Tied by his name to an unfortunate destiny

For his production debut, actor Dhanush has chosen to cast in the lead role the popular TV actor Sivakarthigeyan.

ETHIR NEECHAL (7/10)

INTRODUCTION

 Priya Anand and Nandhini head the female cast. The supporting cast includes Jayaprakash, Madhan Bob, Ravi Prakash and Manobala. There are also special guest appearances by Dhanush, Nayanthara, Anirudh Ravichander and RJBalaji.

STORY

THE story traces how having an unfortunate name affected the life of a young man. After a difficult birth, a child is named after the family deity Kunjithapatham. As the boy grows up, he is faced with unbearable taunts from everyone, which later makes him want to legally change his name. Then his mother falls ill and he changes his mind, blaming himself and his decision for his mother's health. As a young man - the role is now played by Sivakarthigeyan - Kunjithapatham finds that life is even worse in the working world. After his mother's death, he decides to move from his hometown and change his name. Now named Harish, he meets the beautiful Geetha (Anand) but trouble looms as his secret leaks out.

PERFORMANCES

SIVAKARTHIKEYAN once again shows a natural ability to slip into his roles in an authentic manner but there are places where his acting needs polishing. Anand delivers a neat performance and Nandhini is impressive as Valli. Manobala makes a delightful contribution as the numerologist and Jayaprakash makes an indelible mark as the coach.

DIRECTION

RS DURAI SENDHILKUMAR has handled the unusual subject well but his direction is casual at times. Most glaring are the gaps in logic. He does, however, show great potential in most of the film, so it will be interesting to see what his future films are like.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

CINEMATOGRAPHER Velraj proves again that he is capable of holding his own against the best in the business, even internationally, with yet another stunning visual display.

SCREENPLAY AND SCRIPTING

EDHIR Neechal has a heart-warming and entertaining story but it is not developed sufficiently by Sendhilkumar's scripting and screenplay. The pace is good but there are gaps in the logic, giving the impression that Sendhilkumar was in a hurry.

MUSIC

ANIRUDH Ravichandher's music has been a huge hit in India and in South Africa, especially among the youth. However, I found that there is too much of a hangover from his debut album in this soundtrack to call this album fresh and innovative. But his background score is impressive.

OVERALL

ETHIRNeechal is a breezy entertainer with lots of comedy and an engaging story that should appeal to most tastes. Despite its directorial glitches, it is a film that should not be missed.

Last week's questions and answers

Q: In which film did ARMurugadhaas make his directorial debut?

A: Dheena.

Q: What was the first Tamil film co-produced by Fox Star Studios?

A: Engeyum Eppodhum.

Q: Who directed Sivaji Ganesan's 'Ennai Pol Oruvan'?

A: Ramanna.

This week's questions

1. What was the relationship/connection between Manobala and the late Manivannan?

2. In which film did Sivakarthigeyan make his big-screen debut?

3. Who starred in the 1968 film 'Ethir Neechal'?