Engaeyum Eppothum (transl. Anywhere, Anytime) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama road film written and directed by M. Saravanan in his Tamil debut, he had earlier directed the Telugu film Ganesh (2009). Starring Jai, Sharwanand, Anjali and Ananya, it was produced by A. R. Murugadoss in association with Fox Star Studios,[2][3] marking the studio's entry into Tamil cinema.[4]
| Engaeyum Eppothum | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | M. Saravanan |
| Written by | M Saravanan |
| Produced by | A R Murugadoss Fox Star Studios |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Velraj |
| Edited by | Kishore Te |
| Music by | C Sathya |
Production companies | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹5 crore [1] |
The film illustrates two love stories—one set against the backdrop of Chennai and the other in Tiruchi—which join in the climax. The film released on 16 September 2011,[5] to very positive reviews, going on to become a critical and commercial success.[6] The film was dubbed into Telugu as Journey and released on 16 December 2011.[7] The film was later remade into Kannada as Endendu Ninagagi and in Bengali as Bojhena Shey Bojhena.
Plot
editThe film focuses on two love stories in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli; one takes place in the period of a day, while the other ensues for months.
The film starts with an road accident. Then it flashes back several months before when Amudha, a native village girl from Tiruchirappalli, arrives in Chennai for a job interview, but her sister is unable to meet her to direct her to her destination. Amudha enlists the aid of a stranger named Gautham, who agrees to take her as far as the bus stop. However, he ends up travelling with her the entire day, waiting for her during her interview, and dropping her off at her sister's home in the evening. In the course of the day, she comes to understand him and becomes fond of him. While remaining calm and reserved, Gautham reciprocates her feelings. The following day, Amudha returns to Tiruchirappalli, where she realizes that she has fallen in love with Gautham and rejects marriage proposals that come her way. She decides to return to Chennai to meet him. Meanwhile, Gautham realizes that he has fallen in love with Amudha and decides to go to Tiruchi to find her, despite not knowing her address and other any details except her name.
A parallel story follows. Kathiresan, a metal shop worker, harbors feelings towards his neighbor Manimegalai, a nurse. Being shy and soft-spoken, he does not talk to her but continues to watch her every morning for 6 Months. Manimegalai is bold and forthcoming; she agrees to his love and orders him around mercilessly. She puts him through several tests: having him meet her father (a policeman), her former 1-side lover on his own, makes him undergo an HIV test, and gets him to agree to organ donation. She wants him to decide on the basis of all that she has put him through as to whether he wants to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her; Kathiresan responds affirmatively. The two grow to love each other unconditionally with their families' consent.
Kathiresan decides to take Manimegalai to visit his family in Arasur, a village near Villupuram, and the two board a bus to take them there. Meanwhile, Gautham boards a bus to return from Tiruchirappalli– the same one that Kathiresan and Manimegalai are travelling in. Simultaneously, Amudha boards a bus to return from Chennai. A few glimpses of other passengers are also seen: a mother and her child, a girls' athletic team, a newly married couple, two college students who are attracted to each other, and a man returning from Dubai to see his 5 years old daughter for the first time.
At a distance from Viluppuram on the Chennai-Tiruchirappalli National Highway 79 (GST road), The SETC bus is redirected into the opposite lane, as one of the lanes is under construction. However, before a contract carriage (omni) bus named Sky travels is redirected, a tarp from a truck blows off and blocks the windshield. Unable to see where he is going, the terrified driver accidentally swerves into the path of the SETC bus. Both the buses collide head-on, killing about 35 people on the spot. Many others die en route to or at the hospital. Gautham sees a severely injured Amudha on the other bus, and she is rushed to a hospital. She reaches the hospital along with Gautham, Kathiresan has succumbed to head trauma and he died. At the hospital, Gautham confesses his love to Amudha at her bedside, and she manages to regain consciousness. Kathiresan's dead body is taken away by a hysteric Manimegalai and his grieving parents.
The site of the crash is declared an accident prone-area, and the film ends with a message on road safety.
