‘DNA’ Movie Review | Atharvaa and Nimisha Sajayan anchor a tense but flawed thriller

What would you do if you suspected your newborn had been swapped just minutes after birth? That troubling question drives the tense drama in 'DNA', directed by Nelson Venkatesan, who earlier helmed 'Farhana'.
The film follows Anand, played by Atharvaa, and Divya, played by Nimisha Sajayan. Divya is absolutely convinced that the baby handed to her in the hospital is not hers. Anand is reluctant to believe her at first, but he soon joins forces with the local police in a desperate attempt to find the truth. This search forms the spine of 'DNA' and gives the film its urgent, gripping pace.

What makes the story intriguing is not just the mystery but the couple at its centre. Anand and Divya are far from the typical pair usually seen in Tamil cinema. Divya lives with Borderline Personality Disorder, a condition that people around her casually dismiss as 'madness'. Anand, meanwhile, is a recovering alcoholic who rebuilt his life after a painful family intervention.

One of the impressive aspects of Nelson Venkatesan’s direction is his effort to portray Divya with nuance. He avoids the usual 'quirky but lovable' trope often attached to characters with mental health conditions. However, the film occasionally undermines this sensitivity with lines such as 'she had the issue but everything became normal after marriage', and repeated references to her as a 'loosu ponnu' (mad girl). These moments leave her character caught in a frustrating contradiction, progressive in parts, yet reduced to cliches in others.

The pacing of the film is brisk, which suits the urgency of the situation. Every passing day is a nightmare for parents who fear their child is gone, and that sense of time ticking away keeps the narrative moving. Yet the film also leans on familiar melodramatic beats and genre tropes, which dilute some of its bolder choices.

There is a noticeable emphasis on Anand’s stunt sequences, and some of these could have been trimmed since the heart of the story lies in the search for the missing baby rather than his heroics. Where the film truly shines is in Anand’s investigation, the way he gradually uncovers a network of criminals and killers involved in baby swapping is gripping.

What ultimately holds 'DNA' back is the lack of a convincing emotional connection between Anand and Divya. This crucial thread feels underdeveloped. Divya’s Borderline Personality Disorder, introduced early on, has little impact on the plot later, and their relationship is sketched out almost entirely through a song. The story quickly jumps to the phase where they already have a baby, leaving the audience with little time to invest in their bond. As a result, viewers may feel distant from the characters, which lessens the impact of the central mystery.

The strongest parts of 'DNA' lie in its central mystery and the way it flirts with darker, riskier ideas. Yet the film stops short of exploring the emotional and psychological depth it sets up. By rushing through the couple’s bond and leaning on familiar genre beats, it misses the chance to deliver a truly layered thriller. 'DNA' keeps you invested in the investigation and the unsettling world it uncovers, but the lack of a fully realised relationship at its core leaves it feeling less affecting than it could have been. It is a gripping premise that lingers, even as you wish the film had cut deeper.
(The movie is streaming on JioHotstar)