‘Rowdy reformation’ is a very common and frequently-attempted theme in Tamil cinema. Every director who attempts a film on this plot tries to make his film ‘different’ but few succeed in creating novelty in presentation. Aayudham Seivom is truly different in terms of plot machinations and in portraying the essence of the lead character, the rowdy.
Coming to the story, Saidhai Sathya (Sundar C.) runs a workshop in a suburb in the city. Posing as a busy businessman, Sathya works part-time as a thug for mighty gangster Annachi (C.M. Kumar). Annachi’s closest ally, an ex-minister (Manivannan), is the key criminal in the gang. Sathya is the gang’s underling who executes orders and eliminates Annachi’s enemies. His association with Annachi’s group gives Sathya an air of superiority and power. Immersed in such high spirits, one night a fully drunk Sathya, accompanied by his friend Constable Kandasamy (Vivek), sleeps in their car parked in the middle of a road, blocking all traffic. Witnessing this arrogant act, lawyer Udayamoorthy (Vijayakumar), a straightforward gentleman, files a case against him. Irritated by his action, Sathya nurtures a vengeance against Udhayamoorthy. Soon, while on a task for Annachi, Sathya gets an opportunity to extract his vengeance on the lawyer; but unfortunately, Udhayamoorthy gets killed in the incident. The dying honest lawyer’s last words leaves a significant blessing for his killer and keep on lingering in Sathya’s mind.
Meanwhile, on the basis of Udhayamoorthy’s complaint, Sathya and Kandasamy spend a term in a Gandhian rehabilitation centre in Madurai. There, their friendship with a freedom fighter (Nasser) reforms the arrogant and unruly Sathya. Sathya steps out of the centre transformed into an individual who has imbibed the non-violent principles of the Mahatma. The change soon begins to work; Udhayamoorthy’s death pricks Sathya’s conscience. With a determination to find out the truth behind the issue, he splits from Annachi’s group and embarks upon the mission. Soon, his probing leads Sathya to some shocking truths. He comes to know about his master’s hypocritical existence, his wily ways of misusing his power and influence. Sathya’s investigation also revives the murder investigation of an honest District Collector (Sukanya).
With a strong will, Sathya progresses to expose the criminals. Will he persevere till he achieves success? Will Annachi’s men spare him? How does Sathya approach his band of enemies? Does he also adopt the same violent route to teach them a lesson? The ensuing twists and turns lead us to the satisfying climax of Aayudham Seivom! Amid this scorching tale of revenge and revelation, Sathya romances with a sauve beauty Meena (Anjali). However, the romance gets suitably linked with the lead story.
Aayudham Seivom is Sundar C.’s next bid to stardom. In this film too, he continues in his established style. As the rowdy action-hero Sathya, through his performance, the good-looking hero certainly makes a mark in audiences’ minds. The performances of veterans like Nasser, Vijayakumar, Manivannan and Sukanya are first-rate. Heroine Anjali too has put up a fitting feat in her small yet significant role. Udayan’s dialogues are crisp and impressive. Srikanth Deva’s music and Selvaraj’s cinematography keep pace with the action theme.
Director Udayan has tried to offer us an example of how Gandhiji’s non-violence can be applied in everyday life. Particularly, when the rowdy decides to observe a fast in front of the massive Gandhi statue, the story takes a swift turn in a really appealing direction. All the psychology and the grand climax are indeed intriguing.
Aayudham Seivom, the first Tamil film produced by the Pyramid Saimira banner, is certainly a worthy production. Propagating a time-honoured philosophy, the film is simultaneously riveting and entertaining to
Cast: Sundar .C, Anjali, Vivek, Napoleon, Nazer, Vijayakumar,
Suganya, Manivannan, G.M. Kumar, Ponnambalam
Direction: Udhayan
Production: Pyramid Saimira Production
Music: Srikanth Deva