Two heroines, two phases of life - the instinctive prediction is that it is a typical romantic saga. However, ''‘‘Thangamagan’’'' is not the ordinary rigmarole. Velraj is a director-turned-cinematographer who created a revolution in his debut directorial. Does the spirit of VIP sustain through to ''Thangamagan’'' too? Family drama, romantic sweet tale, or a mystery story? Gear up for a roller coaster entertainment that is '' ‘Thangamagan’.

Story:

Son of a simple middle class family, Tamizh (Dhanush) is a happy-go-lucky lad, roaming about with his best bud (Sathish) and his cousin Aravind. All is well till Tamizh is smitten by Hema (Amy). While Sathish and Dhanush get along in wooing the lady love, Aravind feels left out and leaves their company hastily but willingly. Over time, Hema and Tamizh fall apart, and eventually Hema gets married to Aravind; Tamizh finds Yamuna (Samantha) and they are two happy families. The happiness cracks down from its pinnacle, one fine morning, when Tamizh''s father commits suicide. When no one understands why, the film is the story of Tamizh uncovering truth and finding answers, as a ‘Thangamagan’.

Screenplay:

The first forty minutes are spent in fun and romance. Amy and Dhanush share a juvenile, lively chemistry; their rapture is one that captures the spark and energy of first love. The point where it touches you strongly emotionally is their breakup. Highlighting the point where threshold breaks for every young couple, the dispute between dreams and duty is highlighted in its niché in this scene.

The family set up is portrayed in Titch reality, in every move of the Radhika-KSR couple. Importance given to the little nothings and the corresponding dialogues paints a complete rosy family portrait. As a dutiful man, questioned of his capacity, Ravikumar plays a realistic confused man. Radhika, a typical warm housewifely lady, acts the mom, like in every household. Sathish plays Kumaran, who aids a great deal in keeping the first half lively; his timing comedy is the perfect relief amidst all the dripping sweet romance.

While Amy''s role is appreciative in most parts, her strongest comes out only in the second half, as Aravind''s wife. Aravind plays one of the baddies; though straightforward and brief to put in words, he does justice to his role in its entirety. From holding a simple grudge, to holding back a sin, his role is one of the strongest in the movie. Jayaprakash plays another strong role, and as always, his presence is powerful in the film. Samantha breezes into the second half, and plays a predominantly supportive role, than grab the limelight as a heroine. Her presence is what adds the emotional in the present to the revenge story. This romance story is mature with age, yet simple in its purity.

The protagonist is captured in a different meter this time. Instead of jumping high with adrenaline, Dhanush plays a relatively composed and calm hero, always in control of the situation at hand, no matter how bad be it. This composure is what makes for the style of his on-screen role, as Tamizh. Without much stress on a signature, Dhansuh has still managed to convince as a strong hero. Tamizh is a charm to watch for, truly a golden son.

Backstage:

At his second attempt, Velraj has carved a spot for himself in the family entertainer sector. The film has a detailed story; however, most of it is pleated in the second half, while the first half is elaborate on the introduction alone. Albeit, this time allows for absorption of the characters, but also keeps us entertained tirelessly.

Kumaran''s camera is a classic piece of work. His intent in capturing the fine little intricacies has fallen well in their place in the movie. One of the strongest pillars of a movie is music - the album was brief, but the score compensates for the void. Background score by Anirudh is powerful, as would be expected of the rockstar; yet, it inevitably obviously bears resemblance to his previous works. Dialogues are strong and stand alone power-packed in places.

Where it scores:

1. The emotional bond between father and son has never been unduly stressed, yet the movie shows how strong the relation itself is.

2. Without too much money on the splurge, a typical middle class, close-knit, cool household is sketched beautifully.

3. Romance scores a point for the film

4. Dialogues hit the bull''s eye

Where it lacks:

1. The story is impressive, but hasn''t been distributed that well across the show time.

2. Characterisation of villains is not as clear as their presence in the story.

3. The film ends rather bluntly, with an unclear conclusion.

While his first was power-packed, ''Thangamagan’'' fails to hit the bull''s eye, unlike VIP. Setting the disappointment from expectation aside, ''Thangamagan'' is a family-oriented entertainer; however, the first half is youth-oriented.

Verdict: A little something for every audience