Deiva Thirumagal (2011)

English translation: God’s daughter
Director: A. L. Vijay
Story: A. L. Vijay
Cast: Vikram, Anushka Shetty, Amala Paul, Nassar 
Music: G.V. Prakash
Time: 164 minutes
Bottom-line: First half is average, but the second half more than makes up for it

A heart-warming story of a father-daughter relationship, Deiva Thirumagal is one of the few good Indian, non-masala films of recent times. This film is as good as Radha Mohan’s Abhiyum Naanum, but in many ways is better. This film is the adaptation of the 2001 Hollywood film I Am Sam, starring Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer for Vikram and Anushka's roles respectively. With Amala Paul, Nassar and Santhanam in the supporting roles, Deiva Thirunmagal is a great film, with an ending that will linger on your minds for a long time.

Vikram as Krishna (right) and Baby Sara as Nila

Krishna (Vikram) is an intellectually disabled man, who comes to the court. Lawyer Vinod (Santhanam) thinks that Krishna is rich, and offers to take him to his boss, Anuradha (Anushka). Krishna tells that he wants ‘Nila’, which in Tamil means ‘moon’. Realizing that he is mad, they try to avoid him, and also misguide him. But soon, another man, Victor, tells Anuradha about Krishna’s pathetic condition. Krishna lived in a village near Ooty. When he has a daughter (Baby Sara), whom he names Nila, his wife dies immediately. Nila becomes friendly with her school’s correspondent Shwetha (Amala Paul). But she demands Nila from Krishna, because her sister is Krishna’s wife. She believes that Krishna cannot take care of Nila. Shwetha’s father agrees to take both Krishna and Nila to Chennai, but tricks Krishna into leaving his daughter with them. So Krishna eventually comes to the court. Moved by the story, Anuradha decides to help Krishna to win the case. However, she finds out that Shwetha’s father’s lawyer is Bashyam (Nassar), who has never lost a case before. Whether or not Krishna is able to reunite with his daughter forms the rest of the film.

Anushka as Anuradha

Vikram’s acting is stunning. After seeing films like Anniyan and Ravanan, I felt this role to be one of the best of his career. No showing off of muscle, no punch lines, no heroic entry… none of that masala stuff, but brilliant acting as both a father and an intellectually disabled man. Of course, others say that Vikram has completely copied his actions from Kamal Haasan, but I still find his acting to be awesome. His acting is what makes you feel sorry for both Krishna (and Nila), towards the ending of the film. Anushka and Amala Paul have acted well, and Nassar’s acting was also superb. Baby Sara’s acting is not that great, but is fairly good. This film made her a big star. Santhanam mainly does only comedy, which provides a few good laughs in the beginning, but he does not really have a role in the second half of the film.

Amala Paul as Swhetha

The story is sort of distracting in the beginning, with Santhanam’s comedy and other comic scenes. The film moves slowly till the flashback is over. By that time, half the audience would already be wiping their eyes with tissues, for it is after the flashback that the story becomes emotional. Until then it is mainly fun-filled: it is almost a comedy film. Sure, the story may be slow and boring for those who expect an action thriller with Vikram playing the lead, but once you have finished watching, the experience is very strong. The film is 164 minutes long but it could have been reduced to about 140 minutes, if some comedy scenes and the scenes in the hotel - which provide comic tension, but again, ruin the pace of the story – were removed.

Santhanam as Vinod (right), with Vikram

The scene in the courtroom towards the end is another very moving scene. Bashyam viciously interrogates Krishna, who is helpless against such powerful questions. Bashyam asks how Krishna can make his daughter a doctor, if he cannot even remember the school she goes to. Vikram’s expressions during these scenes are very touching, and will make you cry, even if you have a heart of stone. The part where Krishna and Nila greet each other in court is one of the best scenes in the film. If this scene doesn’t make you cry, then the last scene (where Krishna walks away from Shwetha’s house) surely will.

To sum up, A.L. Vijay’s Deiva Thirumagal is a film that does not really entertain you, but provides a really powerful story. Sublime acting by Vikram (and Baby Sara), some memorable and very emotional scenes, a strong portrayal of the bond between a father and daughter all make this film one of the best of the decade. Whether or not Vikram has copied from Kamal Haasan is a different issue, but in this film, his acting is top-class. If you want a masala movie, ten don’t watch the film. If you want a different, but well-worth, experience, this film is one of my top recommendations.

My Rating: 4/5