ENGE EN ANBE - a 'Nayan Centric" Kahani!

ENGE EN ANBE – a “NAYAN" Centric Kahani!

Cast:-  Nayantara as Anaaamika, Vaibhav Reddy as Parthasarathi, Pasupathy, Harshavardhan Rane & Sri Rajani

& Crew:- Director – Sekhar Kammula, Music- M.M.Keeravai, D.O.P.- Vijay .C. Kumar, Edit – Marthand K.Venkatesh

Studio – Endemol India/Logline Productions/Select Media Holdings

Language – Telugu/Tamil

I have not seen very many movies with an original idea in quite a while. Every idea seems to be playing off of other ideas. It's quite possible that we have simply run out of completely original new movie ideas. Even the producers, actors, technicians and directors think tanks seems to be fast depleting or worn out. Let’s hope I am proved wrong sooner than later!

The story, backdrop and setting (Screen play), Premise Kahani versus Enge En Anbe:- E.E.A opens with a time triggered explosive device placed inside a Kite thread reel. Kahani opens with a poison-gas attack. In E.E.A Hapless kite flying kids & adults alike are killed. In Kahani passengers on a Kolkata Metro Rail compartment are killed in a blast. In E.E.A 8 months later (Nayantara), a pregnant (Kollywood’s Barbie doll refused to compromise and why not! when her fans simply adore her and think she is a goddess! ). In Kahani two years later a pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) comes to Kolkatta in an effort to trace her husband. In E.E.A Nayan arrives in Hyderabad from the U.S of A. In Kahani Vidya arrives in Kolkatta from London. In E.E.A a police officer (Vaibhav) offers to help. In Kahani an officer by name Satyoki "Rana" Sinha helps Vidya.

Some of the common factors: - 1. During the Durga Puja festivities both are in search of their missing husband(s). 2. Both claim that their respective husbands went to on an assignment for their company. 3. Initial investigations suggest that no such person was employed by the companies.4. The red Sari is worn by both before the climax.

Other than the above the director has really strived hard to make a few changes though in my opinion one can only term it as merely cosmetic in parts and totally insipid and predictable in a few others.

& the  Climax After many a slow and lethargic twist and turns the director decides to zero in on the climax. He tries adding a bit of his own “masala” of explosions and dramatic killing etc which fails to strengthen the premise or enthuse the viewer leaving E. E. A at best a poor paperback copy of the original collector’s edition Kahani!

Nayan in all probability agreed to do a “La Vidya Balan” to break her Kollywood’s Barbie tag. Sadly she is unable to de-glam herself (in spite of shunning her make up most of the time). She has an in built arrogant, nonchalant look about her so much so that your mind refuses to accept her as a middle class girl! To her credit she does strive hard to excel in the melodramatic scenes  to bring out the pained, tensed and aggrieved look and even the added occasional “stammer” element fails to erase the “Nayan” look. It simply gets in the way and blurs one’s vision. It will take many more E.E.A’s to accept Nayan as the girl next door.

Vaibhav He starts of well as an honest, polite and dignified cop but as the film progresses ends up looking like a dumb love sick “puppy cop” doing chauffer duty for “Nayan” who true to her nature and attitude takes charge of the whole search and eliminate operation from under his very nose. In fact when the assassin enters the house and Nayan & Vaibhav hide Nayan looks the cop and Vaibhav the victim. The Tamil accent while speaking Telugu/Hindi a minus.

Pasupathi  as the investigation officer looks like a “locallu” version of Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry! He even has a pistol shoved casually (Hollywood style) stuck behind his back and waves it around at the click of a button! Pasupathi in fact talks in local Tamil lingo often used by Auto Shankar/Grease Pandi and Powder Ponnuraj etc. He plays the role of an investigation officer who starts off as a street smart officer and ends up being a local bully or dada. He makes more noise and runs around in circles achieving next to nothing. The usual  proverbial Indian cop always turning up late and at the wrong time and place. Finally left holding the “Laal Bathi” !(Red Beacon). The “locallu” lingo used a big minus.

Home Minister the first half characterization is effective but the change in character in the second half revealed early and abruptly turns to be a spoiler. The Telugu accent is a plus here. The home minister acts as if he is the chief of Scotland Yard but finally is turned by the director into a raving lunatic and a drunkard!

The one man assassin makes a mark. The bee hive sting scene is “seriously” hilarious! The bees refuse to bother “Nayan” After all she is the beauty! Nayan and her police boy friend  catch up with the assassin by running behind him (on empty streets of Hyderabad) puffing and panting and finally even start pleading with him to stop running so that they can catch up. In the end the assassin is a far cry from the original “Jackal” that one feels like howling with laughter!..

The police station resembles an ashram in Hyderabad manned by uniformed Ramdev Baba’s Sevaks”!

The rest also ran.

Camera: - Has managed to Capture Hyderabad at its bustling best. Narrow streets and the hustle and bustle visually captured without much fuss. A Plus – The deliberate delayed entry of curious onlookers in the middle of the night.  A minus - their attire & appearance. The action scenes were somewhat overdone. The melodramatic (Nayan) scenes seemed cliched.

Music: - Good B.G though at times a bit loud. Soft music would have served better.

Art : - Fair though based on “Kahani” template.

Choreo:- Very little to do in this film.

Edit: - The first half definitely needs some trimming.

Left Right & Centre: - Jai Ho! Nayantara!

Finally to sum it all up, a quote: “It amazes me that filmmakers will still film, and audiences will still watch, relationships so bankrupt of human feeling that the characters could be reading dialogue written by a computer.”

Bottom Line: - At best a mundane and messed up copy of the original!

Until next time,       

Director Haricharan

Chennai

02/05/2014