Sathya (Bharat) dotes on his kid brother Vijay (Ansari). And as half the time the two children are at home with only the maid for company, the bond gets stronger. The parents, Shankar (Sasi) and Latha (Devadarshini) are too busy to devote time for the kids. And even when they do, it is only to admonish Sathya for his pranks.

Vijay, who falls ill frequently, yearns for the mother's affectionate touch, but the onus is too much for her. Things get out of hand when the forlorn kids run away from home.

Luckily, for them they meet a kindly old man running an orphanage. Eventually they are reunited with their parents — but not before the elders learn their lesson.

A crisp screenplay, terse dialogue and deft direction from Bhuvana and neat portrayal by all the artistes make "Inii" worthy viewing. The same characteristics had marked her earlier short film "Ayeesha" also. But B. Sivakumar was its director. "Except `Ayeesha' all my other projects have been directed by me. Even there, I was involved in the production and post-production work throughout," says Bhuvana — writer, journalist and beautician turned filmmaker — even as she is rushing to the airport to send "Inii" in time for the Indian Panorama in Delhi. "Inii" will next be sent to the Hyderabad and Mumbai film festivals.

Bhuvana had also written, directed and produced television serials earlier. "Be it a book, poem, serial or short film, I see to it that all my creations have a concrete message," Bhuvana claims.

Accolades at film fests are nothing new to Bhuvana. "Ayeesha" had won many awards at both the national and international levels. Again "Inii" shows much promise. Meanwhile she has also completed another short film, "Thaedal", with Archana and Vasanth. Archana was there in "Ayeesha" too ... "Archana is a long time friend. But for a change I thought Devadarshini would suit the role," she smiles. Both Devadarshini and Sasi have come out with very natural performances. "Sasi is a committed actor who is very serious about his profession," adds Bhuvana.

Nair Raman is a capable but under-utilised artiste who impresses as the old man who offers succour to the young boys. "Pasi" Sathya is another performer who shines.

The concept of the film is R. Chandrasekhar's. Alphonse Roy (his wild life films are of international renown) who has wielded the camera is another asset of "Inii", which has been shot in 35mm. "We discussed every frame in detail and Alphonse has come out with the most unusual of shots," Bhuvana compliments her cinematographer and adds, "Wherever there is talent, Suresh Urs is always there to lend a helping hand and offer encouragement, despite his being extremely busy in feature films ... " The editor has done a fine job indeed. Yet the surprise packet is Karthik Raja, whose commendable background score elevates "Inii" to higher levels. Says Bhuvana, "As an ardent fan of Ilaiyaraja and one who has been very much taken in by Karthik Raja's potential, I approached him for my next film, a full length feature this time. And when I casually mentioned "Inii", which I was making then, he offered to do the music. `It is a very small attempt. Watch the film first and if you feel it's worth it you do it,' I said. He saw it with his family and liked it so much that he insisted that he would do it." A total of 30 days work, including four days of shoot, and minimum investment have yielded gratifying results.

FIND A car stereo which can directly play music stored on your computer (no messy wires involved), an electronic whiteboard that looks like it can think, and Aishwarya Rai singing `Konjum Mainakale' in crystal-digital clear tones at the AV expo at Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam.

Calling the audiophile, the video-buff and the techno-sound. This expo organised by AV MAX (a magazine published by Infomedia India Limited), houses the sleek and the esoteric, the international and the red-hot-in-the-market in audio video technology.

Music director Karthik Raaja who inaugurated the expo this morning said the top three products that grabbed his attention were the ONKYO surround speakers and monitors ("it had warmth"), the SONY stall and BOSE's home entertainment systems ("really good stuff"). "I travel abroad frequently and I have visited several such expos abroad. This one is a good starting point for Chennai,'' said Mr. Raaja.

It's sleek, digital "tomorrow's technology" from 90 top international and national brands. Plasma display flat panels, hi-tech home-theatre systems, speakers from 6 inches to 6 feet tall, the world's thinnest projector, and some home theatre systems worth Rs. 25 lakhs are all on show in the city for two more days. For a more intimate audio experience, head to the first floor where the exhibitors have taken individual rooms to get you to "see, touch, feel" the products, according to organiser Rahul Shah, general manager, Infomedia India Limited. He says some exhibitors are offering special schemes like personal finance payable on an instalment basis exclusively for this expo.

Crank up the volume on your car stereo and do the "dB drag" on Sunday, a friendly contest on "how loud can your audio go?" conducted by the organisers. Exciting prizes are in store for the winners. Warning! If you hit 160 db, you really won't need a new audio system.