More could’ve been achieved in this laudable attempt but the director’s willingness to not challenge the cliches is very much evident. Nevertheless, “Naaigal Jaakirathai” is entertaining but beware of the formulaic presentation.

However, despite these inspirations, there are quite a few genuinely enjoyable moments in the first half of the film, one in which it hasn’t yet stepped into hero-has-to-rescue-heroine territory.

Naaigal Jakkirathai is a sensibly made film with a dog as a prime character which is a rarity in Tamizh cinema. It could have been a riveting thriller had some more depth been added to the characters.