Orange Mittai is a refreshing relief from the distressingly long and annoyingly loud and exaggerated Tamil works that one has been bombarded with in recent times. Biju Viswanath keeps his narrative — at least most of the times — tastefully understated.

The film wraps up quickly with a running time of just 1 hour 40 minutes. However, though Biju starts off interestingly and the subtle humor is enjoyable, it loses its steam midway when the film meanders to the segment of father son relationship. A taut screenplay with more solid dialogues would have taken the film to next level.

This bitter-sweet take on the extremely complex and often difficult father-son relationship is very relatable. Sethupathi and Thilak communicate volumes with their silences and by the end, you’re as invested in their relationship as they are. This was Ramesh Thilak’s first lead role, but it certainly won’t be his last.

Orange Mittaiis a crisp film with less melodrama and some genuine feel good moments while a little bit extra effort on the characterization and writing, it would have made a remarkable attempt.

The film is basically a road movie. It’s also a drama about fathers and sons. The title — mercifully unexplained — may refer to candy but the film is a quiet ode to the bittersweet life.