Engeyum Eppothum (Sharwanand, Ananya, Jai, Anjali)

[leaf]

This released last week and is getting great reviews. I think the song picturizations are very sweet and real-life cute.

Sotta Sotta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gl7nj_xgFE
Govinda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt2RLJuhCQ
Masama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3OYwXawrzI

Hollywood: to Bollywood and beyond
September 8, 2011 5:30 pm by Girija Shivakumar

It’s a simple romantic tale of a boy, a girl and their triumph over adversity – a story that’s been told a thousand times. But Engeyum Eppothum (“everywhere all the time”), an upcoming film from Fox Star Studios, shows how Hollywood’s invasion of Bollywood is moving into a different dimension as the US film industry targets a new generation of international moviegoers.

The Indian film industry is the world’s most prolific, releasing about 1,000 films a year. While it has traditionally been dominated by Hindi-language films, those made in other, regional languages have risen strongly and now account for about three quarters of films produced, generating revenues of about $1bn a year. The number of regional language productions – in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam – is set to continue growing at 10 to 15 per cent a year, observers say.

Foreign film companies have tended to stick to traditional, Hindi-language Bollywood productions, still the biggest grossers. But with Engeyum Eppothum, set for release on September 16, Fox Star Studios is part of a new direction. This is its first Tamil-language film, aimed directly at a potential audience of 65m native Tamil speakers.

“After Bollywood, the revenues from Tamil films are the highest,” Vijay Singh, Mumbai-based CEO of Fox Star Studios India, told beyondbrics. “We are now looking to understand the Tamil film industry. The quality of scriptwriting and technical skills in Tamil films are great and offer an opportunity for Bollywood. The opportunity to take the best from Tamil cinema that is rooted in the small town ethos ensures a large mass appeal.”

Singh says the rise of Tamil films has dispelled the popular belief that Indian film-makers blindly follow where Bollywood leads. He says Bollywood had lost some of its small town mass appeal and has only regained it through successful remakes of hit Tamil movies.

Hollywood giants have been leaping into India’s vibrant regional film market, with productions from the likes of Eros International, Viacom18 and Walt Disney. Eros released Enthiran (“robot”), a Tamil science fiction movie last year; this year, Walt Disney released its first movie in Telugu, an adventure fantasy film, Anaganaga o Dheerudu (“once upon a warrior”).

Fox Star Studios is a joint venture formed in 2008 by 20th Century Fox and Asia’s STAR TV, both subsidiaries of Rubert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Undeterred by the surge of competitors aiming to grab a piece of the regional film pie, Singh said Fox Star Studios would continue to make five to six movies a year in Hindi and other languages.
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/09/08/hollywood-to-bollywood-and-beyond/#axzz1YXyFgXPX

Review: Go for Engeyum Eppodhum
September 19, 2011
Pavithra Srinivasan in Chennai

It is refreshing to see a debutant director bring a tale of urban love and its pain in not just a convincing fashion, but with large dollops of comedy and a twist that jolts you out of your seat.

Fox Star Studios, venturing into Tamil cinema under the aegis of A R Murugadoss [ Images ], looks like it's landed itself a winner with Engeyum Eppodhum (Anywhere, Anytime), directed by M Saravanan.

As far as stories go, it's remarkably simple: two separate romantic tales, one set in Chennai, the other in Tiruchy, intersect at one point. And from this springs a charming story that owes a lot to clever writing, fresh dialogues, and acting that's engaging most of the time.

Amudha (Ananya) and Gautam (Sharvanand) run into each other when she arrives in Chennai for a job interview, a raw, naive girl completely unaware of city life. This doesn't mean she's ripe for the plucking by unscrupulous characters; indeed, her sense of self-preservation and instinct for survival make you raise your eyebrows in appreciation. Her gradual understanding of Gautam's character paves the way for an attraction that takes her unawares and leaves her reeling.

By contrast, the way Kadhiresan (Jai) and Manimegalai (Anjali) fall in love in Tiruchy is hilarious and refreshing. Their love-track easily becomes the more interesting of the two, as the "lovers" progress through a most intriguing form of courtship, the kind that's very rarely seen in Tamil cinema.

Indeed, the way Manimegalai responds to Kadhir's advances is so unusual that every word she utters comes as a surprise. The best part is that this turns out to be the better story, the heart-warming one that leaves an indelible mark. So much so that you wish the movie had been just about this couple.

While Ananya, Sharvanand and Jai have all done well, it's Anjali who clearly walks away with the honours. She plays an abrasive, aggressive young woman, a nurse who practically leads her lover by the nose, but the extent of her feelings emerges only at the end, and carries you away. After Angadi Theru, here is another noteworthy performance from the actress.

Sathya's music is very engaging, adding to the sweetness of the story. Un Pere Theriyathu has been picturised in quirky fashion. Govindha Govindha is very catchy and fits perfectly into the screenplay, while Sotta Sotta's steady beats grab your attention as well.

Velraj's camera-work and Antony's editing are excellent; but it's the SFX team that deserves kudos.

Praise goes, deservedly, to the director for choosing a simple story that focuses on the smaller joys and sorrows of life, of personal tragedy that barely makes a mark in public consciousness. Director M Saravanan weaves a tale of love, but also has other characters you might miss if you blink, but who still have their parts to play. His biggest strength is that the screenplay rarely loses pace and manages to be realistic most of the time.

On the minus side -- yes, there is one -- there are a few choppy moments, situations which don't quite gel with the narrative, dialogues that sound like platitudes. The Ananya-Sharvanand track, while interesting, doesn't carry quite the same depth of the Jai-Anjali story, which makes things rather uneven. The way it ends, too, is cinematic.

These are minor quibbles. Engeyum Eppodhum is a genuinely heart-warming story, not just about romance, but about the fabric of life itself.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-engeyum-eppodhum/20110919.htm

Engeyum Eppodhum - Review  
Review by Ambili S.

When we read about road accidents daily in newspapers, they are just news items for us, but for one who experiences it in reality, an accident can be a turning point in life. This forms the basic crux of Engeyum Eppodhum, directed by Murugadoss' longtime associate Saravanan. The film runs on two parallel story lines that come together towards the end. Interestingly, all the lead character have dubbed in their own voices for this film. Jai, Sharvanand, Anjali and Ananya play the lead roles in this romantic flick which has the right dose of comedy and emotions.

Incidentally, Hollywood's prominent production house Fox Studios forays into Tamil with Engeyum Eppodhum, which is jointly produced by A.R. Murugadoss Productions and Fox Studios.

The Story

The film begins with a road accident involving two buses at a National Highway in Villupuram. From there, the story of two couples Gautham (Sharva aka Sharvanand), Amudha (Ananya) and  Kadhiresan (Jai),  Manimegalai (Anjali) are narrated in flashbacks.

Amudha gets stranded at a bus stop in Chennai when she arrives from Trichy for an interview. Gautham helps her to reach the venue on time and their short journey (from bus stand to her office) is narrated in a hilarious way. At the end of their journey, Amudha get attracted to Gautham.

The second story takes place in Trichy where Kadhiresan falls in love with her neighbour Manimegalai. Kadhiresan is a soft spoken, good-hearted young man who works in an automobile firm.Unlike him, Manimegalai, a nurse, is more outspoken and practical in life. One day, the couple decides to meet Kadhiresan's parents (who live in a village near Villupuram) and they board a bus from Trichy to Chennai. Coincidentally Gautham also boards the same bus.

Interestingly, Amudha who had come to Chennai in search of Gautham, boards a bus running from Chennai to Trichy. Their lives takes a U turn when both the buses collide in an accident at Villupuram. What happens next? Watch out...

The performances

Sharva aka Sharvanand is suave and stylish on screen. He fits the bill perfectly as an IT professional. Ananya's role is just an extension from her earlier hit Nadodigal. As an innocent, outspoken girl from Trichy, she excels in all aspects. Anjali, as usual, gives her best but the biggest revelation here is Jai, who perfectly brings out the innocence in his character on screen.

The Techniques

Debutant director Saravanan's story and screenplay is very impressive. Unlike the usual masala entertainers, Engeyum Eppodhum comes with a solid message. Saravanan is well supported by his cameraman Velraj. The bus accident scene (shot in slow motion) needs special mention. Sathya's background score is impressive but the songs could have been better. Editing in the first half could have been better to increase the pace of the film.

The Verdict

Though the film runs on two parallel stories, director Saravanan's racy and clear screenplay makes it very interesting (without any confusions). Kudos for all the four actors for dubbing in their own voices, which has become a rare thing in Tamil Cinema.

Overall, Engeyum Eppodhum is a neat entertainer with a strong message and a must-watch film for bus drivers.
http://tamil.galatta.com/entertainment/review/reviewnews/n/829671151/movie/Engeyum%20Eppodhum.html

ENGEYUM EPPODHUM Review: An impressive journey
By India Syndicate

The film is a sincere attempt to capture the travails of life

Making a commercial movie with a strong message is no easy task. Filmmaker Saravanan, a former associate of director AR Murugadoss, has managed to make a classy debut. He has not let down his mentor, who interestingly has produced the venture along with Hollywood giant Fox Star Studios.

Engeyum Eppodhum is a simple and sincere attempt to capture the travails of life, loss and grief. The movie runs on two parallel tracks, which then overlap in a bus journey. The plot revolves around Gautham (Sharvanand), Amudha (Ananya), Kadhiresan (Jai) and Manimegalai (Anjali). Amudha, who hails from a village near Tiruchi, meets Gautham when she comes to Chennai on a job hunt. Cupid comes into play then. Then there is Kadhiresan, an innocent and simple-hearted youth, who falls head over heels in love for the chirpy Manimegalai, a nurse.

The filmmaker narrates the journey of these couples in an interesting manner and in a lighter vein. Their vehicles collide and the events thereafter make up the movie.

Anjali comes up with an impressive performance once again. Ananya too has come out with a robust show, continuing from her good role in Naodigal. Sharvanand and Jai have done justice to characters tailormade for them.

Sathya’s tunes are nice and background score is apt. R Velraj’s camera captures the essence of the movie. With the help of a strong cast and crew, the movie is impressive from the word go, despite a sluggish pace hurting its rhythm at times.
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/south-gossip/engeyum-eppodhum-review-an-impressive-journey/

[Remini]

It sounds interesting and the song picturizations were indeed very sweet (loved the first one!!)

[leaf]

Making waves with Engeyum Eppothum
Last updated on: September 21, 2011
Shobha Warrier in Chennai

Young Tamil film maker, M Saravanan, a protege of A R Murugadoss, has arrived on the Tamil film scene with a bang. Engeyum Eppothum has surprised all those who have seen the film.

The acceptance by the public has been so good that theatres have increased the number of shows in all the multiplexes.
Engeyum Eppothum, shot in real locations, is Fox Star Studios' first Tamil production in association with A R Murugadoss.
Over to Saravanan on how he made such an endearing and successful film.

Engeyum Eppothum is the love story of two couples and a bus journey. From where did you get the inspiration for such a story?

I had decided in the beginning that I didn't want to tell the story of just one couple. I had also decided that the message in the film -- that speed kills and rash driving is not good -- shouldn't be obvious because viewers wouldn't like it. The message has to be subtle and hidden in the story.

Then I thought how I could tell the story of a journey intertwining it with the stories of a few travellers. That is why I decided to have two love stories.

You have infused a lot of humour in Anjali and Jai's love story.

