80s Buildup

“80s Buildup" is a 2023 Tamil horror-comedy film directed and written by Kalyaan and produced under Studio Green. Starring Santhanam and Radhika Preethi, it incorporates comedy, sentiment, and fantasy into a shaky but engaging plot.

The story follows “Kathir” and his sister “Manja Kili”, members of a wealthy Zamindar family, who constantly challenge each other. Their grandfather, who went by the name of "Naathamuni," has swallowed the stolen diamonds by accident and is killed in a freak accident. Just as Naathamuni is about to leave his body, "Yama," the God of Death, offers Naathamuni five wishes. Meanwhile, a gang of diamond smugglers are on the hunt for the diamonds hidden in Naathamuni's body.

Kathir, a Kamal Haasan fanboy, is romancing Devi while trying to outsmart his sister in a wager. However, things get weird when the spirit of Naathamuni starts interfering in the material world, even taking over Kathir's body to make him win battles. Things become more and more out of control when burglars, smugglers, and mistaken identities make a riotous scene at the funeral.

As the corpse of Naathamuni is being stolen by the smugglers, Yama fulfills his last wish and allows him to recover his own body. But not before he gets to meet his lost love in a tragicomical twist of fate. Naathamuni finally surrenders to his fate and dies peacefully.

With quick-witted storytelling, "80s Buildup" is a mix of fantasy, comedy, and retro. Santhanam brings his special brand of comedy, and the outlandish series of events keeps one wondering. The confluence of supernatural concepts and 80s movie cliche brings a certain quirkiness, and thus makes it a relaxed viewing experience for fans of comedy.