Synopsis:The story unfolds through the lives of Jothilingam (newcomer Mahesh), and his friend Marimuthu (Pandi) who are brought to Chennai from their humble homes in Ittamozhi of Tirunelveli district. Sent first to the underbelly, the godown, the two are thrilled when they go to the air conditioned third floor. And that is when the reality-check kicks in, fully. In the form of the abusive floor supervisor (director Venkatesh), who does not hesitate to slap a boy who gives him the lip or a girl who slackens on the job. When he finds a love letter written by a girl, he conducts an open inquiry which drives the girl to jump off the third floor in full view of all. Jothilingam, who by now is in love with Kani (Anjali) worries over the fate of his romance, but all that is forgotten when actor Sneha arrives for an ad film shoot in the shop. While everyone is busy, the two lovers steal a few moments alone but end up getting locked when the shop closes at night. As they face the consequences, and choose to live a life on the streets of Chennai, tragedy strikes in the form of an accident. Will true love prevail? While the first half races past, the second gets entangled in unnecessary sub-plots, like the one about Kani’s young sister employed as a housemaid, and meanders a bit. However, all the actors have pulled off convincing performances. Vijay Anthony and GV Prakash have teamed up for the music, and ‘Aval appadi onrum azhagillai’ is the pick of the lot. This not a pretty picture, but a searing comment. The next time you visit a shopping mall, vignettes from the film will pop up, like spam mail, in your memory. A hard, but must-see for those who care about cinema and society.
