I am sure there are several points in our lives where something that occurs in a split-second decides what happens thereafter. And there are times when we wonder what would have happened if things had happened differently in that split-second. First-time director Jeeva employs this idea to track the radically different courses that life follows in the life of a young man, as a result of the seemingly innocuous act of missing or catching a bus. Though based on the Hollywood movie Sliding Doors, it a unique and innovative idea for Tamil cinema and the result is a very entertaining motion picture that in its own, lighthearted way manages to emphasise the importance of fate in our lives.

The movie opens with Shakthi(Shaam) on his way to an interview. After being besotted with a girl(Jyotika) on the way and visiting his mother, he runs to catch the bus. An auto in his way makes him miss the bus but at this point, the movie also switches tracks to start showing us what might have happened had he not missed the bus. In scenario #1, things start off badly with him being late for the interview but seem to brighten up as he manages to meet the girl he had seen before. In scenario #2, he gets the job but never succeeds in meeting the girl. Instead, he unknowingly earns the affection of Priya(Simran), who works with him and has just lost someone dear to her. The two stories thus proceed in parallel, sharing characters and events and converging and diverging at various points.

Jeeva succeeds in selecting two courses of life that are really different and their differing nature provides some nice moments. Shaam's jobs in the two tracks are at two ends of the social spectrum and so are his lifestyle and circle of friends. It is fascinating as we watch the single event of catching and missing the bus resulting in two completely different individuals. The rowdiness at the end of his friend's engagement in one scenario and the seriousness of the party given in his honor in the other is one of the more noticeable scenes illustrating the contrast but there are other more subtle touches throughout. The other aspect of this contrast in lifestyles is that it helps in making the proceedings less confusing. With the alternating tracks, the potential for confusion is large but Jeeva succeeds in keeping things on a clear track most of the time.

Even without the gimmick of alternate timelines, the movie functions admirably well as two love stories of vastly different natures. The Shaam-Jyotika romance has several laughs (the scene where Shaam proves his social consciousness by replacing the cover of an open manhole is hilarious). Simran's track is more serious considering her situation but her gradual opening up to him is well brought out. Ofcourse the necessity of traversing two love stories in the span of 2 hours and 45 minutes results in some lack of depth to both. For instance we never see a solid reason for Jyotika's transformation from smiling amusement at Shaam's antics to love and Simran's middle-of-the-road meeting with Shaam seems too casual after her previous seriousness. But both tracks are definitely entertaining with a good mixture of romance, cuteness and comedy.

The movie ends in a way that is perfect. As the destinies of the two Shaams converge, there is genuine suspense as the movie makes us wonder about how things are going to be wrapped up. The end then provides real closure and finishes in a way that explains very well, what I had thought to be one of the biggest loose ends that far - the complete lack of background information on Simran's loss. It did take a while for the meaning behind the end to sink in and it made a lot of sense once it did. Quite a rare accomplishment for a Tamil movie!

Shaam makes it tough to believe that it is his first movie and looks completely at ease in front of the camera. He is handsome, acts effortlessly, fights well and with a few dancing lessons, has the potential to make it big. Jyotika has the meatier role and exhibits her usual energy. She has toned down her facial contortions to just the right level and now one can marvel at the wide array of expressions she turns on and off with ease. Her reactions to Shaam playing with her at the engagement is a case in point. Simran, inspite of having first billing, plays what could be called an extended cameo. She is dressed down and unglamorous and delivers a subdued but sensitive performance. Hindi action hero Sunil Shetty has a non-action role as Jyotika's uncle and is dignified while yesteryear Hindi actress Moon Moon Sen is adequate as Jyotika's understanding mom. Vivek makes his usual jabs and comments and is funny as always. Fortunately, the comedy never descends into crudeness and matches the class of the rest of the movie.

Harris Jeyaraj(of Minnale fame) matches the exhuberant nature of the film with his background music. Though none of the songs is a standout, they are all definitely easy on the ears. Jeeva's earlier job was as cameraman on some big films like Indian and his experience shows both in the large number of closeups and the colorful but unobtrusive photography during the song sequences.

12B is a bus that is worth hopping onto.