Enai Noki Paayum Thotta Movie Review : A competently shot but less than

compelling film

Story: In 18th century India, Shadashivrao Bhau, commander-in-chief of the Maratha army,
leads his force in the Third Battle of Panipat against Ahmad Shah Abdali, the king of
Afghanistan. M Suganth, TNN, Updated: Nov 29, 2019, 01.33 PM ISTCritic's Rating: 2.0 /5
Enai Noki Paayum Thota Story: A college student who is in a relationship with an actress
has to let go of her because of her gangster guardian. What happens when she walks back
into his life, with news about his estranged brother, who is in trouble?
Enai Noki Paayum Thota Review: The initial promos of Enai Nokki Paayum Thota
(ENPT) felt like a reiteration of Gautham Vasudev Menon's previous film, Achcham
Yenbadhu Madamaiyada (AYM). And the film is that, more or less. Just like how his cop
films are mainly episodes in the lives of different police officers, the director seems to be
making another series - the daring young man and the damsel in distress.
The youngster here is Raghu (Dhanush, for whom this role is a walk in the park), from an
affluent family in Pollachi, who is studying in Chennai. It is love at first sight for Raghu
when he sees Lekha (Megha Akash, pretty but feeble), an actress who is shooting in his
college. Lekha, an orphan, is a debutante under the control of Kuberan (Senthil
Veerasamy), a film industry type with connections in the world of gangsters. Even as
Raghu tries to shield Lekha from him, the girl chooses to go with Kuberan for the sake of
Raghu and his family’s safety. Cut to four years later, and Raghu receives a call from her,
asking him to come to Mumbai, where his estranged brother Thiru (Sasikumar) is in
trouble. And this pushes the young man into a violent world of dirty cops and gangsters,
and straight in line of fire. Can he dodge the bullets and save his girl?
One of the biggest issues with AYM was its sudden tonal shift that gave it the feeling of
two films patched together. Gautham Menon sidesteps this issue in ENPT. He constantly
intercuts the action from his protagonist's the rose-tinted world of romance and the blood-
spattered crime world, and from the past and the present. In a nice touch, both the halves
of the film begin with Raghu about to take a bullet.
By now, you either love or hate the use of the voice-over as a narrative tool in this
director's films, and here, the uses this to convey the thoughts of his protagonist - like in a
novel. This works at times (especially during the action scenes, when the voice-over
becomes a sort of commentary on his actions by Raghu himself) and feels indulgent and
merely expository in others (like the back story we get about Raghu and his siblings,
which fails to connect emotionally).
Romance has been this director's strong point, and here, too, these portions work -
although not as charmingly as they did in AYM. The hero is a gentleman, unlike in most
of our films, which is a good thing. The one time he loses cool with his girl, and speaks
crassly, we get a voice-over expressing regret at such an outburst (aambalainga appappo
ippadi mirugam maadhiri nadandhukkarom illa?). That said, we don't engage as much
with this romance, mainly because we never get why Lekha falls for Raghu. Darbuka
Siva's lovely songs help, but the way they are picturised is disappointing.
The action portions are fairly routine, and like in AYM, here, too, the director stretches
the limits of plausibility. We get a superbly shot fight inside a lift, but otherwise, these
scenes lack tension. Add to this a miscast Sasikumar and generic villains, and the result is
underwhelming. In the end what we are left with is a competently shot but less than
compelling film.
Review: Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus ‘Panipat’ is based on historical facts, taking
some creative liberties along the way. Shadashivrao Bhau (Arjun Kapoor), is an able
commander in his cousin Nanasaheb Peshwa’s (Mohnish Bahl) army. After a victorious

Sensitivity: Internal & Restricted

battle against the Nizam of Udgir, Shadashivrao Bhau is chosen by the Maratha Peshwa to
lead their army to Delhi. Ahmad Shah Abdali (Sanjay Dutt), the king of Afghanistan, has set
his inroads into India after forming an alliance with Najib-Ud-Daula (Mantra) with the
intention to defeat the Marathas and curb their expanding power.
Joining Shadashivrao Bhau and his army on this arduous thousand kilometer journey from
Pune to Delhi are also his wife, Parvati Bai (Kriti Sanon), his nephew and the Peshwa heir -
Vishwasrao (Abhishek Nigam), his cousin, Shamsher Bahadur (Sahil Salathia) and his trusted
aide, Ibrahim Khan Gardi (Nawab Khan). As they traverse through the expanse, they form
alliances with other kings to form a robust army to counter Ahmad Shah Abdali's one lakh
soldiers. And almost mid-way they come face to face with Ahmad Shah Abdali’s army, with
only the raging waters of the Yamuna separating the armies.
‘Panipat’ packs in a layered narrative that delves into the complex politics of the period, the
intricate workings of war strategies versus might, negotiation dynamics and the importance of
forming alliances. And it also weaves in the love story between Shadashivrao Bhau and
Parvati Bai. In fact, the chemistry between Kriti Sanon and Arjun Kapoor as their love story
develops, is one of the high points of the film. But with a run-time of close to three hours and
the many characters and plot points the film touches upon it becomes a lengthy and at times,
tedious watch.
Kriti Sanon pulls in a solid, effortless performance with a well-etched out character graph.
Arjun Kapoor is sincere and shines in the final war sequence and the romantic scenes. Sanjay
Dutt channelizes a menacing act effectively.
The film has been mounted on a lavish scale and it comes through in almost every scene. The
costume design (Neeta Lulla) and the sets and production design (Nitin Chandrakant Desai)
are spectacular and stand out. The songs (Ajay –Atul) add to the mood and are well
choreographed. However, it is in the final battle set in 1761, where the mammoth effort that
has gone into making the film comes to the fore, as we witness a compelling war sequence.
One that almost induces goosebumps. The cinematography (C.K. Muraleedharan), sound
design (Stephen Gomes) and the visual effects also blend in seamlessly to give an authentic
setting to this period film. The ensemble cast of Mohnish Bahl, Padmini Kohlapure, Zeenat
Aman (special appearance) add to the milieu.
‘Panipat’ delves into a significant chapter in history and is a war drama that lauds the
unshakeable bravery, courage and the strong principles of the Marathas.

In-depth Analysis
Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.
Direction:
3.5 /5
Dialogues:
3.0 /5
Screenplay:
3.0 /5
Music:
3.5 /5
Visual appeal:
3.5 /5

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