Once More (2026) Movie Review: Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar’s Heartfelt Tamil Romance Is A Beautiful Second-Chance Love Story

Second-chance romances have always had a special place in Tamil cinema, and Once More joins that beloved tradition with warmth and sincerity. Directed by debutant Vignesh Srikanth and led by Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar in their first pairing together, the film tells the story of a man weighed down by grief who finds unexpected healing when love walks back into his life in a new form. Backed by Hesham Abdul Wahab’s soulful Tamil debut score, Once More is a tender, emotionally rich watch for anyone who believes in love’s ability to mend what’s broken.

Once More follows Raghuvaran, a man still haunted by a painful past romance, whose life changes when the bright and persistent Anjali enters it and slowly begins to heal old wounds. Arjun Das brings a quiet, brooding intensity to Raghu while Aditi Shankar shines in a career-best turn as Anjali, bringing warmth, humor, and subtlety to every frame she’s in. The film’s first half is genuinely delightful, filled with tender, well-observed moments of two people falling into an unlikely connection, all set to Hesham Abdul Wahab’s lovely music. While the second half leans more heavily into the emotional complications of Raghu’s past, the film’s core romance and its lead performances keep the journey engaging and heartfelt from start to finish.

Cast and Crew

Role	Name
Director	Vignesh Srikanth
Writer	Vignesh Srikanth
Producer	Yuvaraj Ganesan (Million Dollar Studios)
Lead Cast	Arjun Das, Aditi Shankar
Supporting Cast	Devadarshini, Sona Olickal, Dravid Selvam, Anusha Prabhu, Chitra Lakshmanan, Prithviraj, Jenson Dhivakar, Rama
Music Director	Hesham Abdul Wahab
Cinematography	Aravind Viswanathan
Editor	Nash
Art Director	Raj Kamal
Costume Designer	Navadevi Rajkumar
Genre	Romance, Drama
Runtime	2 hrs 11 mins
Certificate	UA
Release Date	28 August 2026
Language	Tamil

Plot Summary

Raghuvaran (Arjun Das) is a man who has grown so used to sadness that it has become his comfort zone, a state his counsellor Lavanya (Devadarshini) gently tries to nudge him out of. Into his guarded world walks Anjali (Aditi Shankar), his cheerful college junior, who declares from their very first meeting that their bus-stop encounter was destiny. Undeterred by his emotional walls, Anjali sets out to win him over with warmth, persistence, and unshakeable optimism, even as both families quietly root for the match. As Raghu slowly begins to open up, the shadow of his past relationship with Indra resurfaces, forcing him to choose between clinging to old pain and embracing the present chance at happiness that Anjali offers.

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Actor Performances

Arjun Das as Raghuvaran

Arjun Das brings his trademark brooding intensity to Raghu, embodying a man who has made peace with his own sadness. His restrained, internalized performance gives the character believable emotional weight, and he handles the quieter, more vulnerable beats of Raghu’s healing journey with genuine sincerity.

Aditi Shankar as Anjali

Aditi Shankar is the beating heart of Once More, delivering a warm, effervescent performance that anchors the entire film. Bringing a newfound subtlety to her acting, she makes Anjali’s persistent, sunshine-like presence utterly endearing, and her chemistry with Arjun Das lights up every scene the two share together.

Devadarshini as Lavanya

Devadarshini brings a calm, grounded presence to her role as Raghu’s counsellor, offering a steady voice of reason that helps frame his emotional arc with warmth and empathy.

Sona Olickal as Indra

Sona Olickal takes on the challenging role of Indra, the conflicted figure from Raghu’s past, bringing an earnest energy to a part that carries the emotional burden of the film’s central flashback romance.

Supporting Cast

Dravid Selvam, Anusha Prabhu, Chitra Lakshmanan, Prithviraj, Jenson Dhivakar, and Rama round out the ensemble with committed performances that add texture and warmth to the film’s family and college-life moments, helping build the believable world around Raghu and Anjali’s romance.

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Technical Craft

Direction

Debutant director Vignesh Srikanth shows a confident hand at staging tender, intimate romance, particularly in the film’s first half, where small gestures and quiet exchanges are given room to breathe. His writing finds charm in unconventional touches, like setting a first date at Moore Market instead of the usual café, and he uses visual symbolism, such as a slowly healing hand, to represent Raghu’s emotional journey.

Cinematography

Aravind Viswanathan’s cinematography captures the film’s romantic beats with a soft, inviting visual warmth, giving the Chennai backdrops and everyday locations an intimate, lived-in feel that suits the story’s gentle tone.

Music

Hesham Abdul Wahab, making his Tamil debut, delivers a bright, feel-good score that becomes one of the film’s biggest strengths, elevating the first half’s romantic momentum and giving the love story an extra emotional lift.

Editing

Editor Nash keeps the narrative flowing smoothly through the film’s tender early portions, maintaining a breezy pace that mirrors the ease of Raghu and Anjali’s growing bond.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Aditi Shankar’s warm, subtle, career-elevating performance as Anjali
• Arjun Das’s understated, emotionally grounded portrayal of Raghu
• Hesham Abdul Wahab’s bright and memorable musical score
• A charming, well-written first half full of tender, relatable romantic moments
• Thoughtful symbolic touches, like the recurring motif of a healing hand
• Unconventional, refreshing setting choices for key romantic scenes

Weaknesses:

• The flashback romance with Indra feels less compelling than the present-day story
• Pacing dips in the second half after Anjali’s extended absence from the narrative
• The past-romance track leans on telling rather than showing key emotional beats

Final Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars

Once More is a warm, well-performed romantic drama that succeeds thanks to its endearing lead pairing and a genuinely tender first half. Aditi Shankar’s luminous performance and Hesham Abdul Wahab’s beautiful score make this second-chance love story well worth watching for fans of heartfelt Tamil romances.

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