Since debuting with the hit romantic flick Minnale in 2001, director Gautham Menon has come a long way, giving us critically and commercially successful films like Kaakha Kaakha, Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. He is known for etching brilliant characters in his films (even supporting actors). Who can ever forget ACP Anbuchelvan, Sethu, Aradhana and Karthik/Jessie?

Neethane En Ponvasantham is Gautham's venture after the debacle of Ekk Deewana Tha up north. NEP created a significant level of hype mainly because of Ilayaraja's return. NEP, with Jiiva and Samantha in the lead roles seemed to be a promising romantic movie but ended up being patchy. Jiiva was not utilised fully while Samantha's acting seemed to be fake in several parts. Most importantly, it did not immerse the viewers in the movie like how VTV/YMC did. The screenplay was not engaging, which is a rarity in a Gautham film. The songs seemed to be misplaced and the BGM was irritating (Harris Jeyaraj would have been a better choice).

A notable comedian made a return to a Gautham film, Santhanam being there to provide some comic relief, even though he was also under-utilised. (Remember Vivek in Minnale). The pace of the film is okay but the cinematography is not up to Gautham's standards. Kudos to Samantha for dubbing in her own voice. The supporting cast performed aptly according to the character requirements.

I personally feel Gautham should return to the action domain, where he had excelled brilliantly. A film with Suriya is in the pipeline and most of us are expecting something extravagant. Undoubtedly, he is one of the best directors in Indian cinema in the action genre to be specific. In a nutshell, NEP is not a poetic romantic film like Minnale or VTV and it is another disappointing venture by the ace director.