'Eththan' (Tamil, Masala)
Director: L Suresh
Cast: Vimal, Sanusha, Jayprakash, Sarojith, Pragathi,Mayilsami
Set in Kumbakonam, Ethan’s plot centers around Satya, a youth who dreams of setting up his own business. Cheating everyone for money with his smooth talk and sob stories, Satya loses everything he ever had. Ill-managed business and ignorance of the same brings him down drastically. His detachment with the rest of the world and callousness towards his creditors bring much shame and embarrassment to his family. However, he uses every trick possible to evade his creditors.
Realization and redemption comes in only when one of his initial thoughtless acts backfire and he finds himself entangled in the affairs of Pandian, a man on the wrong side of the law. Chased by Pandian’s men, it’s Chennai where the finale has been shot. Post their engaging ‘Kalavani’, producer Nazir and actor Vimal have come together once again for this flick. In this film too, they have tried taking the road less travelled to make a different film but fails in doing so.
The film happens to be the breezy, feel-good sorts, and might be loved by the family audience. It has been scripted and directed by debutante L Suresh, under the guidance of Balu Mahendra. The initial scenes of the film show Satya busy tricking people for money so that he could start a business of his own.
With effortless ease, Satya manages to melt hearts owing to his fake stories and amasses as much money as he can. However, his wit and cleverness allows him to escape each time he is caught by the creditors, which builds the comic factor in the movie. Satya’s family consists of a mother who smiles through all her son’s infractions and a father, who is utterly disappointed with his son.
Jayprakash enacts his role perfectly, the father-son encounters have been brought out beautifully and forms the realistic and interesting bits of the film.
However, Satya’s sensitive side comes to surface when he steals Selvi’s (played by Sanusha) gold chain to help a friend save his father’s life. To see the super responsive side of this otherwise callous and detached guy who never acknowledged the trouble he caused, seems quite out of character.
The narration is slow, monotonous and it doesn’t speed up until the climax arrives. It could have been made better if the unnecessary intrusions were left out. The item number looks quite forced. The film may not have touched the entertainment level of ‘Kalavani’, but the effort to create something different in a sensible way, is worth appreciating.