FROM the sublime to the mundane. That’s what we feel when we see Pasupathi in action as Vedigundu Murugesan, a product of the slums, a habitual offender and alchoholic, albeit with a golden heart. It’s the actor’s first solo lead, after playing the villain, or one of the protagonists in some films. And pasupathi plays up to the audience, laying it thick, his natural spontaneity missing.
For Murugesan, jails and courtrooms were like second homes, he treating the keepers of law with easy camaraderie. And with a sympathetic judge (fortunately for him, it’s the same judge always!), he did have it a tad easy. For, the judge like the audience, was in the know that the man despite his uncouth, rebellious exterior had a lot of goodness in him. He had given shelter to Ponni (a fine job by Deepa),a mentally imbalanced girl, a burden to her family. There was the love of his life Naachiyar (Jothirmayi),the constable new at her job and assigned to escort him to court. After the initial loathing, she had fallen for him too. Not to exclude the baddies, a bigwig of the village and his two sons. Typical villains they make life miserable for Murugesan for a few reels, till their sudden volt face in the closing scene. A feel good ending is a welcome one. But not when the repentance and redemption is too contrived to be convincing.
The director has tried to weave humour to drive in some home truths. Through his protagonist he takes a jab at clichéd situations in films, but doesn’t hesitate to take recourse to them himself.. Like after his take on dream-songs, he promptly follows it up with one. Not very amusing! Murthy had revealed much promise in his debut work ‘Karuppusamy Kuthagaitharar’ a finely crafted wholesome family entertainer. But this one lacks finesse, and there is not much to engage a viewer here.
expresso@epmltd.com