Elan has delivered a modern romance that does away with cliches which is what appeals to all sections of the audiences foremost. He exhibits a good command over the medium and is one to watch out for in the future.
Yuvan Shankar Raja forays into production with the 'Bigg Boss' breakouts Harish Kalyan and Raiza Wilson as the leads created the expectations and debutante Elan almost makes good of a promising and refreshing urban romance.
Shree is stricken by a beautiful girl (Raiza Wilson) working in the adjacent building who he can see from his window. As luck (of the filmi kind) would have it the girl Sindhuja joins his office and has her workstation right next to him. Its a huge achievement for the shy Shree to even get introduced at first but soon they become friends and end up in an extreme situation which in the traditional sense calls for an immediate wedding. But the catch is the modern girl is averse to marrying and is not even sure she loves the guy. After much coaxing from the sincere middle class Shree she agrees for a live in relationship. Does things workout for the two or their polar personalities cause heartbreaks is what 'Pyaar Prema Kadhal' is all about.
Harish Kalyan as Shree is brilliant carrying himself with an ease that is infectious. When letting out a 'Oooh" every time he makes headway with his girl, getting physical with her at the slightest opportunity or interacting with his parents and friends Harish brings to life your everyday guy to perfection. Raiza Wilson as the headstrong but equally confused Sindhuja walks the tightrope confidently and makes the character utterly believable. Her best scene is when Harish insults her in front of their colleagues at a party and on the whole its a solid debut vehicle for her as a leading lady. Anand Babu makes a nice comeback as the uber cool dad of Raiza while Rekha and Pandian as the hero's parents are aptly cast. Muniskanth and the actor who plays the pair's colleague provide some organic comedy that work most of the time.
The film has a very interesting first half with many hilarious situations as well as a refreshing romance blossoming. The conflicts between the lead pair is well exploited and the twelve songs are juxtaposed as part of the narrative which are pleasant to the ears too. Kudos are also due for writing a female character that matches the male's frame for frame and also arcs breaking conventions. The dialogues never tilt towards the dramatic and its a pity the F words are muted by the spoilsport censors . The breakup scene is well shot with a dance depiction in the foreground.
On the downside the second half lags with repetitive scenes and songs reaffirming the already driven home emotions. Raiza's reason for shunning marriage is more of a whim than a valid reason which dilutes her character's strength and also weighs down the screenplay.
Yuvan Shankar Raja's music like his production values is rich while the cinematography, editing and other technicalities are on par. Elan has delivered a modern romance that does away with cliches which is what appeals to all sections of the audiences foremost. He exhibits a good command over the medium and kudos to him for sticking to his guns in the climax. Elan is one to watch out for in the future.
Verdict : Go for this fun and refreshing urban romance that keeps you entertained for most parts