Cast
edit- Jai as Kathiresan
- Sharvanand as Gautham
- Anjali as Manimegalai
- Ananya as Amudha
- Vatsan Chakravarthy as Ramesh
- Vinodhini Vaidyanathan as Selvi (Amudha's sister)
- Ravi as Gautham's father
- Mithun as a bus passenger (a married man)
- Priya Prince as a bus passenger (a young girl's mother)
- Thangadurai Kanagaraj
Production
editThe film was initially launched in late 2010 with Vimal and Amala Paul playing a pair in the film. However they pulled out due to prior commitments and were replaced by Sharvanand and Ananya.[8] Thaman was also replaced as music composer by debutant C Sathya.
Soundtrack
edit| Engaeyum Eppothum | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 3 August 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Length | 19:21 | |||
| Label | Think Music | |||
| Producer | C. Sathya | |||
| C. Sathya chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rediff |   [9] |
| Behindwoods |  [10] |
The film's score and soundtrack were composed by debutant C Sathya. The album consists of five tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na Muthukumar and M Saravanan. It was released on 3 August 2011 in Chennai released by actors Suriya, Vivek and Music Director Harris Jayaraj.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Govindha" | Na Muthukumar | Vijay Prakash, Ranina Reddy, Boni | 04:03 |
| 2. | "Chotta Chotta" | Na Muthukumar | Chinmayi, Sathya | 04:23 |
| 3. | "Masaamaa" | M Saravanan | Sathya, Aalap Raju | 03:55 |
| 4. | "Un Perae Theriyathu" | Na Muthukumar | Madhushree, Aalap Raju | 04:37 |
| 5. | "Uyir Aruthathe" | M Saravanan | Sayanora | 02:23 |
Release
editCritical reception
editEngaeyum Eppothum opened to very positive reviews. GetCinemas.com gave it 3.5/5 rating with a tag "must watch", saying "it is a rare film, and has come out as perfect as a dream" and appreciating for a clearly sketched script and perfect characterisation.[11] Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff gave the film 3 out of 5, calling it a "genuinely story, not just about romance, but about the fabric of life itself".[12] A critic from Sify wrote that Engeyum Eppodhum was "riveting cinema with a difference. Everything is new about it from characters to the plot, accompanied by superb performances by the lead actors notably Anjali".[13] The Hindu reviewer Karthik Subramanian noted that it was a "laudable effort" adding that "despite some clichés, the film works well".[14] Behindwoods gave 3 out of 5 and cited that it was a "loveable tale of commoners and their destiny" that had "simplicity as its biggest strength",[15] while Indiaglitz described it as "engaging entertainment" and "a whiff of fresh air in Tamil cinema".[16] G Sai Shyam, another critic from The Hindu, wrote that it was "a novel attempt by the director" and that "the compelling screenplay with a strong message to everyone makes it a must watch film".[17] Vikatan gave 50 out of 100 marks, ranking it among the best in recent times.[18] Venkateswaran Narayanan from The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 and wrote that it was "the perfect example of a film relying solely on its screenplay and performances to strike it rich at the box office".[19] Rohit Ramachandran of nowrunning.com rated it 4/5 stating that "Engeyum Eppodhum reminds us of the fragility of our own lives", going on to call it "one of the year's best".[20] It later appeared on his 'Best of 2011' list[21]
On the contrary, Gautaman Bhaskaran of Hindustan Times gave it 2.5 and praised the lead performances, while criticising the screenplay and the plot.[22]
Remakes
editFollowing the film's success, the film was remade in Bengali as Bojhena Shey Bojhena, starring Soham Chakraborty, Mimi Chakraborty, Payel Sarkar, and Abir Chatterjee, directed by Raj Chakraborty. Sources reported that Bollywood actor Aamir Khan may remake it in Hindi.[23] Producer K Manju acquired the Kannada remake rights of the film and it was remade in Kannada as Endendu Ninagagi.[24]
Awards
editM Saravanan was honoured with an award by the Human Rights Organisation on 18 December at Paramakudi for directing Engeyum Eppodhum with a very relevant social message which is the need of the hour.[25][26] He also secured 50% of votes and was declared as the Best Director of 2011 in the year-end public poll conducted by Oneindia.in for directing Engeyum Eppodhum. Anjali secured 35.2% of votes and was declared as the Best Actress of 2011 for her performance in the film.[27] Anjali was honoured with the Best Actress Award at V4 Entertainment Awards 2011.[28][29][30] Ananya was declared as the Best Supporting Actress.
