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Director: Vincent Selva
Cast: Murali, Meena, Raghuvaran, Ranjit, Vadivelu, Ajay Ratnam, Karikalan, Delhi Ganesh, Rajshekhar and Vijayakumari.
This is the
director's second film, after 'Priyamudan' and he has handled the
subject with finesse. The screenplay is gripping, the tempo never
slows down, and it has lines that are meaningful and thought
provoking. The songs are catchy and well picturised. It is an
intense film set in a period when the Maharajas lost their titles
but still cling on to their lost glory and where the feudal
system is still strong and the villagers are treated like slaves.
They have no self-esteem and are resigned to their fate. Rises
from them a young man, hot-blooded and a rebel, who tries to
create awareness among the villagers and restore their
self-esteem. He is Hiranyan (Murali). Reportedly the character is
based on a true-life person and the reel-life is based on some
real-life incidents.
There is a little confusion in the beginning when Hiranyan returns to his village after years of exile. What had happened to him and where exactly he had returned from is not very clear. In the opening scene his cousin (Meena) says that he would definitely return. Her father says that he is dead. And the landlord, the villain of the piece, gleefully asserts that he is in jail. Then Hiranyan is suddenly shown breaking out from a grave and later entering the village in an army uniform. The censor's scissors has done its work and we never really learn what had happened to him. That the links are missing is obvious. Quite a few dialogues too have gaps where the lines have been censored out. Hiranyan returns, sees the pathetic condition of his village people and tries to do something about it. He pays violence with violence and chased by the police, who are hand-in-glove with the landlord, takes refuge in a forest. He meets a few like-minded youths there. In this fight he loses his father and his newfound companions. The landlord turns all his fury on the villagers. Finding life unbearable, the villagers decide to vacate the village.
Hiranyan tries to put some sense into them, but the same men whom he had fought for now turn against him in anger, attacking him with stones. Taunted by the landlord and spurned by his own men, he plays his trump card. When the landlord threatens to shoot him down, he faces the bullets calmly, not trying to defend himself. Shocked, the grief-stricken villagers turn their fury on the landlord and rise as one against him.
Similar subjects may have come earlier. Like in 'Malayur Mambattiyan' and 'Adharmam'. But this is worth a watch. Murali performs with intensity and conviction. For Meena, the role is different from the 'glamour doll' ones. She plays Hiranyan's wife who courageously takes off from where he leaves. It is a creditable performance. For a change Vadivelu is used not only to provide comic relief, but is also given a crucial role to handle, which the actor does admirably.