Sports based films are a rarity in Tamil cinema and there are just a handful of films which fall in this space. Eetti is the newest addition to this lot, but it isn't a full fledged sports flick. There is an interesting medical element added on, along with the other regular commercial cinema elements such as romance, songs, comedy, family sentiment and action with a group of gangsters.
The film has a fairly interesting screenplay by director Ravi Arasu and save the misplaced song sequences and the comedy scenes, Eetti engages the viewer with a well-knit script, which turns convenient at times with many coincidences. The medical angle is fully exploited only towards the end and gives the film some good drama and thrills. The baddies in the film indulge in the business of fake currency notes and these scenes have been handled with good detailing by the director.
Atharvaa gets a proper commercial vehicle and he uses this chance to deliver the goods convincingly as an ace athlete and a 6-pack sporting action hero. The action scenes preceding the interval block and the climax have worked out well, thanks to the action choreographer Rajasekar and also Atharvaa's agility and prowess at stunts. He may actually have the best physique in Kollywood currently! His ripped cuts, flexibility and supple frame serve him very well in the scenes when he is shown as the hurdler and also when he is bashing up the goons. He flaunts his bare upper body quite often too. And as is the norm, we have an inspirational montage song when he is undergoing training. Girls ought to ogle at this handsome, sculpted young man.
Sridivya looks very cute and graceful, and her combination scenes with Atharvaa are interesting as we have a role reversal of sorts with the heroine topping up the hero's mobile regularly, contrary to the unwritten rule of men recharging their girlfriends' mobiles. These scenes are overdone though. Atharvaa generally shares good chemistry with his lead ladies and Sridivya is no exception. Naren as the sports coach, Jayaprakash as Atharvaa's loving father, Thirumurugan as Sridivya's edgy brother, RNR Manohar as the lead villain and his long-haired sidekick are the other actors who shine in their respective parts.
GV Prakash has provided some hum-worthy numbers but they haven't been placed properly on screen. His re-recording provides the necessary fillip to the proceedings, particularly for the action moments and other serious scenes. The grand climax scenes in the stadium have been filmed well by DoP Saravanan Abhimanyu, with apt usage of graphics. As mentioned earlier, the film could have eschewed some of the songs and comedy scenes which act as fillers, and the run time of around 142 minutes could have been kept in check even further.
So, go watch Eetti, which is a decent entertainer with its fair share of merits and a few drawbacks.
Verdict: Atharvaa is sharp in this decent entertainer
