With less than a month left for release, the trailer of Thalaivan Thalavi has finally dropped, and if first impressions are anything to go by, this could be one of those rare romantic comedies that doesn’t try too hard to be clever but ends up being both charming and grounded.
Starring Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen in the lead, the film already carries weight just by the pairing alone. Their last outing in 19(1)(a) may have been quiet and poetic, but this time they’re going all-in with something lighter, louder, and rooted in rural Tamil flavour.
A Rugged Romance with a Side of Parotta
The trailer opens with the two leads in the middle of a casual (yet strangely intense) squabble, the kind that only comes from characters who know each other too well. The chemistry feels lived-in. Nithya, with her signature expressive eyes and subtle wit, matches Vijay Sethupathi’s grounded, effortless energy line for line. He’s playing a “parotta master” yes, the guy who tosses and flips the flaky South Indian flatbread for a living and trained for the role in real kitchens. It’s a detail you wouldn’t expect, but it adds an odd charm to the character setup.
There’s also the classic village setting, temples, dusty roads, loud families, and even louder relatives. But instead of slipping into a stereotype, the trailer gives the impression that the film might be building something more layered under the humour.
Pandiraj Meets Sethupathi – A First-Time Match
Pandiraj, who’s both writing and directing the film, has always had a knack for telling stories set in small towns and villages. Whether it was Pasanga or Kadaikutty Singam, he’s been able to bring out the emotional layers in family setups without making it feel overdone. This is his space; he knows how to make it work.
What’s interesting this time is that he’s teaming up with Vijay Sethupathi for the first time. At first, the pairing feels unusual. But the more you think about it, the more it clicks. Pandiraj brings the heart, and Sethupathi brings that casual depth he has, this way of making even the smallest scenes feel real. Put them together, and there’s a good chance the film will offer more than just laughs and romance.
Not Just Comedy, There’s Drama Underneath
Yogi Babu makes an appearance too, and while he’s known for bringing the laughs, his scenes here hint at something more than comic relief. One of his dialogues, where he says the two leads are “not normal friends” suggests a relationship that isn’t easy to define. Throw in guns, a wedding procession, and flashes of tension, and it becomes clear that the film might pivot into serious territory when it needs to.
There’s no clear villain shown in the trailer, but there’s some conflict bubbling just beneath the surface. Whether it’s family resistance, caste politics, or personal baggage, the trailer deliberately keeps it vague. And maybe that’s a good thing. It keeps the curiosity alive without giving away the whole plot.
Music, Mood, and the Santosh Narayanan Factor
Santosh Narayanan is behind the music, and the background score already gives the trailer a nice lift. One song, “Pottala Mottaaye,” is already out and has picked up steam online. It’s got that folksy, slightly quirky vibe that fits perfectly with what the trailer is trying to sell, a film that’s not afraid to blend emotion with playfulness.
Visually, the film looks polished, not flashy, but clean and confident. Sathya Jyothi Films is backing this, so there’s scale without going overboard. The colours are warm, the mood is cheerful, but there’s always a sense that things could shift at any moment. That kind of tone-balancing is hard to pull off, but the trailer seems to manage it well.
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What to Expect on July 25
Thalaivan Thalavi doesn’t look like it’s trying to reinvent the wheel, and maybe that’s exactly why it works. With a strong cast, a director who knows his setting inside out, and music that adds flavour instead of noise, the film might turn out to be a wholesome watch for audiences who want a story with both heart and humour.
Will it live up to the expectations? That remains to be seen. But if the trailer is anything to go by, Thalaivan Thalavi might just end up being one of those films that wins you over without trying too hard, the kind that lingers a bit longer than you expected.
Writer – Subham Choudhary