Karthi Premakumari

The movie sort of keeps you engaged with an anticipation of what is going to be next IF you have already read the original story and/or remember only parts of it and are interested to see how it has unfolded on the screen. But if you have no clue about the storyline then you will probably need time to get your head around the characters and by the time you are done with it the movie will be over!!! Kundhavai keeps saying "they are plotting against us" and you are like so what? That's how weakly they have dealt with the main plot. The other main character in the novel is Pazhuvur Rani Nandini and her importance has been sabotaged at best on screen! The viewers' curiosity is not piqued at any point at all in the movie as to why this character is so important and what the deal is with her which is most crucial if you want to get them to watch Part 2. There are hilarious moments when Azhvarkadiyan and Vandhiyathevan interact because they are the light characters of the movie. But you don't get the same impact when the other main characters are interacting and that's because of the brevity of the dialogues. Kalki's strength was the depth in the dialogues but that is lost when the director chose to keep the dialogues short. A big No-No for a historic movie. The long fighting sequences could have been curtailed and Adhithya Karikalan and Nandini's characters and their love affair could have been developed much more in Part 1 itself in order to support the need for Part 2. There is not a single turning point in the movie which will make you sit up in your chair and that leaves a gaping hole in the viewers' experience. Some song sequences, cinematography, art and the artistes cast and performance are very good. The sea fight and the storm remind one of the Titanic because that's how grand it is. Yes, I will definitely watch Part 2 to see how Nandini's character has been developed and to support the team's effort.