Dheiva Thiru Magal Review

Sometimes the fact a film is based on another, or "inspired" doesn't make a difference to the outcome whether good or bad. This maybe due to the adaptation or acting. In one way, Nayagan, a "Godfather" based film is one such film where the outcome was amazingly good. With Dheiva Thiru Magal, there is no denying the film is based on I am Sam, a film that saw Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in lead roles. However, the request of this writer is when you read this and watch the film, do not draw comparison. So with that lets jump in.

The movie begins at night on the highway to Chennai. A figure [Vikram] emerges from the car that slows down to a stop. But as the car drives off, he panics. As he screams Nila, Nila and collapses on the ground, the car drives off. The dawn sees the figure wandering the streets lost. While its obvious to those he meets that he is not of the same mental capacity as them, none want to help. All that is known is his name is Krishna and he wants Nila. At this point enters Anuradha [Anushka], a lawyer looking for a chance to prove her skill and aspires to become an assistant to leading lawyer, Bashyam [Nasseer]. Along with her associate Vinod [Santhanam], the two unknowingly stumble across this lost soul but like the others, run away without helping. But when Krishna gets hurt becuase of them, Anuradha feels responsible. She begins to learn who the mentally challenged Krishna is and about Nila [Sarah], his daughter who has been taken away. Determined to set right her wrong and reunite the father and daughter, Anuradha will face more challenges than she expects. Not only in the form of going head to head against Nila's grandfather, Rajendran [Sachin Khedekar], a business magnet that runs several school throughout the state but also in the courtroom, against her idol, Bashyam himself. Will she be able to keep her promise? Will the bond between this father and daughter be strong enough against the law?

Rarely do you see an actor that goes so far with his acting that you lose all capability to describe what the experience is like. Kamal Haasan is one actor that is hard to pin to words and now, it would seem Vikram is not far behind. As an actor, he has poured his heart, soul and voice into this character. Rarely a moment he seems over the top, he blends in perfectly. But even he has major competition in the form of the little starlet of the film, Sarah. To say this girl is cute is an understatement. But what is more endearing about Sarah is she is natural with her part, without a word out of sync or an emotion out of place. For a child that doesn't know Tamil, this is surely a big challenge but she just takes it into her stride. Anushka has stepped away from her usual glamdoll role and is elegant yet funny as Anuradha. Her quirkiness during the initial court scenes and subtle emotions with her onscreen father Y.G. Mahendran score her extra brownie points. Amala Paul plays an important role and does it well but does not have the same screen time. Sachin Khedekar is stern and powerful while Nasseer adds another face to his showcase with the sly and proud Bashyam. Santhanam does make an entry as the main funny man but soon becomes loyal friend. M.S.Bhaskar and his false teeth are much like him although he has a slight negative shade that can be seen as a reflection of society and their perception. Karthik Kumar, Surekha Vani and Pandi have small roles but are ok in.

On the technical front, one cannot complain about Nirav Shah's work since he has a consistency that is evident in Dheiva Thirumagal as well. Each shot is specially crafted to enhance the locales and Antony's editing makes the sequences smooth and crisp. G.V.Prakash has a special touch to his musical scores for films with Vijay and continues this with Vizhigalil, Vennilave and Aariro tingling the ears ever so sweetly. But behind them lies director Vijay. More than looking at what he has said with Deiva Thiru Magal, he makes you look at how he has said it. The act of having someone with the mental capacity of a 6 year old isn't easy. The key is making the audience understand Vikram's character is not stupid. Only that he takes time to understand simple tasks but they are understood with clarity if explained properly.  In the hands of a lesser actor or writer, this could have gone hideously south. Yet even with Vijay pulling the right heart strings with Vikram and Sara's performance, this isn't a perfectly crafted film.

Yes it is a well adapted film and the cast are a major plus point to the film but the slow motions and soft voiceovers can get a bit much. The proceedings take their time to get stuck into things and often drag out even then. Also, the factor of hiding a plaintiff because of his condition even though they believe he is capable, seems like the logic factor isn't one to take seriously. The Anushka-Vikram love track that was alluded to may have been beautiful to look at but really wasn't developed enough to warrant and disappears just as quickly. Especially since as you walk out of the theatre hall, possibly throwing a few wet tissues, the performance and chemistry between this father-daughter is what remains and is supposed to.

 

Rating: 3.5/5