Ninaithu Ninaithu Parthen is a Tamil film that has everything going for it -- an engrossing screenplay, punchy dialogues, good music, a subtle comedy track, and good actors.
That said, the film loses its steam towards the end, just when you were expecting a smashing climax. In fact, the film borrows from Sethu towards the end. And as an afterthought, the film signs off with the bitter reality that real life doesn't end rosily as in films.
The film is seen shifting between two time frames -- the racy past, where Aadhi (Vikranth) and his friends at the film institute live life to the hilt. His love for Pakistani lass Farhana (Ashitha), and the tragic present, in the form of the heartbreaking search of Aadhi's parents for their missing son.
The narrative is fresh, though we have seen shades of this kind of narrative in Mani Ratnam's Alai Payuthe.
The Indo-Pakistan stand-off may seem out of context now, but the director brings it in very credibly by bringing Farhana from Pakistan to Chennai for her sister's heart surgery, something which we see happening in Chennai all the time. Once in Chennai, the film institute she joins gives her a mixed welcome, with some students treading the path of extreme Hindu nationalism wanting her out of the college. But the majority of the students welcome her in, and Farhana and Aadhi eventually fall in love.
The standoff between Aadhi and the student extremists, manipulated by a local communal leader who wants to drive her out is what the rest of the film is all about.
Thankfully, the various faces of extremism and its fallout has been subtly drawn by the director without resorting to preaching.
The heroine's looks dazzles on screen with her flawless complexion and timid expressions, though her broken Tamil seems a little overdone.
Vikranth, as Aadhi, radiates an inner fire and exterior subtlety, much like his cousin Vijay.
Supporting actors Roja (Aadhi's mother), Raj Kapoor (Aadhi's father), Rajesh, Karunas, Sashi, Malaysia Vasudevan, Reena, Nanditha, Thalaivasal Vijay and Ponnambalam do a decent job.
A big plus for the film is the comedy.
Dialogues thrash out both points of view of the communal divide. Cinematography by Madhu Ambat, lyrics by Na Muthukumar and the music track by Joshua Sridhar are classy, Sridhar's rap song notwithstanding.
Art by Arokia Raj and locales have been appropriately chosen, especially the college scenes. Editing by Kola Bhaskar keeps pace with the shifting time frames of the film. Stunts by Anal Arasu and choreography by Dinesh are okay.
Having crafted an admirable job, debutant director Manigandan, who earlier assisted Selvaraghavan, is someone to watch out for. Handling the story, screenplay and direction, he has managed to present both the social and emotional angle to communal divides without drenching the film in violence.
Rediff Rating: