Ayothi Movie Review: Movies that touch on human values and emotions never fail to captivate us. And when a film is effective enough to immerse us in its world, we expect nothing less than a good movie. Ayothi, directed by Mandhira Moorthy, is the kind of film that leaves a lasting impression on its viewers despite a melodramatic approach. It addresses various issues such as religion, superstitions, chauvinistic attitudes of men, and more.
The director has skillfully kept the plot simple without introducing too many characters, events, or subplots, despite touching on so many issues. Within a few minutes into the film, we are introduced to a family of four from Ayothi. The family is headed by a conservative, religious patriarch, Yashpal Sharma, who treats his wife cruelly and exploits her in many ways. They have two children — a college-going girl, Shivani, played by Preethi Asrani, and a young boy. On the occasion of Deepavali, the family decides to go on a spiritual trip to Rameswaram, not knowing that the trip would turn into a disaster. Janki, the mother of the two children, suffers serious injuries in an accident, and a man from Rameshwaram, Sasikumar, who happens to be the friend of the cab driver involved, decides to help the helpless family.
Things get complicated when Janki dies on the way to the government hospital. The rest of the story depicts the sufferings of the two children at the hands of their extremely religious father and how Sasikumar and his friend, Pugazh, help them to take their mother’s dead body to their hometown despite all odds.
Debutant director Mandhira Moorthy’s craft is powerful enough to hold the audience’s attention throughout the film. The characters and dialogue are well-etched and kept as real as possible. Mandhira Moorthy has sensibly understood what a protagonist should be. Sasikumar’s heroism is subtle, and his character beautifully travels along with the story.
When a filmmaker introduces us to a character in the very first scene with evil attributes, it’s obvious that they will undergo a transformation in the end. But how it happens matters the most, and Mandhira Moorthy has presented it with many heartwarming moments. Although the script lacks major conflicts, it makes up for it with deeper emotions that resonate with the audience. The audience travels along with the emotions of a family from North India, which is a rare occurrence in Tamil cinema. Preethi Asrani’s performance as Shivani is exceptional, and the director has rightly used close-up shots to highlight her acting skills.
It’s refreshing to see Pugazh in a character role instead of a comedian. He has done justice to the role given to him. Yashpal Sharma’s performance as a man with conservative and chauvinistic attitudes is convincing, and his act towards the climax is commendable. Sasikumar has played his role well and fits in perfectly. Revealing his character name might spoil the experience of the viewers, so it’s best not to reveal it.
Composer NT Raghunanthan’s background score elevates the emotional sequences to another level, helping the viewers connect with the characters on screen many times. The other technical aspects are decent enough to hold the audience.
Ayothi is a movie that constantly emphasises love over religion, and it’s worth watching.
