Uyirile Kalanthathu

Director: K.R.Jaya
Cast: Surya, Shivkumar, Jotika, Radhika, Raghuvaran, Mutham Shivkumar.

The jealousy and trauma of an older sibling, when he finds his parents' attention suddenly withdrawn and showered on the new born, is brought out with a certain amount of finesse by debutant director Jaya. The early scenes of the older boy feeling ignored by his parents is handled quite subtly. The boy (Raghuvaran) grows up with bitterness in his heart. Though outwardly very affectionate and supportive of his younger brother (Surya), he plots ways and means to hurt him. The younger boy, deeply attached to his elder brother, is oblivious of the latter's true feelings. It reaches a stage where Raghuvaran pushes the unsuspecting Surya over a cliff edge as the family goes on a picnic to a hill station. Their father being a police officer, the whole force is out looking for the killer. But all his years of experience as a policeman give him no inkling of the working of his disturbed son's mind.

The film has its weak points. Some of the scenes are far-fetched and the stunt scenes are a bit too many. The songs in the second half also seem to have been forced into the narration. Surya lends a certain innocence and vulnerability to the character. Raghuvaran is a delight to watch and carries the film on his shoulders. His down-to-earth performance makes the character believable. Shivakumar's bewildered expression when his son accuses him of indifference and neglect shows the actor at his best. Mutham Shivkumar (the film's producer) plays a debut role as a rowdy and affectionate brother of Jotika with credibility.An entertainer that manages to rise a little above the routine run-of-the-mill ones.

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