Review – Echcharikkai-Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadumidam

Film:Echcharikkai-Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadumidam
Director: Sarjun K M
Cast: Kishore, Sathyaraj, Vivek Rajagopal, Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Yogibabu and others

Music: Sundaramurthy K S

Cinematography:Sudarshan Srinivasan

Director Sarjun K M’s film, Echcharikkai -Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadumidam, is a regular crime thriller that primarily revolves around five characters — David (Kishore), his nephew Thomas (Vivek Rajagopal), Thomas’s girlfriend Swetha (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar), Swetha’s father and Natraj (Sathyaraj), a retired police official.

The story is simple. Thomas loses both his parents at a very young age. How he loses them is tragic. Young Thomas’s dad kills his mother and his uncle David, who is just a teenager, kills Thomas’s dad, fearing that he may kill Thomas and him too next.

Immediately after the murder, David realises his folly and asks young Thomas who is just a kid to take the blame. His logic is that he would be tried as an adult as he is 19 if he accepted what he did and therefore would get a much more harsher sentence while Thomas would only be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Thomas initially agrees but then, breaks down during questioning by the cops. He spills the beans and names David as the murderer.

The cops arrest David while Thomas, who is merely a boy, is left on the streets to fend for himself.

Years pass and Thomas grows up to be a vagabond. He steals bikes for a living along with his friend and roommate Francis D’Souza (Yogi Babu).

It is during this time that one day, David is released from prison. David meets Thomas and the reception is neither warm nor cordial. David, who had all the while been under the impression that his nephew would be eagerly waiting for him to come out of prison, is in for a shock at the treatment.

Nevertheless, he does not show his disappointment and decides to stay with his nephew and his friend. The ex-convict soon finds out what Thomas does for a living and realises that he is going to get nowhere with his lack of discipline and attitude.

He decides to help him make some money and thereby settle down. So, he comes up with a kidnapping plan. He gives Thomas the option to choose the victim and also the ransom amount they need to demand for the victim.

Thomas, who in reality dislikes his uncle for having left him an orphan on the streets, picks two wealthy people as options for the kidnapping. One is the son of a jewellery store owner and the other happens to be Swetha (Varalaxmi) the daughter of a rich businessman.

He presents both these options to David, who asks him to pick one. Thomas picks Swetha and soon the kidnappers get to work. They kidnap the girl and demand Rs eight crore from her dad as ransom.

Swetha’s dad, who is desperate to get his daughter back, gets in touch with a retired police officer Natraj (Sathyaraj) to trace his daughter.

Natraj, who has an ailing daughter himself, initially says he is unwilling to take up the case but on Swetha’s father’s insistence, he finally agrees to take it up.

Investigations begin. Soon, it becomes apparent that each individual in the plot has a plan and a motive of their own. The plots turn murkier as the story gains momentum. Soon, suspicion begins to reign supreme and trust goes for a toss!

The film is just about okay. It has a plot with a number of twists and turns. Sadly though, most of them are predictable.

One other problem with the film is that its casting isn’t perfect. Vivek who plays Thomas is often found lacking in many sequences. Another person who doesn’t do justice to his role is the person playing Swetha’s father. He overemotes and often overcompensates, giving the sequences a touch of artificiality.

Although the plot has substantial potential in it, one must say it hasn’t been exploited really well. The story hasn’t been presented as it really must have been. As a result, the film comes across as just another run-of-the-mill crime film.

The film has good performances coming in from Kishore as David, Sathyaraj as Natraj, Varalaxmi as Swetha and Yogibabu as Francis D Souza. Despite these good performances, the film doesn’t make the cut.

To be more precise, Echcharikkai-Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadumidam, which is about the need for keeping the faith, isn’t boring but it isn’t exciting enough as well.