'Engeyum Epodhum' (Tamil)
Director: M Saravanan
Cast: Jai, Sharwanand, Anjali, Ananya
The splintered structuring where random incidents converge into one, and where the lives of assorted characters get intertwined by fate is the plot of 'Engeyum Eppodhum'. M Saravanan (former assistant of Murugadoss) in his debut film uses this non-linear narrative style to tell a story of two couples in love and how an accident changes their lives forever.
The opening scene depicts a gory accident on the highway — The collision of two buses coming from opposite directions. The crash and the whole ambience of the tragedy is disturbingly realistic. The film takes a cut to the past and to the lives of some of those involved in the accident. Though randomly put together, the splintered structuring doesn’t confuse a lay viewer.
Each episode is lengthy and laid out, as the narration goes in and out of the lives of the four individuals. Working in the surprise element, the director keeps hidden small nuggets from the lives of these characters, and reveals them at appropriate moments.Amudha (Ananya), a small town girl from Trichy, comes to Chennai for a job interview. Amudha, apprehensive of getting lost in the urban jungle, takes help from a bystander (Sharvanand) to help her follow the directions. What begins as a one-time help gets extended, as he is reluctantly persuaded to escort her all around, jumping in and out of buses and holding her luggage.
Ananya portrays the innocence and apprehensions of the character impressively. Sharwanand, cool and debonair, is just right for the part.
The second story is about Kadireshan-Manimeghalai (Jai- Anjali). Kadireshan, a guy from a village, works in a tool factory in Chennai. He is the diffident and shy one, making flirting overtures from afar to Manimeghalai, the daughter of a constable.
But the bold feisty Manimeghalai confronts him one day, takes him under her wings, and bullies him into doing her bidding. The banter between them is interesting and their episode has fun-filled moments. For Jai, it’s his comfort zone. He aptly fits the role. Anjali’s amazing range of expressions is a delight to watch.
Apart from these, there are the passengers in the two buses, each with different stories to tell. The pace does slacken at a few places. For a narration that follows splintered structuring, the arrangement of the scenes, interspersing the bus journey with the lives of the characters could have been done in a better way.
Sathya’s music (his first release) is situational and fits in suitably. Engeyum Eppodhum, despite its lags and flaws, is engaging and a commendable effort by Saravanan.
