Deivathirumagal Movie Review

It has no bounds,

It is blind,

It is not biased,

And it’s all about caring and sharing.

That’s LOVE..

The universal feeling everyone surrenders to. Comes in here is a story of parental love and care with a little twist. This is a father whose mental maturity is tantamount to that of his five year old daughter. His struggle to raise her all by his hand and the custodian battle over the kid forms the crux of the story. That’s Deivathirumagal – a movie that sans gravity defying fights, scantily clad heroines/item numbers or the usual super hero or romance. This makes it a complete family movie with it’s heart at the right place.

Now to the review. Krishna (Vikram) works in a chocolate factory in a small village near Ooty and suffers from mental development disability. His little daughter Nila (Sara) and his supportive group of developmental disability friends are his life. The chocolate factory owner and the neighbor woman help Krishna to raise Nila in their own capacities after the death of his wife post child birth. Over the years Krishna learns to take better care of his daughter and is in all love for her. Nila comes of age to join school. This is where the school’s new correspondent Shweta (Amala Paul) develops a special bonding for her. On learning that Nila is her own niece, she along with her influential father takes away Nila from Krishna abandoning him in Chennai. After a series of events Krishna ends up in the court premises in search of a lawyer to find his daughter. Though initially apprehensive about his mental ability, later sympathetic on hearing about Krishna ’s past, Anuradha (Anouskha Shetty), a novice lawyer agrees to help him. She and her associate Vinod (Santhanam) takes up Krishna ’s case against a powerful and unreceptive lawyer Bashyam(Nassar). Did Krishna win the custody of his daughter ? Did Shewata and her father realize Krishna ’s unbounded love for Nila ? – watch the movie for those answers. The climax definitely deserves a special mention.

Though the base story is that of “ I am Sam”, the alternations help suit the Indian flavour. Vikram, the actor par excellence once again proves his versatility. Equally and infact prodigious in performance is the little girl “Sara”. As an understanding daughter she is splendid and so natural and spontaneous. Anouskha is shown at better light and not the usual glam-doll type. Her performance is adequate and so is Amala Paul. Santhanam and M.S Baskar add to the comic part and excel in certain serious emotions as well. Nassar is at his best as always. The scenes involving the father-daughter duo move your heart.

The first half of the movie is shot in some scenic locales in Ooty and is visually alluring. The second half is much of a courtroom drama and moves at a slightly better pace than the first half. G.V. Prakash’s music is pleasant and “Vizhigalil Oru ..” is a breezy melody quite beautifully cinematographed in a slow time-sliced fashion. (My fav. Song of the movie J ).

As for the demerits, the slower pace but that’s quite inevitable in such a movie. May be a few actions of Vikram resembles that of a spastic child and not like that of a development disabled

adult. The song between Vikram and Anouskha seems a frivolous add-on.

Despite a few flaws, Kudos to the director Vijay, for having delivered a complete family movie with etched emotions.