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Entertainment
Unnai Ninaithu
WHEN SELFISHNESS and ingratitude are rewarded with sacrifice and goodwill, it naturally irks — the story of Lakshmi Movie Makers' does. Here is a young employee of a lodge, who goes out of his way to help his impoverished neighbour and his family — and all he gets in return is humiliation. What is worse, he takes it all lying down. The climax is on expected lines and the treatment lacks punch. It is difficult to believe that ``Unnai Ninaithu'' has been written and directed by a person of Vikraman's stature.
Circumstances force Surya (Surya) to work in a lodge, which he actually owns. Nirmala (Laila) and her family live close by. Surya falls in love with Nirmala and even helps the poor family with their daily bread. When Surya comes with a huge box of grocery, the dad, mum and Nirmala remind him of the sugar that they had forgotten to add to the list! Immediately you feel a sense of revulsion towards them. But our hero is too naive to see beneath the surface! Soon a wealthy guy, Selva (Ramji) comes their way and they cast away Surya for Selva. No, that's not the end of it. They learn their lesson a little later. But never mind, the nincompoop is always around and bales them out yet again and even helps Nirmala become a doctor. The only exception is Nirmala's young brother (Hari Prashanth). The child's observations and expressions make you feel that the character is to be developed further — but it is not.
Radha (Sneha) meanwhile, is in love with Surya. If tedium sets in, in the climax the dialogue is the culprit. The similes, metaphors and aphorisms that go on endlessly test your patience.
Surya as the ever-sacrificing hero wallowing in self-pity is irritating. His is an underplayed performance all right but the tears that well up at the drop of a hat could have been curtailed a little. Incidentally, why has the young man lost so much weight? Surya's prowess in dance is commendable and so are his acrobatics (``Chocolate'' song).
Laila's character is neither here nor there. She falls in love when told to, stops when asked to and carries on with another man, again on instructions from the parents — an activated doll in more ways than one. Sneha, in contrast, has more life and evinces a youthful charm.
There is a whole lot of comedians in ``Unnai Ninaithu'' — it is humour that is lacking. Every incident involving Charlie, for example, is so predictable.
The avarice of Nirmala and her family put together reminds one of Deepa's role in the Rajinikanth film, ``Johnny''.There, greed was punished here it is showered with gifts.
Laila and Surya have been separated — it is some time before they meet again. He coaxes her into writing the medical entrance examination. She does, clears, becomes a doctor and is posted elsewhere. But even after all these years, her young, school going brother looks the same! Was he caught in a time warp of sorts?
The story must have had a strong theme to begin with and the screenplay surely aims at conveying something different. But things do not progress in that direction.
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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