Movies about sports or sportspersons have always carried some attraction in Kollywood. The latest addition to the list is ''Eetti'' which is about a sportsperson being dragged into a crime network. The film has come at the time when a commercial hit is crucial for the talented young actor Atharvaa who has played the lead role in the film. Let''s see whether this film written and directed by debutante Ravi Arasu will achieve that.
Pugalendhi aka Pugal (Atharvaa) is a Tanjore based athlete who has broken the National record in a hurdling race at College level. When he visits Chennai for the National level hurdling tournament along with his college mates, he accidentally saves the life of the whistleblower who is also his lover Gayathri''s (Sridiviya) brother, from a fake currency mafia run by Shankar (RNR Manohar) and attacks a key member of the gang in the ensuing fight. This turns the mafia against him and they start seeking his blood in revenge. The rest is how Pugal wins over the mafia and emerges as the champion in the National level tournament.
Debutante writer director Ravi Arasu has presented action oriented film with good share of romance, family sentiment and comedy. With all these ingredients making the right impact and with Atharvaa giving his best for the role by sporting six packs. The film emerges as a predominantly entertaining and engaging commercial action flick that does not lag anywhere except a few songs that come as speed breakers. We know what is going to happen at the end and the basic story is not out of the box. But still Ravi Arasu has managed to hold up the interest and has employed novel ideas in. In other words the scenes and ideas we are used to and the turns which are predictable have been narrated in a different manner and that makes Ravi Arasu stand out as a commercial filmmaker.
Every character in the film has been well etched out and purposeful. This makes the film more relatable and we root for every positive character that comes across in the film and baddies are menacing.
The way the love develops between the lead pair is refreshing and relatable. The father-son relationship and the coach-student relationship have been dealt with in depth and the sentiment angle in these parts do not go overboard at any instance. The fight scenes are of course larger than life but the situations that lead to them have been portrayed realistically. There is no separate comedy track and the comedy comes in the form of teashop chat between college students and these scenes do serve the intended purpose. .
The film delves deep into the unexplored fake currency mafia and the writer-director''s phenomenal homework for this is evident in the way it has been portrayed.
The film starts with the detailed explanation of the rare disease suffered by the lead character. The disease will make him fall unconscious and die if he suffers even a minor injury that causes bleeding. The introduction of the character with this disease is a brilliant idea as it keeps our hearts thumping in fight scenes involving the hero. But it would have made a greater impact if the disease has some bigger connection with the storyline. Even this disease part is removed the basic plot would have been no different.
The songs dampen the speed and especially the first half could have been a bit racier. The role played by the police department in bringing down the mafia could have been portrayed better.
This is going to be the cakewalk for Atharvaa as an action hero. With tonned physique, right expressions and subtle performance, he brilliantly fits into the role of an athlete who turns up larger than life when situation warrants. He is phenomenally convincing in stunt sequences. Sridivya looks beautiful. Performance wise, she has understood the needs of the ''Hero''s love interest'' character and gives a neat performance. ''Aadukalam'' Naren as the hero''s coach comes up with one of his best performances in his career. Jayaprakash impresses in an underplaying role as the hero’s father. RNR Manohar gets a meatier role as the lead villain has given a seasoned performance. The actor who has acted as the key goon of his network is really menacing. Azhagam Perumal as Sridivya’s father makes an impact with his small but strong character. Selva seems to be the best fit for upright police officer characters.
Songs by GV Prakash are passable while re-recording fits the bill and pushes the momentum in action sequences. Saravanan Abimonyu''s cinematography uses is apt and the night sequences are pictured brilliantly.
Verdict: ''Eetti'' is the best bet for commercial movie lovers.
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