'Enakkul Oruvan' is one of those experimental films which come close to perfection in every aspect of filmmaking. From the plot to narrative, direction, technicalities and performances, the movie has managed to pull off one of the finest movies in Tamil in recent times.

The plot and the narrative of this psychological thriller are absolutely fresh and have brought director Prasad Ramar's name into the list of best directors in Tamil cinema in recent times.

The story of "Enakkul Oruvan" revolves around a young man Vignesh/ Viggy (Siddharth) who is an insomniac. In an effort to find a solution to his sleepless nights, he stumbles upon a drug named "Lucia" – a dream pill, which lets a person sleep and dream of a life he wishes to live. The rest of the movie talks about how these dreams conquer his life and his psych.

The most impressive aspect of the movie is the narration style of the movie which goes back and forth between the dream and reality of Viggy. The smooth transition between these two phases of his life is visualised so well that audience never gets entangled in the complex story line and narrative.

Kudos to script writer Pawan Kumar (who was also the director of the original version 'Lucia' in Kannada) for his detailing in the script and dialogues. He has made sure that nothing is left out of place in the narration to bring the movie to an astounding climax.

In terms of performance, Siddharth has proved his versatility again with his double role in the movie and the actor has started the year 2015 with a bang. His varied reactions and attitude is close to perfection and his dedication to his role is much visible on the screen.

Another actor who stands out with his restrained performance is actor Aadukalam Naren. His appearance at the right times with right dialogues ensures the stability of the narrative and the actor has managed to pull off his supporting role with great clarity.

The lead actress of the movie Deepa Sannidhi has got a good role which gives her ample scope to perform and she had done justice to her role. The other actors of the movie including John Vijay, Jog Japee, Mahadevan, Uday Mahesh, Ajay Rathnam and Vettri have perfumed their parts well.

When it comes to the technicalities, the first thing that you will notice is the cinematography of the movie done By Gopi Amarnath. At some places the camera itself becomes a character and contributes immensely to the visualisation as well as to the narration of the movie.

"Enakkul Oruvan" can also be one of the best examples of editing in recent times. The movie, which deals with the concepts of reality and dream sequences, are very well weaved by editor Leo John Paul. The use of colours in the movie which differentiate the characters and the space of the story is also something which stands out.

The music by Santhosh Narayanan is impressive and fit well into the plot.

To conclude, "Enakkul Oruvan" is by product of efforts from some fresh thoughts and a movie like this deserves to be applauded by good audience participation in theatres.

Nicy V.P., ibtimes.co.in

When: 6 Mar 2015, Day 1; Where: Sathyam – Santham

Enakkul Oruvan – Who would you want to be in your dream?

A solid psychological thrilller that interplays between a man’s life and his dreams.

A lowly usher battling insomnia discovers a pill that gives him sleep and along with that an opportunity to live a dream life, a dream where he’s a dashing movie star. A Freudian wish fulfillment.

“Poo avizhum pozhudhil or aayiram kanaa,

Or kanavin vazhiyil adhe nila…”

There’s also his love for the theatre and the girl he longs for. The sequences of dream and reality interlock seamlessly, the ‘dream’ shot entirely in B&W.

Siddharth, the man on an incredible roll, is in fine fettle here. (Does he ever do a bad movie in Tamil!) Santhosh Narayanan cooks up a score that makes us feel the fractured reality.

Things are turned inside out towards the end and the POV is inverted, subverting the conceit of reality.

Am I dreaming, or am I the dream?

The way the story unravels in the final act elevates it to a surreal level. That shot of a man washed ashore, a hat tip to Inception?

“Your small life could be someone else’s big dream”

What a movie. Couldn’t be better. Couldn’t stop smiling as I walked out of the theatre after watching a movie that effortlessly transcends the mundane.

Rajesh Ram, boutsofreverie.wordpress.com

A man suffering from Insomnia gets introduced to pills that allow him to cultivate and experience lucid dreams that could continue with interruptions too. With each real-life character that has caused an impact in him getting a parallel in his dream, the distinction between reality & dream thins out and that consumes him. The final act on how he gets out of it brings the curtains down with a wonderful little perspective brought to note.

Language: Tamil

Running Time: 147 min

Rating: U

Release date: 6 March 2015

Directed by: Prasad Ramar

Produced by: CV Kumar, Abinesh E

Written by: Pawan Kumar

Starring: Siddharth, Deepa Sannidi, Aadukalam Naren, Ajay Rathnam, Srushti Dange, John Vijay, Yog Japee, Mahadevan

Music by: Santhosh Narayanan

Shot by: Gopi Amarnath

Editing by: Leo John Paul

Distributed by: Radiance Media, Dream Factory

The idea behind Enakkul Oruvan stems from Pawan Kumar’s daring story and screenplay in its original Kannada version Lucia. The intrigue & simplicity the writing offers, in spite of having to deal with a compound subject (pun intended) deserves adulation.

Credits to Producer CV Kumar & debut director Prasadh Ramar for trying to stay as faithful to the original as possible. They have succeeded in not tampering it to evade risks in the movie’s commerce.

Siddharth is going through a purple patch in decorating his filmography with solid works & his contrasting portrayals in Enakkul Oruvan befits being a milestone ‘25th film’ in his career. He underplays in his cool avatar as Vignesh, the Star & seems to have done good work behind his diction for playing Vicky, the usher. There is nothing artificial about his performance as Vicky and pulling that off is a huge achievement.

Deepa Sannidhi, who debuts as heroine in Kollywood warms up to her role well & emotes impressively towards the end. The supporting cast led by the talented Aadukalam Naren (now a CV Kumar regular), Ajay Rathnam have been steered efficiently by director Prasad Ramar. The unfamiliar actor who plays the special agent deserves a mention for playing his role with casual ease. It was smart of the director to not hype his role like it was done in the original.

Santhosh Narayanan has come up with songs of good quality & in addition to using his background scores for Lucia, he has also come up with a few fresh bits (One inspired heavily by a soulful Morricone track).

Leo John Paul’s editing plays a crucial ally to the screenplay and doesn’t let it sag at any point. Gopi Amarnath’s work at the camera plays its role in maintaining the subtle difference between the colourful & the colourless. The aerial shot at the beach in the climax adds the otherwise missing grandeur to the film.

Inasmuch as the makers have tried to stay faithful to the original, there have been minor misses that dampen the impact a bit (For example, there is no mention of Durai Anna’s film seeing the light of the day; The surprise the hero offers his manager in taking him to his hometown is missing).

The supporting actor who plays the friend of the heroine is shoddy & offers moments to cringe in disappointment.