The horror genre has undergone a sea of change in southern cinema in recent times. If we have seen Abhinetri mix fun, and romance with horror -- largely to good effect -- VI Anand's Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada (EPC), uses the genre as the backdrop to tell a passionate love story.
While the filmmaker successfully captures innocent, passionate love and packs it with humour, it's the supernatural elements that lets it down in the end.
Arjun (Nikhil Siddharth) gets stood up by the love of his life on the day of his wedding, leaving him shell-shocked and devastated. Four years later, he becomes a graphic designer working for Baahubali. When his friend Kishore (Vennela Kishore) says he has a spirit inside him, Arjun accompanies him to a temple in Kerala, where people practice rituals to free spirits. Arjun then runs into Amala (Hebah Patel) and the duo fall in love while exploring the picturesque locales of Kerala.
However, Arjun is in for a rude shock when he wakes up one morning to find that Amala had disappeared. As he begins his hunt for lost love, Arjun soon begins to realise that nothing is quite as it seems.
To Anand's credit, there's always an element of surprise when the twists and turns unravel. The locales are magnificent and cinematographer Sai Sriram does a terrific job in capturing the essence of the locations. The way the director uses humour in a horror-love story is masterful. There is humour in spades and boy does it work. Vennela Kishore, in particular leaves you in splits in every single scene that he's a part of. Some of the characters, who play Arjun's friends, are also hilarious.
After a breezy first half, the film takes a turn for the worse as the supernatural theme starts to set in. The whole romance with ghosts/spirits, is largely unconvincing. There's a sense of melodramatic stereotype that sets in as soon as the director takes us through the horror elements which define the love story. Nandita Swetha makes an earnest Telugu debut but her character, which is consumed by a spirit, is the most flawed and perhaps the one that lets the film down.
Nikhil, on the other hand, is an actor clearly in his element in Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada. He displays his range of emotions with élan, and the actor's biggest strength is his subtlety. At no point do you feel like you're watching a 'Hero' on-screen, but instead you watch a story of a character - and that's where Nikhil succeeds. Hebah Patel is first rate as his love interest, while Vennela Kishore steals the show with his comic timing.
Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada is a film that entertains in parts, but makes you cringe on other occasions. The element of surprise gives you the thrills and the humour leaves you in splits. If only the horror was more convincing!
Film: Ekkadiki Pothaavu Chinnavaada Cast: Nikhil Siddharth, Hebah Patel, Nanditha Swetha Director: VI Anand Rating: |