Erumbu Review: Monica Siva and Sakthi Rithvik hold together this children's film marred by predictability

2.5/5

Story: A boy loses his stepmother's ring and is on a mission to find it with the help of his sister and a friend, before his family returns home

Review: Director G Suresh's feel-good children's drama Erumbu has its intentions well set and its heart in the right place, but the film becomes yet another run-of-the-mill story of two children who go great lengths to address the conflict at hand, in this case finding their stepmother's ring.

Also Read: Erumbu OTT Release Date: When and where to watch this heartwarming children's drama In the opening scene of Erumbu, we meet Annadurai (Charles), who barely manages to make ends meet, courtesy the huge debt that he owes to loan shark (MS Bhaskar). His only consolation is a ring that is kept aside to be pledged when in dire straits. As the family struggles to fend for themselves, Annadurai and his second wife Kamalam (Susan George) take up a day wage job for which they have to stay away from the house for 15 days.

It's during their absence that Muthu (Rithvik) loses the ring. The rest of the plot revolves around how he tries to find the ring along with his elder sister Pachayamma (Monica Siva) and their 'friend' Chittu (George Maryan).

Erumbu is a plot that looks good on paper, but when it comes to execution the film hits a roadblock and many questions remain unanswered. For instance, other than the fact that the siblings are close to each other, we do not know anything about them. Do they go to school? If yes, is the plot set during summer vacation? Why are the children so terrified of Kamalam? Is it only because she is their stepmother?

It's great to see the relentless pursuit of the children for their mission but some of the activities that the children get involved in look too much to handle as well. The scene where they go to buy a ring at a jewellery shop could have been staged better as the lady at the store seems quite conscious of the camera in front of her, making it seem superficial.

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Though the runtime of the film is short, the plot is marred by a barrage of songs which only throws a spanner in the works. Music director Arunraj's songs don't really strike a chord, however, the composer scores well on the BGM front. The predictability of the climax, too, is yet another factor that relegates Erumbu from becoming a truly feel-good film.

Having said that, Erumbu has quite a few heartwarming moments. The bond between the siblings and Chittu is one such. George Maryan delivers the best he could do with his character, which seems to have a hangover from Deiva Thirumagal. However, an actor of his potential could have had a much stronger role.

Also Read: Erumbu OTT Release: THIS leading platform bags the digital rights of the feel-good children's drama 

The stars of Erumbu, are the child artistes Monica Siva and Sakthi Rithvik. Despite the faltering screenplay, the children manage to hold the film together with their convincing performances.

Verdict: Erumbu, which could have truly been a feel-good film, relegates to a run-of-the-mill fare, due to the predictability factor and the faltering screenplay. It's the compelling performances of the leading child artistes that hold the film together.