

All the while Azhagar has an infatuation with Tulasi (played by Swathi, a Telugu TV anchor) which is reciprocated by the girl also. The story deals with Azhgar (played by Jai of ‘Chennai 600028’ fame), Paraman (Sasikumar, a debutante), and their 2 good for nothing friends who pretty much do nothing but while away their time performing odd tasks for their political mentor, ex-councillor Somu and his brother, Kanagu. What follows is a recounting of the incidents that took place at Subramaniapuram in 1980, 28 yrs ago.
#Tamil movies subramaniapuram movie#
This one is for lovers of realistic cinema.The movie begins with somebody being released from the Madurai Jail sometime in 2008, only to be almost immediately stabbed in the stomach just after taking a few steps to freedom. Subramaniyapuram ends as it begins - naturally, at its own pace. It is as though the years that separate the characters have separated the viewers from them as well.Ī fan fed on a steady diet of potboilers might also expect a few fireworks but this isn't that kind of movie. You also feel that you're watching events unfold through a telescope. If there are flaws, they can be attributed to one or two segments that drag on for too long. Who knew James Vasanthan was capable of such excellent music? The songs blend in well with the film and the background score is excellent. Special kudos goes to the director, who having worked with Ameer, apparently has had the foresight to inject the right conversations at the right time. A magnificent effort that deserves applause. Particularly marvellous are the sets, the careful work that has gone into reproducing the 80s movie-posters, radio announcements, the costumes - everything comes together to bring the bygone era back to life. So perfect is their empathy for their roles and their dialogues that at no point do you feel that you're watching a film. Sasikumar, Jai and Kanja Karuppu, not to mention Swathi, the crippled boy and especially Swathi's uncle, have all lived the characters. Paraman and Azhagar are sometimes saved by unexpected people, but their nemesis finds them at unexpected moments. To live by the sword is to die by the sword and also to be permanently afraid of your own possible death. The last two, more loyal than the rest, quickly devise a plan to kill the opposition by setting in motion a succession of events that culminate in a climax that reminds you startlingly of a horrible train accident. Somu's inability to get ahead causes tempers to flare at home and a distraught Kanagan shuts himself up in a hotel room, drinking and alternatively unburdening his travails to Kasi, Paraman and Azhagan. In the meantime, Azhaghar finds time to fall in love with Thulasi, Somu's daughter, who doesn't say much but sets his heart thumping just by casting glances at him. They get into fisticuffs practically every other moment, and have to be bailed out frequently by their steadfast friend, a cripple. Perfect.įor the first hour, you spend your time watching as the characters of Paraman and Azhagar, devoted followers of Somu, lounge around the store, smoke beedis, disobey families and run to do Somu's every bidding. And then there's shy Thulasi (Swathi) whose smiling eyes takes you right back to the days of Shanti Krishna. Then there's Kanagan, his brother, who is as unscrupulous as they come. There's Somu, who's an ex-councillor, dissatisfied, and hungry for more political prowess. In a film chock-full of newcomers, it's rather difficult to identify everyone, but in Subramanyapuram, it's easy to relate to the principle players. Lounging around the Sithan Speaker Services Shop are a couple of young men of whom Paraman (M Sasikumar), Azhagar (Jai), and Kasi (Kanja Karuppu) are the important players. The first few scenes set the tone for what follows, even as the movie moves from a nameless stabbing of a newly released inmate in 2008 to the huge skulking scruffy hairstyles, movie-songs and garish posters that adorn every wall of Subramaniyapuram, a small township nearabouts Madurai in the 1980s. This tale of greed, valour, loyalty, heartbreak and betrayal hits home most of the time. You start out with very little expectations of what Subramaniyapuram, the Tamil movie produced by Company Productions and directed by newcomer M Sasikumar, ought to be even if the promos and posters have made you a bit eager with it's stars in typically eighties get-up.Īnd as every scene, right from the titles passes you by, you wait for some slip up but there's none! How do you describe a movie that doesn't quite fit into any criteria of popular movie genre, yet manages to fulfill almost every condition of what a good movie should be?
