Cast:
Vijaykant, Namita, Prabhu Deva, Swarnamalya, Pandiaraj, Vadivelu, Indraja, Anandraj and Lal.
Director: Siddique
 Humour, sentiment and romance, action and suspense, have all been blended together to give a wholesome family entertainer to the audience. Deftly directed by Siddique (from his own hit, the Mammootty-starrer, 'Chronic Bachelor'), it's a role that suits Vijaykant's age and stature, the actor sailing through it with easy assurance in his home production.
Old rivals Sunderalingam and Eshwaramurthy (Lal-Rajeev) agree to bury the hatchet when their progenies Prabhakar aka SP and Bhavani fall in love. But Eshwaramurthy's avaricious relatives, unhappy at the new development, murder him, framing Sundaralingam for it. Egged on by them, Bhavani vows vengeance, her first step being to trick SP and usurp his wealth.
The story moves about a decade forward, where SP by now has made his own pile of money, won the long-drawn court case and got back his property. His bitter past has made him wary of women and marriage. But the arrival of the lively, spirited Gowri in his neighbourhood, her unabashed wooing of him and her helping him out in a sensitive family matter slowly thaw his heart. But the ghost from his past returns in the form of a belligerent step-brother, Veerapandi (Lal), and Bhavani, who uses Veerapandi as a pawn in her game of vendetta.
There are quite a few new characters entering the fray towards the latter part of the film, causing a little confusion. The team of Prabhu Deva-Pandiaraj-Vadivelu pep up the proceedings to an extent.
Namita (from Telugu) as Gowri provides the glamour, while Indraja as Bhavani (re-enacting the role she'd done in the original) does a competent job, reminding one of Padayappa's Neelambari. Swarnamalya (back to acting after marriage) plays the hero's stop-sister, has this pinched face and famished look, not appealing to watch in close-ups. Lal, popular actor of Malayalam films, debuts in Tamil in a dual role, performing both with panache.
The film, sans vulgarity and double-entendres, should appeal to family audiences, though Vijaykant's fans may be a bit disappointed not seeing him in every frame!
Malini Mannath
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Engal Anna
