Mayakkam Enna Review

At a time when there is a mad rush for commercial capers in Tamil, there are few filmmakers who make movies according to their vision and never compromise and let their identity slip. Selvaraghavan belongs to this elite class.

A filmmaker with great conviction, he has proved in the past that his films are mirror to the happenings in the society and especially interpersonal relationships between individuals.

Selvaraghavan joins hands with his sibling Dhanush for the fourth time and expectations obviously soar high for the fact that all their earlier outings were unique and different from each other.

The inevitable question that pops in our mind is whether 'Mayakkam Enna' lives up to all hype. Yes indeed is the reply, at least to most parts. The film is more about romance, the aspirations of youngsters and et al.

After a fantasy fare in 'Aayirathil Oruvan', Selvaraghavan is back with a movie that speaks loud on emotions. The film chronicles the life of a freelance photographer Karthik, played by Dhanush. The career ambitions and his romance make up the film.

Karthik (Dhanush) is a lensman for whom life lies in his camera. His ambition has no bounds. He wants to excel in his chosen profession and dreams of becoming a wildlife photographer.

A secluded individual (the routine for all lead stars in Selvaraghavan's films), Karthik's only company is Sundar (Sundar) and co. Sundar introduces him to Yamini (Richa Gangopadhyaya), his girl friend.

As it happens, the two with contrasting characters end up quarrelling all time. Sparks fly high only to settle down and romance suddenly blossoms between the two. What happens next is narrated in Selvaraghavan's style.

Three cheers to Dhanush. The actor justifies why he won the National Award. His performance is key to the story. He excels in every frame and with right emotions and expressions, he is right there stamping his authority in the story.

Richa Gangopadhyay is apt choice for the character. She is soft, strong and sweet as Yamini. She doesn't have a blink-and-a-miss role, rather has a meaty role to do. In many a scene, her eyes speak more than anything (Watch out for the emotional encounter between Richa and Dhanush after her miscarriage). No debutante actress in the recent times has left a mark like Richa in 'Mayakkam Enna'.

Sundar, the young lad promises aplenty and is sure to go places. The rest of the cast too ably support Selvaraghavan.

If Selva's dialogues are razor-sharp and go down well with youngsters (so do his lyrics), it' Ramji's cinematography and GV Prakash's musical score that add strength to the script. The lens captures the emotions in fresh hues while Prakash's background score adds pep to the proceedings.

After Ilayaraja, it seems to be Prakash who gives utmost importance to re-recording. Even his silence speaks a lot. The background score of this young talent ably supports Selvaraghavan and Dhanush to convey things on screen in a more efficient and effective way. The interval scene, where myriad emotions between the lead pair are shown at a single stretch, is a fine example to what Prakash has in store.

There are some cliches and minor flaws as the story proceeds to second half. But the fact is 'Mayakkam Enna' does mesmerize you and you will definitely consider watching this film more than once...