'EPC' Review: Entertaining Thriller

Movie: Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada
Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: Meghna Arts
Cast: Nikhil Siddharth, Hebah Patel, Nandita Swetha, Vennela Kishore, Raja Ravindra, Tanikella Bharani, Satya, Viva Harsha, Sudarshan, Bhadram, Apurva Srinivas and others
Dialogues: Abburi Ravi
Music: Sekhar Chandra
Cinematography: Sai Sriram
Editing: Chota K Prasad
Story, Screenplay and Direction: VI Anand
Release date: November 18, 2016

With hits like 'Swamy Ra Ra' and 'Karthikeya', Nikhil Siddharth has developed a good following among film lovers. His films are now eagerly awaited as he is taking up different concepts.

Despite his last film “Sankarabharanam” flopping miserably, he created a buzz for “Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada” with the different promos. Does the film live up to the promise shown in theatrical trailer?

Story:
Arjun (Nikhil Siddharth) who is still studying in college waits for his lover Ayesha to come to the registrar office to get married. But she doesn’t appear. Story forwards to four years.

Now in 2016, he is working in Graphics Company and his friend (Vennela Kishore) has the problem of feeling of another person inside his body. He and his friend go to Mahishara temple in Kerala for treatment.

While his friend is being treated he gets in touch with Amala (Hebbah) who has also come for her sister’s treatment. They instantly hit with each other and roam the forest. She hails from Vijayawada. One day, she suddenly leaves the place without informing him. After his friend gets well, Arjun goes to Vijayawada to meet Amala and there he comes to know that she is killed in an accident some years ago.

Shocked he comes to Hyderabad and in a twist he sees Amala again but her name and identity turns out to be Nithya. On the same day, he gets a call from Amala (Nanditha Swetha). Who is Amala and who is Nithya?

Artistes’ Performances:
Nikhil once again pulls off this role with so much ease. He has played his character convincingly. Newcomer Nanditha Swetha completely owns the film, she makes the second half more interesting. She is 100 percent fitted in that role.

Hebbah Patel has done a neat job. Vennela Kishore provides some good laughs. Sathya, Praveen and others also have come up with best comedy act.

Technical Excellence: 
True to its genre, the film has good technical values with perfect background score by Sekhar Chandra, rich cinematography (Sriram) and taut editing. Sriram’s cinematography makes the movie different.

Sekhar Chandra’s music is also plus point. Production values are excellent. Dialogues by Abburi Ravi are perfect.

Highlights:
Concept of the movie
Comedy
Nanditha Swetha’s performance
Cinematography
Gripping narration

Drawback:
First 15 minutes
Climax

Analysis:
As the trailer and the posters suggested, director Vi Anand’s “Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada” is all about a guy who cannot escape from true love. This is a thriller with the element of a soul trying to meet the hero. But the story is not as simple as that, it has many twists and turns and entertains till the end.

The spirit angle is completely novel here. While the concept of the movie itself is different from regular supernatural thrillers, the narration is equally entertaining. 

The director has cleverly used comedy in the movie while the story is about ‘aatma’ and haunting love. This is where the director has shown his creativity.

The first half is devoted to the romance of Hebbah and Nikhil and along with the comedy portions of Vennela Kishore. The twist at the interval bang is too good. And second half also works.

From the scene of arrival of Nanditha at clock tower in Secunderabad, the movie turns very gripping and also entertaining. Although scenes with Nanditha Swetha, Satya and Vennela Kishore remind us the comedy track in ‘Prema Katha Chitram’, this is also hilarious.

And Nanditha Swetha comes up with terrific performance as the spirit of Amala. She has got the perfect body language . Both Satya and Vennela Kishore add more fun to the proceedings.

Even the movie is entertaining, narration is gripping, but the final sequences seem too stretched beyond a point. It should have been ended much earlier, we get the feeling. Also the movie needs lot of trimming as the director has focused on many unnecessary scenes in the episode of Avika Gor. There are many lags too.

Despite this blemishes, the director should be appreciated for telling a different thriller with comedy. Director Vi Anand has proven his mettle with this film although he has failed to impress with his earlier movie ‘Tiger’. In this movie, it is his narrative skills along with the cinematographer and music director that are commendable.

All in all, “Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada” is entertaining to the core. Minor issues apart, the movie is right one for this weekend watch.

Bottom-line: Comedy Spirit!