I wanted it to be a genuine love story which can induce good laughs. Entertainment is extremely important in a film and I chose Anjali and Jai to provide that.

Other than the message about the accident, I have also shown through this love story how the right lover can be chosen. 

What was the inspiration for the Ananya-Sharwanand story?

It is from my own experience. When I first came to Chennai from a village near Namakkal, I was also petrified. So frightened was I that I had no courage to ask directions from anyone.

I had, in fact, walked hours to reach a place because I didn't ask anyone for directions. That is how Ananya behaves in the film. We come to a city with the perception that people here are out to cheat you. I have modelled Ananya after me and many others like me. I must tell you that if I am a film maker today, it is because of the people in this city. But in villages, we have a wrong perception about cities.


Prev     Next
Everybody feels that the four actors look perfect in their roles. How did you zero in on them?

The first actor I decided on was Jai who I felt looked like a meek character from a village. Then I wanted someone who could dominate him. I had auditioned many and found that Anjali was the best.

Then, for Ananya's role, I wanted a girl who has that lost and innocent look. For Sharwanand's role, I had first booked Vimal but there was some problem with his dates. Later, when Sharwanand came to our office, I felt he has the right urban look and sophistication. Had it been Vimal, we would have had to work on his looks, but Sharwanand looked perfect.

Did you show Murugadoss the bound script or tell him the story?

I first told him the story and he liked it. Then, I told Fox Star Studios the story. They wanted me to write the full script and give them the English translation. I did that. They liked it and okayed the film.

Were you confident about the impact the story and characters would have while you were writing the script?

I gave importance not only to the two couples but even the character that appears for just one minute in the film. I wanted each and every character to be genuine and interesting. So, I knew this story would have an impact on viewers.

What is most appreciated is the climax of the film. How did you reach that point?

It was the climax that came to my mind first. That is what I wanted to highlight and not the love stories. And I wanted to show and describe the accident in a way that has not been done before. I didn't want anyone to say I have made yet another love story.

In many films, accidents are shown from the outside. I wanted to show what happens to those who are inside, how painful and scary it is for them, how they get affected physically and mentally. So, I went inside and showed that. What I did was, I created a story board, animated the whole thing and then restructured it inside a bus.

Were you witness to any such accident on a highway?

Yes, I was. I was travelling from Chennai to my village, and on the way, our bus stopped because there was an accident on the highway. I could hear people crying from inside the bus. I and another gentleman went inside the bus, and there I saw a young lady trying to get her father out of the mess. His leg was trapped inside. I and the other gentleman also tried a lot but couldn't lift him out as he was very heavy.

After some time, the police came and they somehow helped him get out. When I came out of the bus, I found that my bus had left. There I was stranded on the road because I went to help the accident victims.

This incident never left me. Every day I read about an accident in the papers and I am reminded of it. For all those who read the news, it is another accident and a story about a few deaths. It is personal only to those whose people get killed in the accident.

How difficult was shooting the accident?

That was the most difficult part of the entire film shoot. We shot on a highway, and we had to do it when there was not much traffic. Eighty people were inside the bus and all of them co-operated so well. After that, we used computer graphics, but I must thank all those who were inside the bus. Without them, it would not have had such an impact.

It was reported that you shot the entire film in real locations. Was that because you felt the story needed such a realistic look?

Yes, it is true that I shot the entire film in real locations. I didn't use a single set or a studio. For a film like this to look realistic, real locations are necessary. I didn't want the viewers to get the feeling that it was a story and they were watching a film; not even for a second. They should feel that everything is real.

You started the film with the love story of Ananya and Sharwanand but those who watched the film fell in love with the other couple....

I think that is only because there is humour in the Anjali-Jai track but I feel in the Ananya-Sharwanand track, there is more realism, and according to me, that is the more poetic story.

Did you expect this kind of positive response?

To tell you honestly, I did. Each time I read the script, I used to visualise and undertake the journey of every character. I visualised all that not as the scriptwriter but as an outsider, and I got the feeling that the story would have an impact.

