A cute story set in a rural milieu with the right dash of love, comedy, drama and suspense. And spiked with Illayaraja’s mesmerizing music. That’s Suseendran’s ‘Azhagarsamiyin kudhirai,’ a tale of two Azhagarsamiyis whose horses go missing.
Malayapuram, a village near Theni is gearing up for its annual fest, the thiruvizha, in order to appease the Rain Gods. But one morning, the wooden horse on which Azhagarsamy, the village deity is carried around is stolen. So a Kerala namboodiri is brought in, who the villagers hope will solve the mystery using his astrological prowess. They fail to see that he is a conman.
One night, a white stallion finds its way into the village temple and the namboodiri exploits the innocent villagers by insisting that Azhagarsamy’s wooden horse was back, but in its real form. Subsequently, when several good things happen in the village, the people consider the horse a lucky charm. And they will not part with it, not even if it’s rightful owner, Azhagarsamy, (Appukutty of Venilla Kabadi kuzhu) hailing from the neighbouring village, comes in search of it. Appu, the horse is his childhood friend and he makes a living with it. Naturally, he wants his horse back. Finding Appu will also will get him his bride, the fair and pretty, Rani, (Saranya Mohan) as promised by her father. Woven into the main story is a parallel love story.
Plus Points: This simple and straight forward narrative keeps the viewer engaged. Excellent casting, be it the village President, or the naughty ‘Minor,’ with his dark glasses who goes about sowing his wild oats. Everyone essays their part to perfection without going overboard. New comers Advaitha and Prabhakaran as the young lovers acquit themselves well. Appukutty in the shoes of Azhagarsamy fits the role to the T. Saranya Mohan, though in a small role as his lady love, Rani impresses with her subtle acting. Another plus is the clean humour, sans double entendres and slapstick comedy.
Minus Points: Only wish the editor had used his scissors with comedy tracks featuring the namboodiri and the policeman in mufti. By the way, why can’t Tamil directors get it right when it comes to dialogues in Malayalam?
Music: Illayaraja’s score especially the playful strains of ‘kuthikira kuthikira kuthirakutty,’ follow you long after you leave the hall.
Camerawork: Awesome! The lush environs around Theni captured by Theni Eashwar enhance further Bhaskar Sakthi’s story and Suseendran’s screenplay.
Verdict: Azhagarsamyin kuthirai comes as a fresh breath of air, after a spate of urban centric clichéd stories shot abroad.
The Alamelu
