Emdan Magan

With a government committee refusing to accept that 'Emdan', a widely used colloquial term, is aTamil word, the name of the Bharath-starrer washurriedly changed to 'Em Magan'.Thirumurugan, previously associated with the megaserial 'Metti Oli' on Sun TV, has made his\directorialdebut with the film.

His long stint on the smallscreen mega serial sets has clearly provided him withthe required expertise to direct a feel-good entertainer that handles the clashes within a family. Tirumalai (Nasser), also known as Emdan, is a hard working, conventional provision storeowner. He clearly does not believe in expressing his affection for his family.

He does not hesitate to chastise his son, Krishna (Bharath), in his college for choosing to study instead of helping him at work or to beat him up in front of others. Krishna patiently takes the bad treatment, refusing the help of his friend who offers him a job at her father's office.

He is fondly attached to his loving mother (Saranya), sister (Remya) and uncle (Vadivelu). His uncle remains his pillar of strength during difficult times. Krishna had been very fond of his cousin, Janani (Gopika), whom he has not seen for ten years following a family feud. The death of a grandfather in the village he hails from brings them back into contact. Love blossoms. They are caught together, old quarrels renewed and Krishna's family is forced to leave. Janani is discovered, hiding in the trunk of the car, when they reach home.

Emdan throws Krishna out of the house. How Krishna marries his beloved, makes his way up the ladder through hard work and how he confronts his father with his different views on life are told simply and well. The scenes have been crafted with care and all the lead actors have put in excellentperformances. Bharath seems to mature with each film. He emotes Krishna's yearning for love and respect from his father with a most natural air. The dignity with which he finally confronts Emdan is praiseworthy. Vadivelu has an important role to play, inhabiting almost every frame and doing a good job of it.

His confrontations with Emdan are a real treat. Gopika, as always, is a natural in front of the camera. Nasser and Saranya deliver what is expected of them with experienced ease. The background score and songs by Vidyasagar add to the experience of the film. "Goli Gundu." and "Unnodu
Than." are sure to stay in the minds of viewers long after they have left the theatres. Sevilo Raja's cinematography is effective. If mush and melodrama seem to predominate towards the end, it could be because of our director's
propensity for the mega serial genre. Otherwise, complaints are few with a film that is sure to bring a smile to your face and, maybe, tears to your eyes.