Ennamo Nadakkudhu has one of the most distressing opening scenes in recent times. A battered and bruised Viji’s head is repeatedly slammed against the hood of a car, while a couple of goons growl menacingly into his ear, “Porul enge?” We wonder excitedly what this Porul could be. A secret stash of weapons? Drugs, maybe? Before we can complete that particular chain of thought, Actor Rahman arrives in a snazzy car and distracts us with his own take on the now infamous “Porul Enge?” line. And so it goes on, from a fruit seller Paati on the road to that rowdy type guy on the terrace, everybody has the same question. By the time, Actress Sukanya as the Madam, screeches ,”Porul Engadaaa Madaiya??!!”, even we want to shake the unconscious Viji till he blurts out the answer. Thankfully, the movie picks up from this point.
[quote align=’left’]Vijay Vasanth eventually comes into his own in the second half, where his self-deprecating humour and strange intensity work well[/quote]We meet Viji – played by Vijay Vasanth – the North Madras slum kid, who makes a living as the ‘poster ottra boy’. His philosophy is very simple – Konjam Money, Konjam Friends and Konjam Tasmac. And life is smooth and easy. He drinks away all his money with his friend, Osi Kudi Kumar and still finds time to fight with his mother (Saranya Ponvannan). All is well until he bumps into Madhu (quite literally), and his life changes drastically. His mother dies and he’s left alone. This unsuspecting lad then gets pulled into a bank scam and also somehow gets into the middle of a power struggle between two dons – Burma (Rahman) and Parthiban (a brilliant Prabhu). What follows is pure mayhem.
Actor Vijay Vasanth is at home in the action and romantic scenes, but falters where he’s expected to emote more intensely:. Like the scene where he realises that his comatose mother is ….actually,dead! He stutters, shrieks and shouts but we find it hard to relate to him. But, he eventually comes into his own in the second half, where his self-deprecating humour and strange intensity work well. As he finally starts to take control of his life, we start cheering for this underdog to succeed. His co-star, Mahima Nambiar has the typical ‘supportive girlfriend’ role. She plays Madhu, a nurse with aspirations of going abroad and as usual, doesn’t have any time for romance. When she meets Viji, she looks down on him and his dirty ways. Eventually, she accepts her fate and goes out with the guy. The petite actress performs the limited role quite well, and makes her presence felt in spite of being locked up in the back of a car for half the film.
But it is Actor Prabu who steals the show as the boxer-turned-don Parthiban. It is a testament to Prabu’s acting prowess that despite all his girth, he convincingly portrays the role of a young boxer in his flashback sequence. When he’s attacked by goons set on killing him, he jumps up high and executes a complicated Bruce Lee move. And BAM! the bad boys are all dead. But our Parthiban is no infallible superhero. He suffers a leg wound that gives him a limp. And limp he does, evoking comparisons with his father’s limping act in the classic Paarthal Pasi Theerum. Also, fun fact : Parthiban is the only character who doesn’t care where the Porul is. Probably because he had it all along. Or did he?[quote align=’right’]Premgi Amaren’s use of heavy metal and house music elements for the fight sequences is amazing and makes the movie experience so much better[/quote]
Recommended
Ennamo Nadakkuthu takes us on a mad, bloody chase around town. The hero bites people’s necks in his desperation to get out of a bad situation, shoots himself at all the wrong areas, gets shot by the bad guys and nearly dies. A bad guy slashes people at will and brandishes a knife or a gun, depending on his choice of outfits. Even the boxing scenes are full of spit and gore. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. But, its clever moments makes us sit through all this violence. In its flashback sequence, there is a surprising cameo from an MGR lookalike which segues (naturally!) into a song with other MGR lookalikes and memorabilia. There’s the smart use of fake blood and prop guns, the multiple references to North Madras and finally, the super good music.
While Premgi Amaren’s songs are catchy earworm material, it’s his background score that is truly impressive. His use of heavy metal and house music elements for the fight sequences is amazing and makes the movie experience so much better. The songs are choreographed well enough, though it’s the ‘Money Money’ song that impresses. For a movie low on budget, it certainly has some style.
The movie is low on hype and gimmicks, but is high on content. It is a satisfying movie experience, with no loose ends and is absolutely fuss free. While it doesn’t have the gloss and glamour of Naan Sigappu Manithan, it is by far the better thriller.