Date:04/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2008/07/04/stories/2008070451050200.htm

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Arms for peace - Ayudham Seivom

GRIPPING SCREENPLAY:Ayudham Seivom

Genre: Action

Director: Udhayan

Cast: Sundar C. Anjali, Vivek, Nasser, Vijayakumar,Napoleon, Suganya, Malavika,Vindhya, G.M.Kumar,Ponnabalam and Shanmugarajan.

Storyline: How a rowdy reforms himself and follows Gandhiji's principle of nonviolence.

Bottomline: `Ahimsa' wins

Three cheers for the director and the crew for highlighting a message, virtually forgotten in these days of aggression and violence. For Sundar C it is a dream role, where he can display both his histrionic talent and biceps.

Director Udayan, who made his debut with ‘Perarasu,’ comes with a message and has worked hard to put it across. And Pyramid Saimira Productions can be proud of their first venture.

‘Saidai’ Sathya (Sundar C) works for Annachi (G.M.Kumar), who in turn is in the payroll of several sharks. Both Sathya and his friend constable Kandasamy (Vivek) commit a petty crime and are sentenced to stay in the Madurai Gandhi Museum for 15 days.

There they come to know about Gandhiji and also his message of truth and non-violence, through the caretaker, Thiyagi (Nasser). They don’t think much of the message or the messenger as they leave.

Sathya meets Meena (Anjali), who falls in love with him. Manivannan assigns Annachi the task of getting a sensitive file from Udayamurthy (Vijayakumar), who collects data on unscrupulous bigwigs. Sathya is sent on the errand. In the scuffle that follows Udayamurthy dies, with the words “Vaazhga Valamudan,” on his lips. Sathya wonders why he should wish his assailant well.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ezhumalai, wants to kill the person who has murdered his brother Udayamurthy. But Sathya has other plans of taking revenge.

Borrowed idea

Director Udayan has borrowed the idea from ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ but takes the credit for producing a gripping screenplay. The introduction of the socially conscious person Udhayamurthy, in particular, deserves mention. His dialogue is sharp and apt. The cinematographer, K.S.Selvaraj, should be congratulated on finding some fresh angles, especially in the scene of Udayamurhty’s death. Music director Srikanth Deva should shift his focus to quality rather than quantity.

The role admirably suits Sundar C. Anjali has a long way to go. Vivek, who causes ripples in the first half, disappears in the second. All the veterans — Nasser, Vijayakumar, Napoleon and Manivannan — handle their parts with customary competence. Seasoned artists such as Suganya, Malavika, Vindhya and Ponnambalam get brief roles, which they fulfil with confidence. G.M.Kumar’s acting skill has been improving with every film.

S.R.ASHOK KUMAR