MOVIE REVIEWS

Deiva Thirumagal Review.

Krishna (Vikram) who has the mental growth of a five year old works in a chocolate factory in Ooty for his livelihood. He takes care of his six year old daughter Vennela (Sara) as his wife passes away. Vennela loves her father very much and refuses to go to school by knowing the condition of her father. One fine day vennela will be snatched away by Krishnan’s father-in-law (Sachin Khedkar) and wife’s sister Shwetha (Amala Paul). His father-in-law is rich and affluent wants the custody of his grand daughter as it would not be safe for her to live with a mentally challenged person. Krishnan with the help of his friends will be introduced to Anu (Anushka), who after knowing the entire case synopsis accepts to fight for Krishna in the court of law for bringing the father and daughter together. Will Krishna get the custody of his daughter back? How Vikram’s wife passes away? What is the dark past of Vikram? How he turned as a mentally challenged person forms the rest of the story which leads to a stunning courtroom climax.
Vikram’s performance as a mentally disabled person is the biggest standout in the film. He never overdoes it, limits himself a lot, and leaves many dialogues half said – but speaks with his expressions and body language. It can be said that if there is anyone / anything who could match Vikram’s performance, it is only the innocence of the child actor Sara. The two, along with some tailor made dramatic scenes, comic situations and emotional moments light up the screen, sometimes making you laugh and sometimes making you shed a tear. Anushka does a decent job too, and so does Nassar as the stern senior lawyer. Amala Paul makes her presence felt, mostly thanks to her being paired with the kid in most scenes. Sachin Khedekar in a negative role underplays himself exceptionally. The likes of Santhanam, M.S.Bhaskar, Surekha Vani etc. too manage to keep the tempo of the emotions flowing in their respective scenes. The film’s most heart wrenching moment comes in the climax making it a befitting one, even though most of the second half could have been better.
The story of this film is loosely inspired by the Hollywood flick ‘I am Sam’. It has a nice story line. Director Vijay is sensible and has a class of his own. It reflects in the way he narrated the story and in the way he seamlessly blended humor. There is a nice feel throughout the movie. Screenplay in the second half is pretty good. It is very difficult to succeed in sustaining interest when the entire second half is dominated by the court scenes. There are many scenes in this movie (especially father-daughter combination one) that are heart-touching. Director Vijay succeeds in narrating the story in interesting way without falling prey for the commercial elements.
On the flip side the first half of the film needs trimming as it's too lengthy. On the whole can say Devaithirumgal a decent flick.
Verdict:Class Movie Lovers Watch It !