Iraivi

Arul is a film director whose finished film has been sitting on the producer's shelf for years, and he lives on drink. His close friend Michael tries to look after him. Michael's father smuggles temple idols. The decisions of the three men connect to one another, and every decision changes the lives of the women beside them: Arul's wife Yazhini, Michael's girlfriend Ponni, and a dancer, Malar. Karthik Subbaraj writes and directs. The cast includes S. J. Suryah, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Anjali and Kamalinee Mukherjee. The idea is in the title: iraivi means goddess in Tamil. The narrative tells the men's story and shows that the women carry the consequences; no male character is saved. The structure begins like a crime film and becomes a family drama. The idol smuggling is the engine, and the real matter takes place inside the houses. Karthik Subbaraj was known for Pizza and Jigarthanda; this is the film in which he stepped outside genre, and it was read in Tamil cinema as a direct objection to the mainstream male hero. S. J. Suryah was known as a director, and the part restarted his acting career. The weaknesses are length and rhythm; the narrative carries three strands at once and slows in the middle. Who it is for: viewers who follow Tamil cinema and films that break the genre shape. Who it is not for: it is long, none of the characters is sympathetic, and the violence is harsh.