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National Award winning director SP Jhananathan could have done much better in his Tamil film, E. But the movie, about biological warfare and its use by doctors to make money, may do well.
Actor Jeeva plays the role of 'E' (Eswaran), a slum-dweller, who can do anything for money. He is hired by people ranging from the police, scientists and rowdies. His girlfriend Nayanthara, a bar dancer, is a victim of the ban on dance bars in Mumbai. Ashish Vidyarthi plays a scientist, who develops a sort of anti-virus to launch a bio-war.
The first half of the film tells E's story, who spends more time at the police station than his home. Nayanthara falls in love with Jeeva when she watches him getting beaten up by the cops for a complaint she had filed. Now, haven't we seen this just too often?
The story is set mostly in the slums of Chennai. Jeeva's stepmother has been chosen by Vidyarthi as one of the cases for his research. He keeps her under observation to test his drug, something Jeeva is unaware of.
But every time Nayantara enters the scene, the film tends to lose track of the story. Nallamani (Pasupathy) is an assassin who wants to kill the scientist but fails. He gets arrested on one of the attempts. When he tries to escapes from custody, he is shot by the police. 'E' takes the wounded Nallamani to an undisclosed location and keeps him. E's plans for Nallamani are revealed only later, and they lend a good angle to the story.
At times, the screenplay and story go for a toss. Besides, E's character gets confusing. Dialogues lack consistency. Music by Deva's son, Srikant Deva, is mediocre but suits the backdrop of the story.
Nayanthara is just a filler in the movie, yet she makes an impact. Ekambarakam, who held the camera for Jhananathan's Iyarkai, has done a decent job this time too. Good action sequences make up for the loose story. Poor special effects fail to lift the movie.
Jeeva's hard-hitting performance is the sole saving grace. This is one of the few reasons why one can spend money on this movie.
Rediff Rating: 