Pradeep Ranganathan’s goofiness powers this Gen-Z love tale

Comparisons can be frustrating.

If you are Pradeep Ranganathan or Sai Abhyankkar, it can be all the more frustrating.

The young actor – fresh off the success of films like Love Today and Dragon – has been compared with another senior star, probably because his expressions and body language remind you of the star in his younger days. The young musician – fresh off the success of his independent music singles, ‘Katchi Sera’, ‘Aasa Kooda’ and ‘Vizhi Veekura’ – has been compared with another musical rockstar, probably because of the sound in his music and overall personality.

These two characters get together in Dude to dish out a fairly engaging romantic comedy.

Dude opens with the shot of a wedding hall, with the popular 1990 Rajinikanth track ‘Nooru Varusham’ playing in the background. A girl called Amudha is getting married, and Agan (Pradeep Ranganathan) is standing in queue to congratulate her.

She stares at him nervously. He stares back. What follows is a firecracker of a start – quite fittingly, as this film opens to audiences for Deepavali 2025 – with Pradeep doing things that are quite…Pradeep-like. His goofiness – an USP, if you are a fan, and a source of irritation, if you are not – lights up the screen everytime he arrives, and this opening stretch is a testament to his screen presence.

What he says to Amudha is inconsequential, because that opening scene serves but as an introduction into the main female protagonist – Kayal (Mamitha Baiju). Rich and privileged – she is the daughter of a wealthy minister played by Sarath Kumar – Kayal is as integral to the story as Agan is.

And so, we get a tour inside the hearts of Agan and Kayal, who are relatives by birth and friends from childhood. They have been best buddies and see each other almost every day – in fact, Kayal is also part of the ‘surprise party’ business run by Agan. But somewhere, friendship blossoms into love… and you know where Dude is headed.

Any film about the tribulations of the heart is bound to drag a little – and that Dude does, majorly in the second half, when, at one point of time, we wish the leads would make up their minds about each other. But that’s not to take away even a bit from their performances. While Pradeep scores not only in the humour part but also in the emotional sequences, Mamitha displays a range of expressions, especially when she is caught in a tug-of-war like situation during a wedding. Their chemistry is what makes Dude tick.

Pradeep Ranganathan in ‘Dude’

Where Dude misses out unlike Pradeep’s previous hit, Dragon, directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, or even Love Today, is its writing of the characters other than the protagonists. Sarath Kumar’s arc has promise initially, but a crucial detail reveal and subsequent change of heart during an extreme circumstance seems all too convenient and sudden. The dip into the emotional quotient in the second half, too, is a tad jarring for an otherwise lively film.

Cinematographer Niketh Bommi’s frames keep up with the lead’s oscillating minds, filling most sequences with colourful props, going well with the film’s intention to target Gen-Z members among the audience. The camerawork in the popular ‘Oorum Blood’ track is a nice ode to live locations in modern-day Chennai, something that Tamil cinema usually steers clear of, considering practical complications and curious crowds. Sai Abhyankkar – the man behind the music – delivers tunes that naturally fit the milieu and situations; his ‘Oorum Blood’ tracks (the film version and the unplugged version) are massive earworms.

Like him or not, Dude does mark Pradeep Ranganathan’s arrival on the big stage. He might have recently refuted being the chosen one to direct the proposed Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan biggie, and that might just be a blessing in disguise for his future as an actor and star. Are we all screaming ‘Doooode’ yet?