Starring: Jai, Anjali, Sharwanand, Ananya Direction: SaravananMusic: Sathya
Production: A R Murugadoss, Fox Star Studios
In a life of uncertainty, the only thing you can be certain about is the present. Anything can happen, anywhere and anytime! Is that what the director wanted to say? You wonder after having seen the movie. Engeyum Eppodhum has been more keenly watched than other movies of similar stature because of two factors; the debut of A.T. Murugadoss as producer and entry of Fox Star into Kollywood. You would expect two such powerful brands to go in for a movie that proclaimed their might. Instead, they have stumped the audience by choosing a simple and instantly relatable tale told in a very unassuming manner.
Engeyum Eppodhum is about two love stories that run parallel to each other. Parallels do not converge, at least not in finite space. But, here the parallel love stories converge at a journey and it is all the design of destiny.
The houses of Jai, a tool fitter, and Anjali, a nurse, are on the same street. Jai has a special place in his heart for Anjali, but is too shy to tell. But, Anjali is not shy to ask him the reason behind all the stares that he gives her. It is not long before they are in love. If it was the case of neighbors falling in love here, the pair of Sharvanand and Ananya is brought together by a chance acquaintance. A large share of the script is devoted to the growth of these romances, with the Jai-Anjali pair being given a bit more time than the other. Had it been candyfloss romance, things would have got weary for the audience. But, the director has kept it all real without making it mundane. Some of the instances where Anjali tests Jai's commitment towards the relationship are pretty enjoyable. For most parts, it is Anjali's performance as the effervescent and bold girl that keeps the screen lively.
The director has also shown all the minute and amusing things that happen during a bus journey, the instant friendships that develop, the requests for a window/aisle seat etc. All these simple, but very likeable happenings keep us in a very pleasant frame of mind. We do not even feel that nothing much has happened in terms of the story; no twists, no suspense or anything cinematic.
But, that is where the director delivers his ace. Just when you are prepared for a breezy end to this happy tale of romances, he delivers the twist. It is only then that you recollect that he had hinted towards such a twist right at the beginning of the film. The event is so much against the tone of the script, that it leaves you as surprised as the characters in the film would have been. Yet, it is not an unbelievable or exaggerated spike in the script inserted out of compulsion. It all looks like the hand of destiny, which is why we will be able to relate to the emotions of the characters as they pass through it.
The movie is heavily dependent on the spontaneity of the artistes to deliver that very natural feel. In that respect, Anjali comes out on top, redefining the portrayal of a bold and bubbly girl, while Jai looks every bit the innocent and naïve young man. The Ananya-Sharvanand duo is a bit sidelined. Ananya does make an impression, but Sharvanand does not get enough time to assert himself.
The technical front can claim to have been toned down to maintain the simple nature of the script. Mostly shot outdoors, the film does not carry any extravagant images, even during songs; the montages have been well handled. A couple of tunes by Satya linger on for a while.
Engeyum Eppodhum is a film which has simplicity as its biggest strength. There is immense likeability in the way the characters have been fleshed out, as common people, and the romance becomes endearing for the same reason. And, that is also the reason that our emotions ebb and flow with them when destiny plays its hand. Cinema usually is built around antagonists and protagonists. Here, there are neither, just normal people, their lives, love and destiny. And, there are a couple of messages effectively put forth at the end.
What i say: A loveable tale of commoners and their destiny!
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