- Best Lyricist — Na Muthukumar for "Un Pera Theriyathe"
- Best Debutant Director — M Saravanan
- Best Debutant Male — Sharvanand
- Best Film
- Best Actress - Anjali
- Nominated-Best Director - M Saravanan
- Nominated-Best Supporting Actress - Ananya
- Nominated-Best Music Director - C Sathya
- Edison Award for Best Debut Director – M Saravanan
- Edison Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Chinmayi for "Chotta Chotta"
Engeyum Eppodhum appeared on the following top five lists of the best films of 2011.
Legacy
editThe character Kathiresan portrayed by Jai Sampath makes a cameo appearance in 2015 film Masss.
References
edit- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum comes to Telugu as Journey and also remade in Bengali as Bojhena se Bojhena". Supergoodmovies. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ "Jai in Engeyum Eppodhum", IndiaGlitz, 7 April 2011, archived from the original on 9 April 2011, retrieved 6 September 2011
- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum ready to rock", Deccan Chronicle, 27 June 2011, archived from the original on 9 August 2011, retrieved 6 September 2011
- ^ Fox Studios first Tamil film coming out Friday, 14 September 2011, archived from the original on 22 October 2012, retrieved 17 October 2011
- ^ "'Engaeyum Eppothum' bags a clean 'U', releasing on Sept 16!", IndiaGlitz, 6 September 2011, archived from the original on 24 September 2011, retrieved 6 September 2011
- ^ Sharwanand Journey starts on Dec 2., supergoodmovies, 23 November 2011, archived from the original on 25 November 2011, retrieved 25 November 2011
- ^ "Journey to release on 2 Dec". IndiaGlitz. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ "Amala Paul and Vimal walk out of Murgadoss film". Sify. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Review: Go for Engeyum Eppodhum – Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppothum Music Review – Engeyum Eppothum Music Review". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum Movie Review". GetCinemas. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ "Review: Go for Engeyum Eppodhum – Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ "Movie Review:Engeyum Eppodhum". Sify. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ Karthik Subramanian (17 September 2011). "Arts / Cinema : Laudable effort". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppothum Review – Engeyum Eppothum Movie Review". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum Tamil Movie Review – cinema preview stills gallery trailer video clips showtimes". IndiaGlitz. 16 September 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ Shyam G, Sai (21 September 2011). "Accidental success". thehindu.com. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Vikatan". vikatan. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum". The Times of india. 25 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppodhum Review – Tamil Movie Review by Rohit Ramachandran". Nowrunning.com. 16 September 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "Best of 2011 – Tamil Films". Nowrunning.com. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ "Gautaman Bhaskaran's review of Engaeyum Eppothum". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ "Aamir Khan lauds Engeyum Eppothum". Behindwoods. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- ^ "'Engeyum Eppothum' K Manju acquires rights". supergoodmovies. 30 October 2011. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Award for Engeyum Eppodhum director". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
- ^ "Engeyum Eppothum movie gets honored". Supergoodmovies.com. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Best of Kollywood 2011: Vijay beats Ajith, Surya, Vikram". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ "Dhanush and Anjali – Best Actor and Actress". Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ "Dhanush and Anjali won the best awards". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ "சிறநத நடிகர– நடிகைகள,தனுஷ– அஞசலிககு விருது!!". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ "The Top Five Tamil Films of 2011". Rediff.com. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ sudhish kamath (1 January 2012). "Life & Style / Metroplus : The year of the anti-hero". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ "Best Tamil Films of 2011". Asianage. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.