Neethaane En Ponvasantham

Gautham Vasudev Menon's 2012 Tamil film follows Varun and Nithya, who have known each other since childhood, meeting across three periods and parting each time. The problem is not love but timing, and that neither of them knows how to back down. What stands out is how realistically the quarrels are written: the arguments are not dramatic but everyday, and familiar for exactly that reason. Menon builds the film on conversation rather than plot. Ilaiyaraaja's music is among the things carrying it. Its weakness is the running time and a repeating cycle of separation that becomes wearing. Who it's for: viewers who like Tamil romantic drama and conversation-driven films. Who it's not for: anyone wanting plot, or who will find constant arguments wearing.