After he made the trendsetting Subramanyapuram, Sasikumar has seen success both as an actor(Nadodigal) and a producer(Pasanga). But he doesn't continue his streak with Easan, his return to the director's chair. The film is engrossing as long as it focuses on the politics-police-business nexus but then inexplicably - and very disappointingly - turns into a cliched revenge story.

Dheivanayagam(A.L.Alagappan), a minister, is as corrupt as they come while his son Chezhian(Vaibhav) spends his time frequenting pubs and discotheques and bailing out his friends when they get in trouble. When Chezhian and Rashmi(Aparna), the daughter of a business magnate Shivraj Hegde, fall in love, Dheivanayagam sees the opportunity to become even more powerful. As Hegde is forced to agree to the idea, Chezhian disappears and an honest cop Sangaiya(Samuthirakani) is assigned to investigate his disappearance.

Sasikumar is one of the few directors who can legitimately claim to have made a trendsetter. His Subramanyapuram single-handedly launched the genre of the rustic, violent, non-star-driven films, the aftereffects of which are still being seen. So its admirable that he has chosen a completely different setting and storyline for his sophomore effort. We do see glimpses of the directorial brilliance he showed in his debut in the first half of Easan(for instance, in the way he slowly brings about the trap the Minister springs for the government official) but the second half is so full of cliches and so slow that it becomes difficult to believe that he was responsible for it.

Reminding us of the films of Madhur Bhandarkar, Easan pokes and probes into the darker side of the lifestyles of the rich and the powerful. As it does so, the film paints an engrossing picture of the symbiotic relationship that exists between politics, police and business. It is fascinating to watch as criminals go scot-free, deals are struck for kickbacks on contracts, people are blackmailed and personal relationships are employed as leverage. Not much of this is really new but the focus here is on a small group of bad guys rather than a hero taking them on and so the film provides a level of realism and detail that makes it all interesting.

After the intricate goings-on in the first half, the route the film takes post-intermission is a surprise as it turns into a police procedural/revenge tale. With the investigation being conducted by a cop rather than a supercop, the way the path to the target is traced is realistic. But the revenge tale offers nothing new. The long flashback serves up all the stock elements of such a tale with a happy family song, a big tragedy that strikes the family and a vengeful survivor.

Its clear that Sasikumar isn't too fond of life in the city. So the view we get of the city is one filled with rich boys, corrupt politicians, heartless businessmen and helpless policemen. The indictment becomes more obvious during the flashback as we get an idyllic view of village life with its happy families and caring villagers. And to emphasize things even more, a villager, after moving to the city, has doors shut in his face, wonders why he doesn't see smiles on people's faces and sees his life destroyed. Though Sasikumar's approach isn't as heavy-handed or amateurish as that of the director of Vannathu Poochi, his intentions seem to be the same.

Samuthirakani, the director of Nadodigal plays the cop suitably. Whether its frustration on being unable to do his job, indignation at being used as a pawn in the politicians' games or concentration during the investigation, he is able to convey them convincingly. Vaibhav is fine as the rich, spoiled kid though the actors playing his friends seem rough around the edges. Alagappan fits the minister's role to a T and Namo Narayanan does a wonderful job playing his assistant, always looking out for him. Abhinaya makes an impression as the girl seduced by life in the city. James Vasanthan's songs are just about passable and none really stand out.