(trans. Man with truth as Beauty). It is an Indian Tamil language drama film. Written & directed by C. Prem Kumar. Produced by Jyothika & Suriya under 2D Entertainment. It stars Karthi with Arvind Swamy, Rajkiran, Sri Divya, Devadarshini, Jayaprakash, Sriranjani, IIavarasu, Karunakaran.
It was released on 27 Sept. 2024. Made on a budget of Rs. 35 crore, it garnered est. Rs 52.32 crores till date.
It was announced in Feb. 2023 under the tentative title of ‘Karthi 27’ as it is the actor’s 27th film. The shooting took place in Chennai & Kodambakkam.
In 1996, Arulmozhi Varman ‘Arul’ bids farewell to his hometown, Thanjavar, after his ancestral house is partitioned amongst his relatives. With a heavy heart , Arul, his father Arivudai Nambi, a school teacher, mother Vaaalliyammal ‘Valli’ & older brother relocate to Madras.
In 2018, 22 years later Arul’s younger cousin, Bhuvaneshwari ‘Bhuvana’, invites him to her wedding. Unable to decline, he plans to attend the reception in Needamangalam, intending to depart immediately after the ceremony.
There he meets an unfamiliar relative with a contagious, child like smile. He helps Arul to settle in the marriage hall. Later, he deliberately delays Arul & invites him home. In the backyard he proudly introduces Arul to his Kangeyam Bull.
Arul is overjoyed seeing his bicycle being meticulously maintained . As they stroll to the Vennaaru dam, he shares the news of his impending parenthood & plans to name their child Arulmozhi after his Athaan.
Unaware of his name, Arul travels back to Madras. He begins preparing to purchase the house but faces a shortfall of Rs. 25 lakhs. Jhanvi, Arul’s daughter makes a call to Nandhini ‘s husband. Without hesitation he offers the amount for Arul’s house. Arul musters courage to ask about his identity. Hearing this, Nandhini’s husband bursts into tears, understanding that Arul has forgotten him.
He subtly provides hints , leading Arul to recall his nickname ‘Potato’ which he had affectionately given him. As memories flood back, Arul travels to his place & calls him by his name. The relative opens the door, smiling at Arul for finally remembering his actual name.
It received 3 to 3.5 of the 5 stars. Critics praised lead cast’s performances esp. Karthi & Arvind Swamy, storyline, Govind Vasantha’s background score, emotional scenes & Premkumar’s screenplay & direction.
A simple , beautiful story of two friends. You need not meet everyday for your friendship to last forever!
Asian Entertainment 