‘Enna Satham Indha Neram’ a damp squib

Can a film survive on hype only without a proper script? That’s a question that comes to mind after watching ‘Enna Satham Indha Neram,’ a film that grabbed headlines as being the first Indian film to feature quadruplets.
With a title that piques your curiosity ‘Enna Satham Indha Neram,’ touted as an emotional thriller failed to live up to its expectations.
Four speech and hearing challenged children get lost in a zoo while on a school excursion. As their teacher searches for them frantically, the zoo watchman informs her that a huge snake has gone missing from the cage. With this basic plot, the story could have grown into an interesting thriller, but director Guru Ramesh probably got lost in the idea itself.
How do you expect viewers to react when they are anxiously following the search for the kids to be interrupted by silly humour. Zoo keeper Kathir (Nithin Sathya) comes up with comedy lines at the most inappropriate times and they do nothing to tickle your funny bone. As if that was not enough, you have comedian Mano Bala and his friend, attired outrageously, (for laughs supposedly) who are petty thieves in this story and are planning to kidnap the quadruplets.   Their jokes fell flat on their faces. Probably it has to do with the ready-made mould established for commercial stories in Tamil cinema that are dictated by the number of must have comedy tracks.
The snake with graphics looks magnified but least menacing. And viewers have the last laugh when the snake is put to sleep by a large dose of sleeping tablets. Completely lacking in conviction, ‘Enna Satham Indha Neram’ did make a lot of noise but is a case of empty cans.

‘Bangalore Days,’ a complete entertainer

When cousins get together, inevitably it’s a riot.
And that’s exactly what happens when childhood playmates and cousins Divya, Kuttan and Arjun, meet up in Bangalore.  There is loads of fun.
Divya (Nazriya Nazim) arrives in Bangalore following her marriage to Das, (Fahad Faasil) a corporate executive. Kuttan, (Nivin Pauly) an IT professional works there.  So does the other cousin, Arjun, (Dulquer Salman) a graffiti artist and a motor bike racer.
Living in a new city with her husband, who barely talks and is mostly away on official tours, Divya’s companions are her two cousins.  And the trio has a blast together. But once the picnic is over, they return to their own lives where they confront reality.    
Divya's vivacity is a contrast to Das’ aloofness and that comes in the way of their building a new relationship.  Her curiosity is piqued when Das pointing to a room in their apartment that he keeps locked all the time, tells her, “It’s all old stuff.” 
Arjun’s anger is directed at his divorced parents and the pain of loneliness is a constant thorn hurting him. Crazy over bikes, he has pinned his ambitions on the race track.
Kuttan is the typical Malayali rooted to his native soil and very traditional in outlook. When his father is seriously ill, he takes a flight home and on board he falls in love with an air-hostess (Isha Talwar).  It’s amusing to watch the love smitten Kuttan going through a make-over with spiked hair and a wardrobe change as he tries to fit in with the glamorous and beautiful air-hostess.
Anjali Menon narration is simple and straight. The bonhomie of the cousins is believable.  Nazriya, Nivin and Dulquer share a great comfort level together onscreen. Menon’s little touches add freshness to the story.  My favourite is the scene where Das meets Divya at her home the first time. It is the traditional boy meeting girl ceremony.  After the family introductions are done with they are left alone to chat. Das tells Divya that he wants her to know that there has been another woman in his life. And he would understand if she was not keen on the marriage. Did she have anything to share, he then asks her. Looking bewildered, Divya reveals to him that the sweets placed on the table were not prepared by her as claimed by her mother, a while ago. As the duo break into a laugh, Divya’s puppy runs in and the next scene shows the two bonding over the dog, much to the delight of the parents who enter the room at that moment.
With a multi-cast, who fit snug into their roles, Menon presents a story that will appeal to viewers of all ages. Every actor has put in a commendable performance. Yet one pair that remains with you for long is that of Arjun and Sarah, the physically challenged RJ, whose ebullience on air wins the heart of the ‘I don’t care a damn,’ Arjun.
Dulquer’s rugged charm matches his performance and Parvathy Menon is just brilliant. She is one actress whose eyes express before the words tumble out. Kalpana as Kuttan’s mom will have you in splits. Nithya Menon is a beautiful surprise. I even liked the bit about the Tamilian maid who does not seem to approve of Divya as Das’ wife.
Go for ‘Bangalore Days,’ a light hearted entertainer with family and friends. And if your cousins are around, don’t forget to take them along.