'Agam Puram' (Tamil, Action, 2010)
Director: Thirumalai
Cast: Shaam, Meenakshi, Anandraj, Cheranraj, Raja, Vinodraj, Sampathram
After going through a few hitches, 'Agam Puram' finally hits the theatres. While an attempt has been made to include every commercial ingredient in it, what’s missing in the script is the detailing, punch and the fritz that would have made it different from other gangster-sagas.
The plot centers on Thiru (Shaam), who at the age of 12 had run away from home to the city. Taken under the wings by Martin, a narcotics smuggler, Thiru runs the racket after his mentor’s death. Prosperous, and yearning for a reunion with his family, he brings his mother and sister from the village to live with him.
How he tackles the scheming, disgruntled King, a former gang member-turned-rival; Thiru’s nexus with a politician; the encounter with the good cop (Anandraj), and with the bad one (Cheranraj); and the final reckoning — form the story.
But most of the information we collect, are from dialogues, the characters barely flushed out in the screenplay. The scenes lack depth and intensity, the narration is flat and bland, without any highs or lows. It’s like the director had a task to do, and completed it, without much passion or wracking of the brains.
The plot moves through various foreign countries. But used as merely touch points, these locations are barely exploited.
The finer moments are very few. Like the matter-of-fact way Thiru introduces his sweetheart Nadiya (Meenakshi) to his family. What the film showcases here again, is Shaam’s pleasing screen personality, his dapper looks, and his ability to handle varied roles with natural ease. Otherwise, it is at the most just a notch better than the actor’s recent releases.