Vetrivel (2016) is yet another village love story starring Sasikumar. For this film by debut director Vasanthamani I went with minimum expectations, I would’ve been happy just seeing lovely Mia George on screen. The first twenty minutes the film travels slowly on expected grounds, opening with a family feud between step brother played by Prabhu and step sister by Viji Chandrasekar.
The Director delivers his first surprise when Sasikumar is introduced as Vetri (vetrivel) not as a son to either Prabhu or Viji but to Ilavarasu, a school master and Renuka. He has a younger brother (played by Neram Ananth Nag) who returns after graduation, in love with Prabhu’s daughter. How Sasikumar helps in getting his younger brother married despite all odds is rest of the story. There is an another track of Sasikumar a non-graduate, farmer falling in love with Mia George who plays the role of a Agri university researcher.
Most of the supporting actors too get enough time on screen, care has been taken in constructing them holistically, for example Prabhu’s character as a local body President is shown as a fickle minded person constantly torn between family and caste/village pride. Viji Chandrasekar is depicted from beginning as a sharp tongued, strong willed lady who has single handedly raised her son and will go any mile for her own pride. Nikhila Vimal has played an important role, as a would be bride in few days, due to a mistake by “Nadodigal” gang of four with Samuthrakani her whole life goes upside down. Showing that feeling and settling in her new world, she has done it all well. Thambi Ramaiah role as a local elderly tailor married recently to a young girl, constantly in fear of losing her, was at times on edge of being insenstive, but he manages to provide comedy relief in an otherwise serious story.
The song “Adiye Unna Paathida” is a catchy number and colorfully picturized, I liked the shirt designs worn by Sasikumar in the song and throughout the film. I liked the dialogues between Sasikumar and Mia George, between Sasikumar to Ananth Nag when talking about Nikhila. It’s easy to categorize Vetrivel as yet another village love story, but what made it enjoyable was the well defined characters and realism in the dialogues. Kudos to debut Director.
