Ammaidhipadai – A film which is relevant even in today’s political scenario. For a change you end up rooting for the antagonist and his sidekick while the protagonist is a staunch reminder of the cliche do-gooder. But Manivannan is a clever film maker he let’s Ammavasai hog the limelight until the final act. It’s a bold ploy which works wonderfully well.

The sheer audacity of conceiving and sketching a character like Ammavasai is a timeless example of thinking outside the box. Ammavasai is a pauper but his rag to riches story is very different. He’s a pauper who doesn’t give a damn about the poverty that surrounds. His dreams are sky high and he is so sure of achieving them in whatever means possible.

The transformation scene stands out. The two stars join hands to touch the highest peak of political satire and the positions are reversed in the blink of an eye. Ammavasai meek frame paves the way for Nagaraja Chozan’s casual arrogance even as the shell shocked mentor sees power change hands rather casually and surrenders to the new role that fate bestows on him.

I don’t think Tamil Cinema will ever a political satire of this quality again. Some might argue that joker is of the same quality but I beg to differ. The arrogance that is sprinkled over Ammavasai’s personality will never be seen again.