Starring : Sundar.C, Anjali, Vivek, Napoleon, Nazer, Vijayakumar, Suganya, Manivannan
Direction : Udayan
Music : Srikanth Deva
Production : Pyramid Saimira Production
With a whole bunch of movies, based out of Gandhian principles particularly ahimsa, having been released and faded into oblivion in Bollywood, Tamil cinema is just about taking up the Mahatma’s name and principles in hand. While infusing the preaching of Mahatma into the script without making it sound like a sermon is a way of doing it, smearing it all over for the sake of sticking to the rules of Tamil cinema bible that provides much emphasis on melodrama and less on logical thinking seems to be director Udayan’s method.
Although Aayudham Seivom only has the ingredients of a commercial potboiler – fights, an item number, a little more than below-average script, and a comedy track – what makes it stand a little apart is the basic idea of its plot. Not to mention, the essence is lost in the packaging – after all Sundar C has a fan following and has to maintain the decorum meant for his movies.
Sundar C plays the hit man who makes a living out of hooliganism and other petty crimes. He can be hired for any such deeds other than assassination because he considers killing as an act even beneath his standards. While he is hired to steal the documents that have crucial evidence relating to Collector Suganya and her family’s death from the old and good-hearted lawyer Vijayakumar, the old man is accidentally killed and in his death-bed wishes Sundar C to ‘live long’.
Sundar C, disturbed by this, is meanwhile directed by a court, for another offence, to perform social service in a Gandhi Museum in Madurai. He wins the curator Nasser’s heart by employing novel methods to increase the visitors to the museum – like announcing prizes such as a handshake with Malavika. After his brief stint at the museum, he embarks on a journey to probe and discover who is guilty of Suganya’s death and with the help of Gandhian principles brings the culprit before the eyes of law.
The role seems to be tailor-stitched to perfection for Sundar C. He performs stunts like an insurmountable hero and runs around trees with his lead pair Anjali on the other hand. Above all, he sets Manivannan right of his monstrosity with the help of a few patriotism-evoking dialogues on TV.
Kattrathu Tamil Anjali has long shed her widely accepted ‘homely’ image and the makeover has deprived her of her usual drapes leaving her with scanty outfits, in exotic locales. Vivek’s comedy fuels the otherwise dragging screenplay in many places and announces Vivek’s regaining glory. Manivannan, Vijaykumar, Napoleon, and Suganya are a few noteworthy members among the cast. Vindhya swings to the Tamil version of ‘Khaike Paan Banaaraswala’ while Malavika restricts herself to a few scenes devoid any gyration.
‘Innum Oru Vaanam’ sung by Girish and Chinmayi is the pick of Srikanth Deva’s music and K.S Selvaraj’s camera has done wonders to the song.
