Thamirabarani is another entrant to the Tamil masala movie bandwagon this Pongal. However, this looks a better mixture than the much hyped Pokiri or Alwar.

The story of Thamirabarani revolves around Bharani (Vishal), a brawny young man completely spoilt by the love of his rich and powerful family. He idolises his uncle Saravanan (Prabhu), a salt manufacturer, and his widowed mother(Rohini). The whole village reveres Saravanan and his family.

The success and popularity of Saravanan and his family widens the rift between them and the competing PVS family lead by Shakuntala (Nadiya) and her brother (Nasser). The beginning of the romance between Banu (Banu), Shakuntala's daughter, and Bharani takes the enmity between the familes to new heights. After many twists and turns, the story ends on a happy note.

The cleverly structured script and the smart screenplay have the viewer captivated throughout, except when the lead couple engages in some sweet talk. Though there is nothing new about the plot, it has been backed by remarkable performances from the entire cast, especially from Prabhu and Nadiya, who do full justice to their roles. Having played similar roles innumerable times, old hands Nasser, Manorama and Vijaykumar do justice to their characters. Debutante Banu has quite of a bit of work to do though.

Though there isn't one number to stay with you, Yuvan Shankar Raja's music adds to the feel of the countryside. Art director Kadhir's contribution deserves mention. The stunts by Rocky Rajesh are a USP of the movie.

Vishal seems to be easing himself into the mass hero's shoes even as he is establishing himself in the industry. He seems to be getting better playing this kind of a character -- this movie looks like an extension of the last few movies he has acted in.

Similarly, one might even wonder about director Hari's romanticism with the southern parts of Tamil Nadu, especially the Madurai-Tirunelveli-Tuticorin belt, because this movie too has a strong flavour of the society there. That apart, Hari has managed to put together a fairly redeemable mixture of action, humour and sentiments, making the movie worth a watch.

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