The plot definitely evokes a sense of déjà vu – a hardworking brilliant medical student who is a lovable mama’s boy turning into a silent but deadly fighting machine who makes mince meat out of the most dreaded gang in Madurai! A female vixen who shouts louder and is more mean than men, wanting to marry our hero after she receives a blow and is humiliated by him! An educated girl who falls in love with the hero after he saves her honour and later does the routine song ‘n’ dance with him and an assorted band of bad brothers who is the epitome of all evil.

The film opens with a group of thugs in various parts of Tamilnadu looking out for Ganesh whom they want to kill. Enters Ganesh (Vishal), a morose and silent guy who joins final year in a Chennai medical college and is protected by police and college authorities. He stays in hostel warden’s (Vadivel) room and Srimathi (Reema) his professor’s daughter falling for him not knowing who he is! But just before interval, Srimathi meets Ganesh who has saved her life when some goons at college plan to kill her and this leads to the twist in the tale. Now Ganesh has a dark past which is revealed.

A studious medical student and a pet of his parents, Ganesh accidentally bumps into Easwari (Shreya Reddy) sister of Periya Karuppu (Manoj K.Jayan) and Chinna Karuppu (I.M.Vijayan) money lenders and local goondas. Easwari is a foul mouthed vixen who swears to marry Ganesh after he beats her in public. It can’t get more bizarre as she kidnaps Ganesh’s parents and wait for him with a thali , but our hero turns a one-man fighting machine and thwarts her plans and in a freak mishap Easwari gets electrocuted. Before dying, she asks her brothers to see that Ganesh does not complete his studies and marry any other girl!

Thimiru is undoubtedly packaged to showcase Vishal as an action hero. The idea seems to project him in the Vijay mould, as they use the same formula of family sentiments, boorish villains, glamour girls, item number, comedy and lots of action to make the hero omnipotent. Playing wildly to the gallery, director Tarun Gopi has dished out an action mass masala movie to boost Vishal’s angry young man image. The characterization from the protagonist to the goon squad especially the satanic Easwari are patently childish or churlish.

On the upside the first half is racy and moves at rapid speed with songs well-placed, comedy of Vadivel and hard hitting interval suspense. But post interval the tempo slackens, characters turn into caricatures and the climax is predictable and banal. Vishal holds you riveted in the first half as the brooding medical student. His body language and expressions are top class with Kanal Kannan’s well-choreographed action scenes. Reema Sen looks fresh and she carries out what is expected of her role with ease and élan.

However it is Shreya Reddy as Easwari who is the scene stealer. Using her powerful eyes and wicked smile, the actress brings her character to life. But the sad thing is that I.M.Vijayan and Manoj K.Jayan are wasted as they just make a lot of noise and has not been given a single scene to score over the hero. Vadivelu rocks in a very funny comedy track that goes with the narration. Songs by Yuvan are nothing much to write about. Priyan’s camera is top class.

Verdict: Mass Masala Entertainer