‘Love Insurance Kompany’ movie review: Pradeep Ranganathan’s ‘LIK’-able futuristic rom-com loses its edge

You are presented with an irresistible offer that could change your life altogether — an AI-powered mobile application learns everything about you to help not only find love but also ‘protect’ the relationship through surveillance and a system of credits. The alternative is to follow your instincts, trust your heart, embrace people with their imperfections, and hope everything works out for the best — basically, like how humans have always survived. Which option would you take?

In an age where dating apps and social media platforms have become the primary avenues for meeting people, the possibility of such an app is very real. In his latest film, Love Insurance Kompany, writer-director Vignesh Shivan attempts to show the perils of such extreme dependence on technology and that no robot can fully understand the wonders of the human heart.

To show this, he constructs a futuristic megalopolis where technological advancements dictate how humans should lead their lives. Vignesh Shivan’s Chennai of 2040 is a neon-drenched technopolis with holographic signboards on towering skyscrapers, exquisite public spaces, and state-of-the-art mobile and mobility innovations. The Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, for instance, is a high-tech utopian medical centre with air ambulances. Robots and mobile applications are so entwined with human lives that you can even get a drone to deliver condoms to your door — and everyone is addicted to the alluring escape that smartphones provide. Ruling this world is Love Insurance Kompany (LIK), a next-generation social-media-cum-dating-app founded by Suriyan (SJ Suryah). The app lets users connect, track their relationship status, and offers tips and advice, and even surveils them with a wearable ring.

SJ suryah in a still from ‘Love Insurance Kompany’
| Photo Credit:
Sony Music South/YouTube

The voice of LIK is provided by a young man named Vaibhav Vasudevan a.k.a. Vibe Vassey (Pradeep Ranganathan), a youngster who lives a carefree life since he doesn’t even own a mobile phone. Vassey is the son of Anbukadal (Seeman), a man who runs a safe commune called Organic World, which is essentially a rehab for cyber criminals and those suffering from nomophobia. Everything changes for Vassey when he bumps into a beauty named Dheema (Krithi Shetty); his heart skips a beat, literally, and Vassey falls in love. We soon realise that Dheema is a popular vlogger and influencer, who, owing to her single mother’s avoidant relationship, grew up with the comforts of smartphones and social media. Dheema places her complete trust in LIK to find her soulmate, while Vassey shares his father’s disbelief in gadgets. Does Vassey get his lady love? What happens when Suriyan’s LIK plays spoilsport in Vassey’s romantic quest?

Right off the bat, Vignesh sells the many pleasures of seeing a futuristic Chennai with easy conviction. You casually come across a poster of Thalaivar 189 and Mission Impossible 14, or a signboard that reads Periyar Cyber City; Indian economy has grown to such an extent that an unemployed American can be seen selling umbrellas on Chennai streets; there’s a Hollywood sign-inspired Kollywood monument on St Thomas Mount, and a passing detail that Vijay’s son has directed Ajith Kumar’s son in Badri 2. Such moments offer easy, throw-logic-to-wind laughs and Vignesh packs as many details as possible. What might irk one, though, is how the camera constantly seems to be in a rush, never quite pausing on one of these futuristic details.

A welcome surprise is how organic everything appears. For instance, the need for a space like the Organic World gets justified and grounded emotionally with a flashback about how Anbukadal lost his daughter to mobile phone addiction. It’s also nice to see Vignesh in his element. This is a filmmaker who believes in saccharine, fantastical ideas of romance — like love-at-first-sight and grand gestures. In LIK, Vassey suffers from a heart attack — literally — when he first meets Dheema. Even typing that should have induced cringe, but believe me when I say that Vignesh Shivan sells the idea with terrible ease. The meet-cute is staged with an old-school charm, painting the leads in angelic glow, and one cannot help but smile knowing that there exists a filmmaker who had the conviction that this would work in 2026. Shortly after Vassey is admitted to a hospital, we are introduced to the core theme of the film — that finding your soulmate is in the hands of the universe, and not depended on an app.

LIK has a harmless set-up that’s quite simple for its own good. The colourful backdrops and eccentric characters all keep you in splendid company; however, the film sadly suffers from the post-intermission blues that seem to have struck Tamil cinema of late. The film sees an apparent dip post-interval, when Vassey vows to bring down Suriyan’s empire, and LIK quickly loses its rhythm. Vignesh has always shown an affinity for taking on challenging topics. In his previous film, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, the director attempted to explore the conundrum of a man in love with two women at the same time, and, like in that case, here too, the director struggles to delve deeper as he merely offers a superficial commentary. Ultimately, LIK ends up only teasing a Black Mirror-esque prodding on why robots cannot replace human endeavours.

Krithi Shetty in a still from ‘Love Insurance Kompany’
| Photo Credit:
Sony Music South/YouTube

There’s also a visible struggle to find ways to wrap it all up. A fight sequence is a trite resolution tactic, and it’s sad to know that even in a film set in 2040, we still get grand exposés to the public as a pre-climax. The whole characterisation of Suriyan stands on unstable grounds as we never quite understand what had driven him to despise humans so much. Vignesh seems to have missed a cue to offer Suriyan a credible backstory, something that interestingly helps Anbukadal, who is on the opposing side of the spectrum.

What keeps the film going through such rough patches are the vivid frames of Ravi Varman, an excellent score by Anirudh Ravichander, and the able performances of the lead stars. Anirudh’s chartbuster album helps set the mood, and thankfully, ‘Enakenna Yaarum Illaye’, the hit track from the long-dropped project, Aakko, finally gets some good screen time in LIK. While SJ Suryah does what he does best, Pradeep once again impresses with his many Gen Z-coded mannerisms and body language. Krithi Shetty, on the other hand, surprises with her performance. Her pretty eyes hide the weight of having lived a lonely life with an emotionally distant mother, of never having seen what genuine affection means outside the digital world, and of being forced to step out of her comfort zone for love.

In the midst of everything happening in LIK, there’s a love story of a man who had been in an accident (played by Abhishek Raaja), which is shown from two distinct perspectives to question the idea that personal surveillance could help solve infidelity. An arc around an ice cream seller (VTV Ganesh) questions the idea of love that is generally considered acceptable. Such writing is the strong suit of Vignesh Shivan, who, despite failing to finish his film on a high note, delivers a simple, entertaining and casual rom-com that feels human.

In other words, a film “made entirely by humans” is still worth watching, for there’s imperfection, craftsmanship, a genuine search for truth, and a beating heart. No robot can replace that.

Love Insurance Kompany is currently running in theatres

Published – April 10, 2026 07:30 pm IST