Deiva Machan - A light hearted family entertainer with a few good laughs

Vemal recently made a solid comeback with his serious turn in the web series 'Vilangu' that streamed to critical acclaim on OTT.  He has this time returned to his family territory, the rural comedy.  Whether this intended family dramedy with a pinch of fantasy tickles the funny bones of its target audience remains to be seen.

Karthi (Vemal) lives with his widowed father (Pandiarajan) a younger sister Kunguma Then (Anita Sampath) and an elder brother and his family.  He has two issues one is that a hideous man on a white horse (Vela Ramamurthy) appears in his dreams and fore says the death of his dear ones including his mother when he was a child.  The other is that accidents happen to the family members of anyone who wishes to marry his sister.  When a good hearted groom (Vathsan Veeramani) is finally fixed for the girl the demonic man reappears in Karthi's dreams and predicts a death saying "Your sister's husband, brother in law will die within two days of the wedding."  A terrified Karthi tries his best to stop the wedding but fails and whether he saves his brother in law or not and what is the mystery behind all the occurrences is what 'Deiva Machan' is all about.

The role of Karthi is tailor made for Vemal and he goes through the motions without a glitch.  His highlight scenes are the ones he dotes over his brother in law making him squirm, the embarrassment he feels about his nickname and the shock he gets when his sister's true colors are revealed.  Vathsan Veeramani as the brother in law has done a neat job as the brother in law and he is especially hilarious when tearing up for Vemal's love. Anita Sampath fits the bill as the sister while Pandiarajan is adequate as the father.  Bala Saravanan, Aadukalam Naren, Kicha Ravi, Muruganantham and the actor playing Naren's brother succeed in keeping the audiences smiling.  However it is Deepa Shankar as the trouble maker aunt who dominates the comedy scenes she appears in with both slapstick and dialogue delivery.

What works in 'Deiva Machan' is the second half, right from when the marriage happens to the non veg feast where there are ample situations that provide the humour.  The laugh out loud moments are the secret behind Karthi's nickname, Aadukalam Naren's family reveals, the bus comedy, Bala Saravanan's techniques to silence Deepa and finally the climax fight.

On the downside the film begins in the most cliched manner and struggles to find its grip for the most parts of the first half.  Better writing and execution would have made this a sure shot winner.

The technical aspects of 'Deiva Machan' is on par with its subject matter and budget.  Uday Productions and Magic Touch Pictures have bankrolled the project.  Director Martin Nirmal Kumar, has adapted his short film to the big screen and has succeeded to a certain extent with room for improvement.  

Verdict: Go for this one with family if you fancy light hearted entertainment