Namma Veetu Pillai movie review: Sivakarthikeyan shines in feel good entertainer

Director: Pandiraj

Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Aishwarya Rajesh, Anu Emmanuel, Soori, Bharathiraja

Namma Veetu Pillai is Pandiraj’s second episode at making a large family based nuanced rural entertainer. After Kadaikutty Singam, this too has a similar vibe where a comprehensive explanation is required to setup the various characters of the households. Beginning with granddad Arulmozhi Varman’s(Bharathiraja) speech, we get to know that there are three sons and a daughter, of which the focus falls on Arumpon (Sivakarthikeyan), the son of the deceased second son Chandrabose (Samuthirakani.)

The story is a tale of brother-sister kinship. Arumpon wants to get his sister Thulasi (Aishwarya Rajesh) married but is at a loss when she asserts that she wants to marry Ayyanar (Nataraj), a thug with whom Arumpon has had his disputes. He would rather find a much more reasonable guy for his sister, but the puzzle over her background makes him consent to the union. Now there’s a chance for Ayyanar to get his own revenge, or for the relationship between the siblings to go south. How this unfolds and what happens when Thulasi’s background is revealed forms the rest.

Sivakarthikeyan is back to familiar grounds after a hiatus and pulls off the comic as well the emotional scenes effortlessly. Though Pandiraj has deliberately added few massy moments for Siva, the best part is that he does not glorify his character. The romantic scenes with his ‘moraponnu’ Maangani (Anu Immanuel) are strictly meant for the inclusion of routine song sequences. Aishwarya Rajesh is equally effective and delivers a natural performance. Soori’s comic one-liners work well. The combo of Soori and his son Mundhirikottai played by Pandiraj’s little son Anbukkarasu, brings the roof down. Natty in a weakly written role is okay. All others like Bharathiraja, Vela Ramamoorthy, Samuthirakani, Archana, Subbu Panchu, RK Suresh and Aadukalam Naren lend their support. Yogi Babu for a change does a cameo with negative shades.

The first half is engaging with the combo of feel good narration and signature style of Siva’s comedy. Post interval once the secrecy behind Thulasi is out, the movie loses a bit of sheen and moves along in predictable lines. However, there’s never a dull moment. Without being preachy, the director inculcates the importance family relationships and values.

Nirav Shah’s rustic visuals and Imman’s BGM and songs augment the proceedings. A feel-good family entertainer worth a watch for the festive season!