REVIEW

Iraivi which means Goddess is a 2016 Tamil action comedy Movie, Which is directed by Karthik Subbaraj and produced by C. V. Kumar under the banner of Thirukumaran Entertainment.

The Tamil film stars Vijay Sethupathi, SJ Suryah and Bobby Simha. Anjali, Pooja Devariya and Kamalinee Mukherjee are the female leads in the film, while Karunakaran, Radharavi, Vadivukkarasi, Kaali Venkat and others are in the supporting cast. It has Sivakumar Vijayan's cinematography department and Vivek Harshan's editing.

Santhosh Narayanan's music for the film has garnered positive reviews, with the songs "Kadhal Kappal," "Dhushta" and "Manidhi" becoming chartbusters. Adding to that, the trailer and teaser have impressed viewers, creating positive vibes around the flick. Also Karthik Subbaraj had delivered two hits earlier. As a result, people have high hopes from the film.

The theme of "Iraivi" is relationships. The movie is about how men take women for granted.

STORY

It is the story of three men, Arul (SJ Surya), Michael (Vijay Sethupathi), and Jegan (Bobby Simha) who are constantly in trouble of some kind or another. Frequently the trouble involves women, whether estranged wives, booty call love interests, or traditionally betrothed fiancées. The story follows this trio as they attempt to free themselves from various catastrophes of their own making and the mess they make of their lives in the process.

SJ Surya plays a failed director, who finds solace in liquor, Bobby Simha tries hard to make a widow, played by Pooja, fall for him. Vijay Sethupathi on the other hand, wanders in search of love, choosing to ignore the same when offered by his wife, played by Anjali.

Iraivi movie explains about women, men and their priorities. It talks about women’s freedom, how men look at it and how women use it. The film is based on the women we see around us and how certain things stay the same, irrespective of the class or background they belong to.

PERFORMANCE

SJ Surya gets the maximum screen space among the lead actors and has yet again proved that he can go on to become one of the finest actors of present-day if handled well by good directors. The Kushi director has played his role of an alcoholic to perfection. If you are looking for a bright spot in Iraivi, Surya, true to his name, gleams throughout. Vijay Sethupathi's subtle approach towards acting takes a whole new dimension, for he has underplayed his character. Bobby Simha's talent has been underused and so has Vadivukkarasi and Radharavi's acting prowess. Anjali gets a significant role among the 'Iraivis' and has delivered the goods. While Kamalinee makes a decent comeback, Pooja, despite coming up with a reasonable performance, is a serious mismatch.

Camera work by Sivakumar Vijayan and lighting used throughout the film are some of the few strongpoints in the technical department. Dialogues too, stand out from the beginning till the very end. While Karthik has tried too hard to convey a bold story, his inefficiency in handling too many characters is exposed here. While the first half takes almost an hour to establish its characters, the second half wanders aimlessly before halting at a meaningful conclusion. The slowness in the narration does take its toll. Editing by Vivek Harshan should've been better and music by Santhosh Narayanan is on the average side. Though, the songs stand out brilliantly.

PLUS

Story line

Lead actors

Songs

MINUS

Slow narration

Verdict : A Bold Attempt

Stars : 4/5