ENGAL ANNA (/5)
	: Vijayakant, Prabhudeva, Swarnamalya & Nameeta
	Music: Deva
	Direction: Siddique
Remark: This Comedy Anna is not the usual Vijayakanth movie

A Family Comedy(?!). After THERKATHI KALLAN, I don’t think Vijayakanth has acted in a comedy movie (movies like NARASIMHA are supposed to be serious but we had a good laugh). This one has a good story and some fine comedy throughout. Thanks to director, Siddique, this remake of Malayalam film, Chromic Bachelor, is very refreshing. The storyline is good too. Vijayakanth is unmarried and is living with his secretary, Vadivelu. Vijayakanth supports his step sister Swarnamalya without her knowledge for fear that she would not accept his help. He stays next door to his sister. His nephew, Prabhudeva is a loafer and his parents send him to Vijayakanth’s house. When Prabhudeva arrives with Pandiarajan starts the slapstick between the trio (Vadivelu is the third person). The extremely funny first half goes fast. Swarnamalya comes to know that Vijayakanth is her brother. Her roommate, Nameeta falls in love with Vijayakanth. Meanwhile Vijayakanth’s ex-love and her husband want to ensure that Vijayakanth is a loser. They separate his sister from him and then the happy ending. The story has been narrated with ease. The audience roar with laughter especially the scenes involving Bhaskar as a drunkard. Especially towards the end scenes, when someone says “I would rather get you married to a drunkard that get you married to your lover”…..fully drunken, Bhaskar arrives in the scene. The director had proved in his earlier tamil movie, FRIENDS, his ability to deal with comedy and here he makes another strong impression. The music by Deva is good (though a copy like before). Everyone has played their part to perfection without much overacts. Vijayakanth should choose such movies which would fit him. Good comeback by Swarnamalya (very few people have acted so daringly after marriage). The heroine Nameeta is more a beauty piece and is not required for the story. A good comedy for all ages.

- Gokul Santhanam & Prem Anand S