Youth review: Ken Karunaas's school rom-com is teen drama done right

Youth movie review: Director Ken Karunaas's school romance, starring himself, Anishma and Meenakshi, is a wholesome feel-good drama about teenagers. The film has the right doses of comedy, teen romance and emotions.

In Short

• Youth is a fun, harmless Tamil teen romance by debutant Ken Karunaas
• Story follows Class 10 student Praveen's school love and family ties
• Film blends school romance with genuine family emotions effectively

Let's face the truth. It has been ages since Tamil cinema produced a fun teen romance. Such films do exist, but those that release either fail to capture everyone's attention or feature characters who barely pass for teenagers. Into that gap steps Ken Karunaas's debut directorial, Youth. Does it nail the brief of a fun school rom-com? For the most part, yes.

Praveen (Ken Karunaas) is a Class 10 student besotted with Tamil cinema and convinced that his one true purpose in life is to find a love that transcends school, survives college, and ends in marriage. He shares a fractious relationship with his father Unnikrishnan (Suraj Venjaramoodu), which is compensated entirely by the boundless affection of his mother Saroja (Devadarshini).

One day, while being made to stand outside class as punishment — a badge of honour among a certain kind of student — Praveen meets Preshika (Meenakshi Dinesh), an equally 'outstanding' student from the neighbouring class. Soon, three girls show interest in him. What follows over two hours and 22 minutes is a coming-of-age story that is equal parts funny, tender, and familiar.

For those who have followed Tamil cinema, Ken Karunaas is not a new face. Son of actor-politician Karunaas and singer-TV personality Grace, he has appeared alongside Dhanush in Vetri Maaran's Asuran and Viduthalai Part 2, and in Venky Atluri's Vaathi. With Youth, the 24-year-old steps into Kollywood as a filmmaker — and has chosen his subject wisely. A school drama built on nostalgia and romance plays to his strengths both in front of and behind the camera.

Youth does not set out to break boundaries, and it makes no pretence of doing so. It is a safe, generic, feel-good school drama with the right doses of love, emotion, and comedy. When these elements are handled well, a film can work even on familiar terrain, and Youth largely succeeds on that front. Everything you expect from a school drama is present — teenagers who fall in love over the smallest gestures, friends who cannot take no for an answer, parent(s) cast as villains, FLAMES as the highest form of romantic validation, and rival school gangs. The film wears its genre conventions proudly.

What works in its favour is how it weaves school romance into genuine family sentiment without tipping into melodrama. The school portions are raw and energetic, though it must be said that some jokes veer into body-shaming and racist territory — played for laughs among teenagers, but worth noting rather than simply excusing.

The film's most quietly affecting thread, however, is the relationship between Praveen's parents. There is nothing flashy about it — just two people who respect each other, acknowledge their flaws, and choose to show up for one another anyway. It is what love actually looks like, and the film is wise enough to let it breathe.

When Unnikrishnan, in his warmly accented Tamil, asks his wife whether their son will change after a difficult experience, it lands. And when he quietly asks her whether she is happy with him and whether he has been a good husband, it is impossible not to feel for a middle-class father who calls himself a failure. These are the moments that elevate Youth beyond its genre.

Ken Karunaas has a boy-next-door charm that is entirely natural and difficult to manufacture, and his performance leans into it effectively. Anishma and Meenakshi Dinesh are both convincing as schoolgirls with distinct personalities, each bringing something different to their roles. But it is Suraj Venjaramoodu and Devadarshini who leave the deepest impression. Despite limited screen time, their characters give the film its emotional backbone and its warmth.

Cinematographer Viki's visuals are fresh and vibrant, in keeping with the film's youthful energy, and GV Prakash's songs and background score do what they need to — lifting the emotional moments without overpowering them.

Youth is not a film that digs deep or asks difficult questions. It is a breezy, affectionate drama about teenagers who are unserious about life until life gets serious with them. It stumbles in places, relies on convenience in others, and lets a few jokes slide that it probably should not. But it strikes enough of the right notes — and finds enough genuine heart in the margins — to make it a worthwhile watch.

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