Filmmaker Seenu Ramasamy and Vijay Sethupathi share avoid rapport. This is their fourth outing together and they continue to explore human rationships in their own style which manages to leave an impact.
In a nutshell,, Maamanithan is about a man and his journey. A family drama, it proceeds at its own pace but manages to leave you emotionally charged.
The movie unfolds in Pannaipuram ( it is Ilayaraja’s native). There lives a honest autodriver Vijay Sethupathi. A good-hearted soul for him life is all about his friend Guru Somasundaram, a devout Muslim.
Vijay Sethupathi comes across Gayathrie, daughter of a poor man who sells groundnuts for livelihood. The couple gets married. They get two children and all goes well untill Vijay Sethupathi in a bid to earn more works as a partner with a real estate promoter.
On his words, many in his village book plots paying advance. Vijay Sethupathi is promised commission. But one fine day, his partner elopes with money. Angry mob go behind Vijay Sethupathi. A visibly shocked Vijay Sethupathi decides to go on hiding. What happens next forms the crux.
Vijay Sethupathi carries the movie in his shoulders. He emotes what the character needs -Anger, agony, deceit and love. Gayathrie plays mother of two and sans make-up fits the bill well. And Guru Somasundaram is cool and spontaneous. Ganja Karuppu plays a cameo. Viswasam fame Anikha is also there.
Ilayaraja’s background score is good. But slow pace in which story progresses and a predictable climax are eye-sore. All said, Maamanithan is a good attempt.