Kollywood invented the Madurai masala movie genre. The heady cocktail mix consists of a touch of reality with essential Tamil cinema ingredients like larger than life action hero, sentiments, action, glamour, Kuthu and Thiruvizha songs, plus current day caste politics.

Lyric writer turned director Yourekha has got inspired from half a dozen recent movies about the mean streets of Madurai like Subramaniapuram, reworked it and served it hot with an ‘A’ certificate. There is blood, gore and some really intimate bedroom scenes between the lead pair Hari Kumar and Anuya, including two tight lip locks!

Aalmaram (Radha Ravi) is a butcher and the good hearted don of Aatuthoti, a suburb of Madurai and his word is the law among the people of the area. He regularly conducts ‘Katta Panchayat’ (kangaroo courts), where instant justice is meted out to those who break the rule.

Aalmaram lives with his happy family consisting of his son Kutty (Hari Kumar), who is prone to a violent way of life, son-in-law who helps him run his empire, old mother (Kezhavi character popularized by Ameer in Paruthiveeran), daughter-in-law (Anni character) and the loving granddaughter plus the mandatory niece Gomati (Karthika) who is mad about her ‘Mama’!

The bad guys are the local scheming MP ‘cut- out’ Ganeshan (Kathal Dhandapani), his over ambitious wife, his political side kick and local DIG (Raj Kapoor), who have their own axe to grind against Aalmaram and his son Kutty. The cops and politicians are not able to rein in Aalmaram family. Finally a lady officer Caroline Thomas (Anuya) is given charge of this troublesome area. Caroline meets Kutty and soon some special chemistry develops between them, leading to a twist in the story and a chilling climax.

Radha Ravi as the uncrowned don and Godfather type mass leader is very competent and is first class with his slow dialogue delivery and body language. Hari Kumar a good dancer has miles to go as a mass hero because he cannot bring emotion to his face and dialogue delivery is embarrassing.

Anuya, in a deglamorised role as the fiendish cop who falls for the rowdy is fantastic. She brings so much emotion and reality to her performance and is an actress of substance. Vinayagam as the local tourist guide who marries a Russian tourist is a scream. There is nothing much to recommend in John Peter’s music or Sukumar’s camera.

The trouble with the film is that it is too long (2 hrs 40 minutes) and moves at a lethargic pace. The first half is ok but by the second half the story plods and the audiences know the real aim of the heroine. And too many songs, long drawn out fight scenes are incorporated into the proceedings. The script is too thin on logic and the plot heavy, dark and morbid. Meant mostly for diehard Madurai Masala buffs.

Verdict- Average