Let us face it. It is difficult making films with the likes of Rajnikanth or Vijaykanth. You know You have to have certain formulaic situations, songs and stunts. And you have to try and blend a story into this heady brew.
Director Samudhira Kani, who has graduated from the small screen to the big one, has tried his best to live up to Vijaykanth's needs. But in the need it seems it may not be enough.
Neranja Manasu is at once Thevar Magan meets Chinna Gounder.
It has the rustic flavor of both and to boot it has the ingredients to suit Vijaykanth's image.
Mercifully, the director has gone slow on the usual slam-bang stuff of Vijayakanth.But songs and sequences oozing with heroism and glorifying Vijayakanth has found its place in the movie.
The entire movie happens in a small village in Madurai district, which is ridiculed by everyone as the villagers eke out their livelihood looting neighboring villages.
But the couple of Manorama and Vinu Chakravarthy want this stigma to stop. They aspire that their grandson would one day grow up to reform the villagers and bring a fresh leash of life to everyone.
As it happens, their grandson grows up as a straightforward boy and even helps police apprehend his cousin for murdering his father.
Needless to say the grandson is Vijayakanth who succeeds in his mission to reform the next generation in the village and thereby wins the admiration and respect of one and all in the village.
Meanwhile, Vijayakanth's cousin (played by a debutant Sampath), who returns from jail after serving two decades of imprisonment vows to avenge Vijayakanth.
But typically Sampath's sister Susan falls in love with Vijayakanth, much against his brother's wish. She manages to get wedlocked with Vijayakanth.
Sampath with the help of an anti-social, Manor Ali Khan tries to bump off Vijayakanth. The rest of the story is all about Sampath's attempt in trying to outwit Vijayakanth. And we all know what the end is.
It is nice to see Vijaykanth not mouth lengthy dialogues against the terrorists of Pakistan or some such Stan. But he has gone to the other extreme of going rustic and glorifying himself in a larger than life character. The songs too are full praise for him. Though the music of Karthik Raja (in songs) reminds you of his father.
Susuan fails to impress. However, the new face Sampath and Illavarasu, who plays his brother walk away with all the accolades for their spontaneous expressions. Manorama and Vinu Chakravarthy fit the role of an old couple.
The movie could have been much better had the director tried to tell a story rather build a story around a character.
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