Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam OTT release: Why are fans brutally slamming Dhanush’s directorial?

Actor Dhanush’s third directorial venture, Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK), is now streaming on Prime Video in India after its theatrical release in February.

While fans were curious to see what the Raayan director had in store, the response on social media has been far from kind — with some netizens calling it “probably the worst film of the year already.”

Following his directorial debut Pa Paandi and the action-packed Raayan, Dhanush returned to helm a coming-of-age romantic comedy with NEEK. But early reactions online after its OTT release suggest the film hasn’t resonated well with audiences. Several viewers expressed disappointment over the storytelling and lack of emotional depth, with one user writing:

“Dhanush’s third film as director is a massive letdown. Couldn’t connect with any of the characters.” Another said: “NEEK felt like a rough first draft of a film that never got refined. Painful to sit through.”

The film introduces Pavish Narayan in his acting debut, alongside Mathew Thomas and Anikha Surendran. The plot follows a young chef who, just before agreeing to an arranged marriage, decides to attend his ex-lover’s wedding to see if he’s truly over her. The cast also includes Rabiya Khatoon, Priya Prakash Varrier, Venkatesh Menon, Ramya Ranganathan, and senior actors Saranya Ponvannan and Sarathkumar.

A segment of fans also expressed frustration that the Telugu dubbed version of NEEK is not available on Prime Video in India yet, limiting accessibility for a broader audience. The movie is yet to be released in the UAE region on any OTT platform.