CAST AND CREW
Production: Dr Ramadoss, GKM Tamil Kumaran
Cast: Andrea Jeremiah, Jiiva, Trisha Krishnan, Vinay Rai
Direction: I.Ahmed
Screenplay: I.Ahmed
Story: I.Ahmed
Music director: Harris Jayaraj
Background score: Harris Jayaraj
Cinematography: R Madhi
Dialogues: I.Ahmed
Editing: Praveen K. L
What you get from Ahmed's Endrendrum Punnagai is an extremely good looking film with beautiful people leading colorful and aspirational lifestyles. As an added bonus, the film also gifts you with moments that are genuinely likeable!
The story of EP revolves around an incident in Goutham’s (Jiiva) childhood which shapes him as a person and it eventually causes a major rift between himself and his inseparable buddies, Sri (Vinay) and Baby (Santhanam).
Director Ahmed is clear in his agenda to soak his characters, and his audience, in happiness and good times. The first half is filled with humorous boys-will-be-boys moments and the second half hosts an endearing romantic segment that takes flight in a ‘Before Sunrise’ like montage. But he also injects the film with different emotional elements to stack up the personal challenges for his character Goutham to confront.
Most of the film is light hearted, even during the seemingly serious situations the laughs emerge from Santhanam’s shenanigans. The comedian has more hits than misses in this film and his fans will be delighted to see him in full form. Vinay performs with no inhibitions in all his portions, be it comedy, dance or the emotional scenes and this film will prove to be a good vehicle for him to reach a larger audience. Andrea has a brief role as a diva, Sonia, and she does her bit well too. Trisha comes through with a fine performance as the angelic Priya who’s required to be simple and elegant. The casting is topped off perfectly with the inclusion of Nasser as the father figure.
Jiiva has the most well defined character arc in this story and the actor realizes it excellently on screen. Playing a stubborn individual, a series of circumstances would require him to swallow his pride for a greater cause and in these moments the seasoned side of Jiiva is on display. And whenever the opportunity presents itself, he also shows what a splendid dancer he is.
Harris's bubblegum pop tunes are just what the doctor ordered for a film like this and the songs have been shot in the flavor of international music videos, but the composer unleashes his complete musical arsenal in the re-recording. Well done Harris !
Cinematographer Mathi must have had a field day capturing such fine looking people against gorgeous backdrops and settings. Specifically look out for his work in the 'Kadhal naan thaan' song. There’s also an excellently shot hilarious segment featuring a Santhanam skit in a similar illusionary vein of the music video ‘Virtual Insanity’ which adds up to the visual highlights of EP. Editor Praveen ably ensures that the scene transitions are seamless and fluidic.
The running time of 2 hours and 32 minutes may seem a stretch on paper but Endrendrum Punnagai does well not to test your patience with entertainment in some shape or form appearing in regular intervals.
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