Veeran is a bully and a bit of an idiot, his only ambitions seem to be to upset local dimwit Douglas and to commit a big enough crime to go to Madras prison. Karthi did his best in his debut to give his character some depth. Priyamani has been praised to the skies for this role and bagged a number of awards, and I can see why. When Muthalagu smiles, she is a radiant young girl in love. Her body language and facial expressions really capture a mix of arrogance and uncertainty. She doesn’t try to make crying look pretty she lets the anger and frustration burn through. It’s not a glamorous role – most of the time Priyamani is in plaits with the scrubbed face no makeup look. There is no swaying her, not even his protests can persuade her. She believes Paruthiveeran is her fate, they are meant to be together and she will not break her promise to him or to god. She knows everyone is talking about her, but she never tries to hide her feelings or make any pretence. This is not a shrinking violet, but nor is she a crazed caricature. She drugs Paruthiveeran, ties him to his bed and tattoos her name on his chest. She takes poison rather than marry another man. Her teachers and others keep asking why she wants to throw herself away on a man who is usually in jail, why she would deliberately fail 4 years of school so she can postpone being married off. She is beaten and verbally abused by both of her parents but will not flinch, and even threatens her father in return. Muthalagu is complex yet single minded and while I couldn’t see myself ever obsessing over Karthi, I could believe that she was. Priyamani’s performance is totally convincing, even as I was rolling my eyes at some of her character’s choices. Muthalagu is an interesting character, and not your usual romantic girly heroine. There are lots of spoilers ahead so if you really don’t want to know, please stop now. What will happen to a strong willed girl who refuses all other offers and stands up to her father? Why would she want Veeran who is a drunken womaniser, not interested in her and not particularly attractive? Priyamani and Karthi make the melodrama more compelling than it might seem. Soon Muthalagu tells anyone who will listen and everyone else as well, that she will marry Paruthiveeran and only him.īack in the present day Paruthiveeran, or Veeran, played by Karthi (knife wielding ne’er do well from the opening sequence) and Muthalagu (Priyamani) are still in the village. The children become friends and promise to be together always, even after they grow up. Her cousin, Paruthiveeran, helps to keep her alive, and an obsessive love is born. In a black and white flashback, a young girl is pushed into a well. We’re in a place divided by caste and old grudges, where the police are the law but not the authority. It’s all very colourful and entertaining, and then the knives come out. The camera draws the eye in through a range of points of view, creating the feeling of being part of the milling crowds.
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The film opens at a temple festival, full of colour and music.