Dear Gautham Menon,

I have always been an ardent fan of yours right from Minnale. The elite feel you bring in to the relatable characters and the urbane language they speak, pleasing visuals and heart-melting music have been the biggest strengths of your films. I love the music of Minnale and Pachaikili Muthucharam, the dialogues spoken by Maya in Kaakha Kaakha, racy screenplay of Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu, the way Suriya’s character carries an attitude in Vaaranam Aayiram and of course, I love the epic park scene from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. There was something to be loved in all your movies. It is not for no reason that you have been an inspiration for the current generation of aspiring film-makers.

But, I am deeply disappointed with your last two Tamil films and more so because they have come from the person who I look up to all the time. I just wish you had not made the experimental ‘Nadunisi Naaygal’. It was dark, disturbing and never conveyed anything to the audience. There was no reason why you should have made such a disturbing film. But, as a creator, it’s your right to choose the genre and as a fan, I can only convey my anxiety.

Much was expected from your latest film Neethaane En Ponvasantham, as you teamed up with Maestro Ilaiyaraja for the first time. Music was soulful and took us back to the time when music was enjoyed in its purest form. Jiiva and Samantha made a great lead pair. Santhanam came good with his witty one-liners and camera work was equally pleasing too. But, I could not relate to any of the scenes from the film. It was very unrealistic and looked like a mash of all your previous movies. The scenes were over stretched and pointless. For the first time, I felt songs took forward the movie more than the scenes. There were very few likable aspects in the screenplay to retain the entertainment quotient for the audience.

Irrespective of the box-office outcome of NEP, I am just afraid if you have started to think that content can be compromised for stylish making. The best of your works had engaging content along with the stylish making, and not just the latter. That is definitely missing in your latest offering. I sincerely wish you get back your midas touch, focus on one movie at a time and continue entertaining us as you were doing some years ago. I know that it is just a matter of time before you get back to being your best. Awaiting the release of your next film!

Love,

A true Gautham Menon fan

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