Why did you give the film a title that means 'anywhere, any time'?

These kinds of stories happen all the time, anywhere and any time. For the love stories also, I felt the title was very apt.

Have you started thinking about your next script?

Yes, for the last one month, I have been thinking only about my next script. I finished all the work of Engeyum Eppothum one month ago. From then on, it is the new story that is on my mind. It will be an action thriller.

http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-south-interview-withm-saravanan/20110921.htm

[gabahd]

I just saw this in the theater (without subs) and it was really good! I feel I missed out on good dialogue and a fresh/humoristic approach to the Jai/Anjali love story. I'd rewatch this with subs to better appreciate it!

All actors were perfectly cast and did so well.
I definitely recommend it.

[leaf]

Quick review from just having seen this. I really enjoyed the film. It's full of the great slice-of-life moments that Tamil filmmakers have perfected in capturing over the past decade. I felt like Ananya needs to work more at keeping her Malayalam accent from leaking through. Other than that, all the leads did a solid job, with Anjali being my favourite. She plays a willful nurse who falls in love with her timid neighbour (Jai). Ananya's Amudha is in Chennai for a job interview and to see her cousin who isn't home and ends up spending the day with Sharwa's character who, at first, is all silent irritation at her provincial ways. I don't know how I feel about the ending. Personally, I thought it was too abrupt and didn't fit with the flow of the rest of the film. Though I could see it being plot technique to convey the message....

Spoiler (hover to show)

speeding abruptly ends lives (and films).

Songs are lovely, but not really essential to the film.

ETA: Also, it's very disconcerting to hear the FOX Studios theme music play before a Tamil film.

[maru7627]

Part of mini film festival of sorts of recent tamil films, I enjoyed this one. Leaf's comments capture much of what I felt. The one point of disagreement - I liked Ananya (Mallu accent notwithstanding!) in this more than I did Anjali. She was more natural than Anjali who was in my view self consciously strong, independent, quirky and willful. I'll concede that some of that may have been the writing of Anjali's character, that was a bit OTT. In addition, it's a relief to see characters who look real - like regular folk in lower middle class Madras and Trichy. I'm a little tired of the super buffed (steroid abetted perhaps?) men and ultra thin and glam women that seem to populate the films of south bombay type hindi film directors.

Some of the action sequences like the collision of the buses was a bit amateurish. I thought the ending worked well. It was bittersweet - some things worked out and some things didn't - just enough to feel satisfied in the theater at the end and some regret to carry with you. A solid freshman effort from the first time director.

[Remini]

I feel like an announcer but the dvd is out if anybody wants to watch it

[carol28]

I don't know the actors' names, so I'll speak of the characters.

Amudha is a great character. Sometimes I'm watching those movies with "sweet girls from the village" and get annoyed about how they are treated like perfect women...how can't people see how boring some of them are? But Amudha got all the nuances: yes, she's innocent, but this makes her so insecure (and boring, sometimes) that even her "lover" feels impatient. I loved the actress - she's fat if you are using someone like Sonam Kapoor for comparison, but she's real to me.

Spoiler (hover to show)

When the accident actually happens, I started crying a lot, thinking that she was going to die.

What I disliked about her story: the guy didn't seem to have strong feelings for her, so their love story did not convince me so much.

The other couple was nice, that guy was really funny! But the lady...her character was a problem to me. Aaaargh, yelling all the time! I hate that!

Spoiler (hover to show)

The actress did a good job during almost the whole movie, but her reaction to her boyfriend's death could have been better. I don't know, something lacked. Don't ask me what.

Some of the action sequences like the collision of the buses was a bit amateurish.

I agree with that, but the scenes inside the buses during the colisions almost made me sick. So much blood...ok, I'll stop right now.

Overall, it's a good and honest movie, with a script that seems that someone has putted some effort writing it (was it clear? My english is not all that ;P).