Set in Yercaud, Marumunai has an intriguing opening scene. A couple stand at the edge of a cliff in what seems like a suicide pact. While the girl jumps off, the youngster is shown nonchalantly walking away. We watch him stalking and killing a girl next, followed by an attack on another couple. While one speculates the meaning behind the scenes, the narration takes us on a flashback, where the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.
The film, directed by debutant Mareish Kumar, has enough of action, thrill and suspense to keep one engaged. The flashback reveals how Kathir and Charu fell in love. He is a bus conductor’s son and a medical student, while she the daughter of a ruthless cop. As in quite a few of the recent releases, the love affair takes off after the duo accidentally exchange their mobile phones. The poor-rich divide and parental opposition to the love affair take up the first half. The pace is slackening here. But the momentum picks up towards the second half where scores are settled and justice meted out to the wrongdoers. The fight on the tree top cabin where Kathir takes on the resort owner (Rajendran) is well-choreographed. Adequate in the lighter scenes, debutant Maruthi (a former directorial assistant) could have worked on the character’s deeper emotions. Mridula (of Vallinam), a natural, handles the role of the tormented girl with finesse.
The narration, like the love affair, moves on a bumpy track. From an interestisng beginning, it peters off towards the middle, picks up pace towards the finale, and reaches the point where it had begun. Marumunai is an attempt to be different and a promising effort from a debutant. — Malini Mannath
Film:Marumunai (Tamil)
Director: Mariesh Kumar
Cast: Maruthi, Mridula Bhaskar, Cheranraj, M S Bhaskar